Monaghan, A Natural Future

with Mushrooms Being Most Popular Vegetable Used

• Vegan Christmas dinner has half the carbon emissions of a turkey Christmas dinner
• Over HALF of Brits who will be cooking a plant-based dinner will be doing so due to environment and sustainability factors
• 11 per cent of Brits will cater for those on plant-based diet
• Vegan roasts set to be popular this year with 20 per cent embracing this option
• MUSHROOMS the most popular vegetable used in Christmas cooking

The countdown to Christmas is now on, and according to new research[1], 11 per cent of Brits will be catering to those on a plant-based diet by cooking a vegan Christmas dinner this year.

Research commissioned by the UK & Ireland Mushroom Producers, a partnership between British and Irish mushroom farmers and producers, revealed that plant-based Christmas dinner options have soared with over 13 per cent[2] of people reducing meat consumption over the festive season.

Plant-based main courses such as mushroom wellington have increased in popularity, overtaking beef and lamb at the Christmas table. At supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, vegan centrepieces for main course Christmas dinner have even been bestsellers.

The number of Brits opting for plant-based meals has grown by a whopping 50 per cent[3] in recent months, with further data showing that sales of meat alternatives are up 31 per cent.

20 per cent of respondents are embracing a vegan or vegetarian roast dinner this year![4]

Although turkey may be off the menu, many believe that still having dishes with a ‘meaty’ texture is important.

It has been revealed that MUSHROOMS will be the most popular vegetable used in Christmas dinner. With a meaty texture and versatile uses, mushrooms have increased dramatically in popularity this year.

Indeed, sales of mushrooms have risen by a dramatic 16 per cent, with the spike in purchases believed to be linked to their health benefits[5].

With green being the new gold this festive season, health conscious 18-34-year olds are most likely to prepare for a green festive season, with sustainability top of their agenda as to why.

Interestingly over HALF of respondents who are planning to cook a plant-based Christmas dinner will be doing so due to environmental and sustainability factors[6].

A standard Christmas dinner adds up to a whopping 16,010 food miles, whereas a plant-based Christmas dinner is in fact 22% less in miles overall.

Those who opt for a vegan Christmas dinner will also cause less harm to the environment, with research suggesting that eating plant-based could be the single biggest way to reduce our environmental impact on earth.

A report by Satsuma Loans found that a plant-based Christmas dinner has half the emissions compared to a turkey Christmas dinner.

The study notes that a traditional dinner for a family of six emits 23.5kg of CO2 emissions, compared to a plant-based Christmas dinner that only emits 9.5kg.

To reduce milage on your festive feast, British and Irish farmers urge Brits to shop locally over the Christmas period.

When purchasing plant-based food such as mushrooms, it is important to check the country of origin (which can be found on front of pack) to ensure consumers are purchasing the local, freshest and highest quality produce available.

It has also been revealed that during the Christmas period alone 2 million turkeys, 5 million Christmas puddings and 74 million mince pies get wasted, causing almost 270,000 tons of food waste during the holiday season[7].

[1] 72 point survey opinion matters (mushrooms) – 14^th December 2020

[2] 72 point survey opinion matters (mushrooms) – 14^th December 2020

[3] 8w/e 17^th May 2020 vs average 8 weeks in 52w/e 17^th May 2020

[4] 72 point survey opinion matters (mushrooms) – 14^th December 2020

[5] Sales data from Kantar, November 2020 4 w/e

[6] 72 point survey opinion matters (mushrooms) – 14^th December 2020

[7] Respect food report: https://bit.ly/3qzjgWH