Food & Beverage

Restaurant shipments of plant-based foods up 60%

istock

June 9, 2021

Plant-based proteins are appearing on restaurant menus more than ever. The NPD Group found that shipments of plant-based proteins from foodservice distributors to commercial restaurants increased by 60% in April 2021 compared to the same month a year ago, when the category reported declines because of pandemic restrictions.

"There has been a lot of public discussion about plant-based beef and meat substitutes, and whether or not plant-based is a fad or a trend," Tim Fires, president of NPD's SupplyTrack, which revealed shipments were also up 16% compared to April 2019. "But the fact of the matter is, chefs and operators, see the plant-based protein category as a flexible option for developing recipes and menu offerings that taste good, and their guests enjoy. Plant-based proteins are now a staple in their repertoire."

Plant-based beef analogues, which represent the largest share of plant-based proteins shipped, increased pounds shipped by 45% in April 2021 compared to same month year ago and 82% compared to two years ago.

Chicken plant-based analogues, a more recent category than beef analogues, grew by 82% in April 2021 compared to April 2020 and 25% compared to April 2019.

Another more recent entry is fish analogues, which grew by 181% in April compared to a year ago, and 78% compared to two years ago, although still a small category.

Classic plant-based proteins, like grains, nuts, vegetables, tofu, and tempeh, also experienced substantial growth in April, according to NPD.