The traditional image of a meat-laden Christmas feast is undergoing a green revolution. A recent survey conducted by Tesco, a leading UK supermarket, reveals a significant shift in consumer preferences, with a quarter of British adults planning to prioritize plant-based options for their Christmas mains this year.

Among the 6,375 British adults Tesco surveyed, 27% plan to serve or consider meat-free options for their Christmas meals. This inclination stems from various reasons: some respondents have vegetarian or vegan guests, others are seeking alternatives to traditional meat-based dishes, and many simply prefer the flavors offered by plant-based foods.

Tesco’s survey results are mirrored in their sales data. The supermarket giant has witnessed a staggering 40% increase in sales of “veg-led foods,” according to IRI/Circana. Over the 41 weeks leading to October 12, Tesco experienced a significant increase in sales of veg-forward dishes, selling nearly 600,000 more compared to the same period last year.

To cater to this growing demand, Tesco has expanded its range of plant-based Christmas offerings. As Fay Hasnip, Tesco’s plant-based product development manager, explains, “There is a growing appetite from plant-based shoppers to try products that are plant-rich as well as from flexitarians now wanting to take more control over what they eat.”

“With that in mind, we’ve crafted our finest ever plant-based offering this festive season that we believe will surprise and delight all at the Christmas dinner table,” she added.

Tesco’s vegan Christmas menu is rich with vegetable-centric dishes, including a vegetable and cranberry star that combines roasted butternut squash, parsnip, cranberries, and chestnuts, all wrapped in flaky puff pastry. Another standout is the butternut squash wellington, featuring a mix of roasted shallot and mushroom duxelles. The menu also includes a roast crafted from chestnuts, pumpkin, sunflower seeds, kale, and mushrooms, served with port gravy. Additional offerings are a mushroom, butternut squash, and chestnut wreath with lentils and brown rice, and a vegan No-Prawn Tempura made from king oyster mushrooms and jackfruit. For vegetarians, there’s a spanakopita drizzled with hot honey and a pithivier filled with winter vegetables and three cheeses.

Tesco’s emphasis on produce-centric meals aligns with its goal to increase the sale of healthy products to 65% by 2025, already achieving 60% by the end of 2023. According to a December 2023 survey of 2,000 people by Tesco, 46% of Brits are eating more vegetables than they were five years ago, with 47% making a deliberate choice to do so. The primary motivation for this shift is health, cited by 81% of respondents.

Tesco’s success with plant-based food led them to describe the growth in this market as phase two of the “biggest food trend this century.” Reflecting on this, Hasnip stated, “The plant-based revolution is so far the biggest food trend to have taken place this century and right now with chefs in this space creating and celebrating the diversity and deliciousness of plants, it is piquing the interest of plant-curious consumers.”