The use of meat alternatives is rapidly increasing in the hospitality and catering industry. Over the past two years, sales of meat substitutes in this sector have more

than doubled, according to data from ProVeg, a non-profit organization that advocates for vegetarianism and veganism. These findings are based on purchasing data from wholesalers.

Between 2021 and 2023, the demand for animal-based products, particularly dairy, has declined, with a noticeable drop in sales. Meat substitutes, however, have seen significant growth, with sales increasing by 111 percent. Dairy alternatives also experienced strong growth, with an 82 percent rise in sales during the same period, while meat sales saw a slight decrease of 2 percent.

One of the most striking trends is the continued decline in sales of animal-based dairy products, which have not fully recovered since the coronavirus lockdowns, during which many restaurants temporarily closed. Even four years after the pandemic, sales of animal dairy products remain at only about three-quarters of their pre-lockdown levels.

ProVeg's analysis is based on the total sales data from 2017 to 2023 of all Dutch wholesalers that supply products to the catering and hospitality industry. Photo by о-christian r from Singapore/wikimedia), Wikimedia commons.