UK plant-based meat remains 34% pricier as Dutch market reaches parity

Plant-based meat remained substantially more expensive than animal meat in the UK during the first half of 2026, according to new GFI Europe analysis, presenting a stark contrast with recent research showing plant-based alternatives reaching and often beating price parity in the Netherlands.

• GFI Europe found UK plant-based meat cost an average 34% more per kilogram than animal meat between January and June 2026.
• The findings contrasted with recent Dutch research showing plant-based alternatives were cheaper than their lowest-priced animal equivalents in 53% of comparisons.
• UK plant-based meat sales fell 7.3% by value and 9.4% by volume in 2025, although nine million households bought products at least once.

GFI Europe tracked online prices for 131 plant- and animal-based products sold by Tesco between January and June 2026. Plant-based meat averaged £12.49/kg at full price, with the premium over animal meat narrowing from 34% to 28% when loyalty discounts were included.

The difference varied considerably between categories. Plant-based sausages were 40.7% more expensive than pork sausages, falling to a 33.3% premium with discounts, while plant-based chicken alternatives cost 35.4% more than conventional chicken, or 30.3% more with discounts.

Plant-based beef was the exception. Products in this category were 8.4% cheaper than conventional beef at full price and 15.3% cheaper when discounts were included.

The findings stand in marked contrast with recent research from ProVeg Netherlands, which found plant-based alternatives were cheaper per kilogram than the lowest-priced animal equivalent in 53% of comparisons across nine Dutch retailers.

That study, covering 294 products, found a six-product plant-based basket was 18% cheaper than its animal-based equivalent. Plant-based burgers were 31% cheaper, chicken pieces 29% cheaper and mince 21% cheaper, while plant-based butter and margarine delivered the largest saving at 48%.

The two studies used different methodologies and cannot be treated as a direct country-to-country price comparison. The UK analysis focused on 131 products at Tesco and compared average plant- and animal-based prices, while the Dutch research covered nine retailers and compared plant-based products with the cheapest animal equivalent available.

Nevertheless, the results highlight markedly different pricing dynamics in two of Europe’s established plant-based markets – and suggest price parity is far from uniform across the region.

Affordability is particularly important in the UK because only 30% of consumers surveyed by GFI Europe, Plant Futures and HarrisX considered plant-based foods good value for money, compared with 58% for animal-based products.

The price challenge comes as UK plant-based meat sales continue to contract. Circana data covering supermarkets excluding discounters showed sales value declined 7.3% to £295 million in 2025, while volumes fell 9.4%.

However, household penetration remained substantial. NielsenIQ Homescan data indicated that 31.2% of UK households – around nine million homes – bought plant-based meat at least once during 2025, while 14.4%, or approximately 4.2 million households, purchased it at least six times.

Branded products continued to dominate, representing 87.8% of category sales volume. Sausages remained the largest format, accounting for 23.7%, followed by breaded and battered products and burgers, both at 12.4%.

At the same time, other plant protein categories gained ground. Tofu sales volumes increased 15% in UK supermarkets excluding discounters during 2025, while tempeh and seitan grew 44%. Plant-based meat nevertheless remained considerably larger, with sales volumes 4.7 times those of tofu, tempeh and seitan combined.

GFI Europe also highlighted nutrition as another area where consumer perceptions and product characteristics diverged. Its analysis found plant-based meat was typically high in protein, provided fibre and contained substantially less saturated fat than animal meat, although nutritional composition varied between products.

Fortification remained uncommon. Analysis of the 70 best-selling UK plant-based meat products, representing 78% of category sales volume, found 8.8% was fortified with vitamin B12 and 4.2% with both iron and B12.

GFI Europe said the Netherlands could also provide lessons here, pointing to nutritional guidance from the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommending criteria including iron and B12 fortification.

The organization called for greater investment in the UK's domestic ingredient and processing capacity. UK public funders invested £36.8 million in plant-based protein research and innovation between 2020 and 2025, while newer initiatives include the £16 million National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre.

GFI Europe recommended that the government invest £150 million between 2026 and 2030 in research, innovation and infrastructure covering plant-based meat, cultivated meat and fermentation. This would include a proposed £30 million Plant-Based Innovation Fund focused on opportunities for UK farmers, nutrition and more appealing products.

It also called for mandatory reporting by large retailers and foodservice companies on the proportion of protein-rich foods sold from animal, seafood and plant sources, government-backed nutritional guidelines for plant-based meat and greater investment in domestic fractionation infrastructure.

The organization said the UK currently lacked much of the processing capacity required to produce higher-value ingredients such as pea and fava bean protein isolates domestically, leaving manufacturers reliant on overseas supply chains.

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