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• 41% of consumers expect to choose plant based in the next 12 months
• The Meatless Farm Co has launched a plant based casual dining concept off the back of significant UK growth
• Foodservice will become a key channel for the brand throughout 2019 with a premium branded burger proposition

British start-up and plant based company, The Meatless Farm Co, has launched its first plant based pop up at Hatch, the award-winning retail and foodie destination on Oxford Road, Manchester.

The pop up follows a successful retail launch with Sainsbury’s in October 2018 and shows the increasing demand for meat free alternatives when eating out. In fact, recent research* indicates that 41% of consumers are likely to consider choosing a plant based or meat free alternative when eating out in the next 12 months.

The pop up’s menu includes plant based street food such as Meatless Chilli and Cheese, Meatless Meatball Marinara and their signature burgers that come with a selection of toppings, from Monterey Jack to vegan bacon and cheese. The Meatless Farm Co is aiming to provide a tasty meal solution for vegans, vegetarians or consumers that just want to cut down on their meat consumption.

Morten Toft Bech, Founder of The Meatless Farm Co, says: ‘Our plant based pop up is an important move forward for us. We believe that meat free doesn’t have to mean taste free and it’s given us the chance to carefully create a menu, using our mince and burgers, that absolutely delivers on texture and taste. Foodservice is a focus for us in 2019 and we’ll be looking to help our operator partners really drive their meat free offering.’

One of the ways in which The Meatless Farm Co will be doing this is through offering a branded premium plant based burger with a marketing pack, helping operators to drive sales with a better cash and profit percentage. The pack features premium marketing materials including tent cards, colouring sheets and burger flags, like that seen at the pop up.

Toft Bech continues: ‘Our research* shows that 43% of consumers would describe their experience of meat free dishes whilst eating out as just ‘adequate’. Whilst it’s no secret the demand for meat free is growing, operators need to keep evolving with this trend – meat free can be so much more than ‘adequate’, which I really think we’re demonstrating at our pop-up.’

Establishing the pop up in Manchester is an important indication of meat free being a truly national trend. Recent research by The Meatless Farm Co shows that the North West is one of the key UK areas eating the most amount of meat free meals a week, alongside the North East, London, Wales and Scotland.*