Beef production in Bristol, UK has been severely impacted by the rise of veganism, a hospitality expert has explained.

Farmers in the city have been left ‘beleaguered’ as more consumers turn their backs on meat, said Alex Demetriou, managing director of West-based purchasing group Regency which supplies caterers.

Beef is down five percent in the region compared to this time last year, and experts in the farming industry fear the trend is set to continue.

“It appears as if this has been driven by the vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian movement, which is becoming increasingly popular as a lifestyle choice rather than any kind of trend,” Demetriou was quoted by the Bristol Post.

The trend is having a drastic impact on farmers’ incomes, he explained.

The future

Last week one of Scotland’s leading farmers urged his peers to ditch animal agriculture to focus on the exploding plant milk market, as customers turn their backs on meat and dairy.

Bristol is one of the leading cities for veganism, and a recent study by Chef’s Pencil revealed it had the highest volumes of searches for plant-based food in the world.

The city has a huge range of vegan restaurants, and recently a company even introduced vegan vending machines in the area.

A spokesperson for Chef’s Pencil said: “Move over Berlin and London… Bristol is the new European and worldwide vegan capital.

“Bristol’s concentration of vegan-related searches on Google surpassed every other city in the world.

“While this may come as a surprise to many, the locals know all to well that their city has turned into a vegan Mecca.

“There are lots of vegan restaurants, cafes, vegan hair and beauty salons and even an active Bristol vegan community.”

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Oli Gross

Oli’s career and personal ethical values both help shape his reporting of the diverse world of veganism. His background is in local newspaper and magazine journalism, and his work has included reporting court cases, celebrity interviews, business analysis, food and drink features and government legislation.

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