According to polling, an impressive 11% of Brits said all of their lunches were vegan or vegetarian already.

A staggering 25% of Brits want to eat more vegan or vegetarian food during their lunch break, according to new research.

Squeaky Bean commissioned a survey of 2,000 UK’s working population to gauge the nation’s lunchtime habits.

It found that 24% of people are eating less meat since the pandemic. The numbers in London were higher with 40% wanting to eat more vegan and 42% more vegetarian food.

In addition, 11% said all of their lunches were vegan or vegetarian already.

The growing interest in vegan food comes after the number of people having their lunch at home has more than doubled (a 112% increase) since the outbreak.

However, the pandemic has made regular lunch hours a thing of the past due to time pressure on the UK workforce.

This time crunch has led people to opt for quick and easy meals as lunchtime staples. 65% of respondents said they prefer sandwiches and wraps for lunch, while 32% opt for salads and 24% soups.

‘Convenient food is a must’

Sarah Augustine is Squeaky Bean’s co-creator. She said: “Our survey reveals that the nation’s lunchtimes are jam-packed.

“There’s no shortage of pressures on our well-earned breaks. With so many demands on our time, convenient food is a must – and we believe Squeaky Bean has the answer.”

‘Plant Hour’

In order to promote plant-based foods, the vegan food brand has teamed up with And Rising – a creative ventures firm –  to launch its first digital video advertising campaign to encourage more people to try meat-free food and to make their mealtimes ‘Plant Hour’.

The social media campaign will include two approaches. The first will be a series of 15-second shorts showcasing Squeaky Bean’s plant-based hero products: Kick of Tikka Chicken Style Pieces, Chargrilled Cajun Mini Fillets and NYC Deli Pastrami Style Slices and will run on Instagram and Facebook.

On TikTok, the brand will have well-known influencers including Morgan M-James and Sun Pi promote Plant Hour with an innovative advert encouraging their audience to ‘get their Squeak on’.

Moreover, in September, five influencers will have the opportunity to stay for 21 days in luxury mansion – The Squeaky House – as part of the world’s first ‘foodie influencer hub’ to not only produce their own content and collaborate on ideas but also be challenged to go plant-based for the full duration of their stay.

“Plant-based food is one of the fastest-growing categories in grocery, and Squeaky Bean has stepped in as the brand providing tasty and easy plant-based options” Augustine added.

“We’re true innovators in the food space, having launched 10 new products this year alone. Now it’s time to bring the brand in front of a wider audience with our first creative advertising campaign, which is just the beginning of our marketing strategy to elevate Squeaky Bean into more and more households nationwide.

“So, it’s time to let everyone know that the Lunch Hour just got a glow up. Specifically, a plant-based one. We call it The Plant Hour.”

• Read: RZA and Violife to grant $100K to ‘pandemic hit’ black-owned vegan restaurants

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Mohsina Dodhiya

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