Rügenwalder Mühle argues that “if anyone has the competence to produce vegetarian alternatives so that they taste like meat and sausage, then it should be us.” This sends a clear message: consumers can trust their preferred brand, whether meat-based or meat-free. The brands carry consumer trust and convey the message that they are best positioned to make the best tasting alternatives to meat. Similarly, ABP is using the slogan “No meat. No compromise”, which suggests it has the skills to produce a better product than purely vegetarian or vegan producers.

Established producers of meat alternatives in the UK – like Quorn and Linda McCartney’s – have long shared the larger part of the market. Their strength has likely made investment more uncertain and stopped foreign companies and meat businesses from investing in the UK.

But, while they have built consumer awareness and market demand, they sometimes suffer a bad reputation, particularly with more traditional meat eaters who may be new to reducing their meat intake. Market research shows how some critics accuse them of tasting bland or question the view of them as natural. So there’s room for the traditional meat industry to present itself as solving these problems.

Meat-free muscle

Further to this, existing meat producers have money to back investment and conduct expensive research. They have facilities and people to quickly scale up production. And they have existing contracts with retailers for their meat products. They therefore have a strong negotiating position through the large revenues they make here and it’s easier for them to convince retailers to stock their new meat-free products, and to stock them in the meat aisle.

In contrast, new companies may have the best ideas and the best products, but they still need to secure contracts with retailers. Plus, their lack of experience in the food industry may provide further barriers to expansion.

The existing infrastructure and financial muscle of the meat industry means it is well-positioned to take over the meat-free replica market. In many ways, it is only a matter of time before they catch up. So, while the future might be meat-free, the future will be dominated by the same big companies as the meat market was.

Unlike only a year ago, now there are some meat-free burger patties, mince and steaks sold on shelves right next to the meat. This can radically reshape the market for these products. It conveys the message that there is little difference between these products and, as technology improves, the differences left are certainly decreasing.

As the sustainability and health challenges of excessive meat consumption become more obvious, it is about time meat producers like ABP moved more squarely into the meat-free market.