Gone are the days when vegan meals need to be ordered in advance.

With a growing appetite for vegan meals and snacks, it’s estimated that by 2027, the plant protein market will reach $10,330m.¹ (For context, in 2020 it was $5,865m, a staggering increase of over 76%).

The number of vegans in the UK has quadrupled since 2007and last year alone, Emirates served over 113,000 vegan meals, so it’s clear that it’s no passing phase – veganism is here to stay.

The travellers of tomorrow

Young consumers are a driving trend in the rise of veganism – millennials especially – with 20% of under-35s adopting veganism, according to a Mintel report published in 2017.²

With these groups adopting veganism, or at the very least, a flexitarian approach, it’s important to cater for their needs wherever they are – even if that’s at 35,000ft above ground level.

Gwendal Hamon, En Route’s food development director explains: “Firstly, it’s important to identify why consumers choose to adopt a vegan lifestyle. Factors such as ethics, the environment, personal health, allergies or religion can all influence someone to adopt a plant-based diet.

“Some vegans cut out meat not because they don’t enjoy it, but because of environmental concerns whilst some others can’t bear to even look at meat, or products that look like it. When creating plant-based options, it’s important to remember that veganism can be an extremely complex and personal decision, and it differs from person to person. There’s no ‘one size fits all’ menu option so you need to offer a range of different plant-based dishes with a variety of elements if you are to truly cater for a vegan audience and provide a welcoming, inclusive dining experience for vegan airline passengers.”

What’s on the menu?

En Route currently offers a selection of plant-based vegan options, from ambient meals, handheld snacks and plant-based dairy too. We supply a range of viennoiserie and bakery rolls to suit a vegan diet, with plans to expand our offering in 2023. Focusing on introducing new plant-based options to our hot snack and sandwich selections for the retail on board market, there will also be vegan ice cream to complement our dessert menu too.

Having recently released the popular Sweet Potato Falafel & Curry Houmous Spinach Wrap for the EZY winter menu (which can be enjoyed warm or cold to offer added choice to the passenger experience), we’re also looking at introducing more plant-based vegan options in our ambient meals menu, to sit alongside one of our staples, Penne Arrabiata.

There is clear data to show that regardless of region, the demand for plant-based vegan options is growing, and our role is to meet that need, not just for vegans, but for all passengers.

Presenting vegan options can also help airlines discover new revenue paths through retail on-board options when meat and dairy alternatives are paired with more well-known and traditional dishes. Referring to them as ‘meat-free’ rather than vegan or vegetarian can also have more profitable results, with consumers responding to this term more positively.

Says Gwendal: “Offering passengers the chance to try something they may not consider when on the ground contributes to creating the luxury ‘food experience’ we want them to remember.

“If they come away feeling satisfied, we’ve done our job.”

If you are looking for innovative vegan options for your menu, please get in touch with us on +44 (0) 1753 465555.