With a record 600,000 people officially taking part in last month’s Veganuary, and the likelihood of thousands more giving vegan products a try, fine food wholesaler Cotswold Fayre has dramatically increased its offering in this arena.
Cotswold Fayre now supplies almost 300 plant-based products across its ambient and chilled ranges, double the amount available in 2021.
“There is no doubt that plant-based food has made the move from niche to mainstream,” says Ellie Gunn, chilled buyer at Cotswold Fayre. “In fact a recent studyrevealed that the proportion of people eating and drinking plant-based products has almost doubled over the last decade.
“We see product innovation driving this category forward with taste and variety remaining key to increase demand from the huge number of reducetarians, looking to consumer more plants and reducing, not eliminating animal ingredients.”
For the first time, Cotswold Fayre’s recently launch chilled catalogue has a plant-based category section with new products from both new and existing suppliers. New plant-based brands include Kinda Co and Mergulo which both use cashews as the base for their vegan ‘butter’ and ‘cheeses’.
And existing suppliers, The Collective, Biotiful, The Coconut Collaborative, Meatless Farm and Squeaky Bean have exciting new products to tempt consumers to make a switch.
Laura Strapp, ambient buyer at Cotswold Fayre concurs with the increased demand for plant-based products but also sees a wider desire for natural products.
“Consumers and retailers alike are increasingly looking for ‘clean label’ products and are actively seeking out products that clearly state that they don’t use artificial ingredients or preservatives.”
Freddie’s Farm, is a great example of a clean label brand, that has recently been added to Cotswold Fayre’s portfolio. These fruit flavour snacks are made from only natural ingredients, no added sugar, are vegan and the packaging is also 100 percent plastic free.
“As a certified B Corp, we seek to embrace suppliers that are sustainable and even if they are not there yet, are demonstratively working towards reducing plastic and environmentally friendly packaging," Strapp said.
“The positive contribution that the food and drink sector can make to the planet is considerable and it is exciting to see what new innovations will emerge in the coming years.”
