Dietary specific

The growing trend of vegan confectionery in 2021

The rise of vegan confectionery

In recent years, food manufacturers have really upped their game when it comes to providing vegan-friendly alternatives. As the plant-based diet continues to rise in popularity, the need for adding a range of vegan options to the menu is growing.

This extends to the confectionery industry, and this is why at Wholesale Sweets UK, we provide a range of wholesale vegan sweets to accommodate for dietary-specific customers.

Veganism is becoming more mainstream

With growing concerns regarding animal welfare, personal health and climate change, many people have converted to veganism and it has become a lot more mainstream in current society.

At the start of 2020, shopping comparison website finder.com found that 1.1 billion people followed a vegan diet, a figure that has now apparently risen up to 1.5 million and makes up roughly 3% of the UK population.

However many people swap and change diets, meaning that this figure may be constantly changing as not everyone sticks to a vegan diet. Still, it shows that a large number of people are willing to try it.

According to The Vegan Society:

‘Chicago Town vegan pizzas, vegan Bounty bars and Asda’s strong Christmas vegan line – comprising 72 different items – are just some of the exciting, innovative vegan products that have been launched in the last year alone.

‘People of all ages and backgrounds are now trying and transitioning to a vegan way of life. It’s no longer portrayed as an unusual choice. In fact, it’s never been easier or more accessible.
With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that more people than ever before are happily following a plant-based diet. [They are] saving on their shopping bills, lowering their carbon footprint and experimenting more in the kitchen.’

Veganuary has also become a popular fad, with a new record of 500,000 people trying out the challenge in 2021.

The Vegan Society also found that the number of vegans in the UK has quadrupled over the last seven years.

The vegan confectionery market

With an increase in global awareness of animal cruelty and environmental campaigns, the vegan chocolate confectionery market is anticipated to reach USD 1.41 billion in in the next seven years.

The vegan sweet market has an estimated value of USD $995.5 million and is expected to rise significantly.

Confectionery manufacturers have recognised the demand for more vegan sweets and this is why vegan confectionery products are continuing to grow in selection.

What about vegan chocolate?

Although chocolate might not seem like a viable option for vegans because it often contains dairy, some chocolate is dairy-free. For instance, dark chocolate shouldn’t usually contain dairy as an ingredient and many famous brands, including Cadbury Bournville, are suitable for vegans.

However, not everyone enjoys the bitter taste of dark chocolate and this is why a vegan-friendly milk chocolate substitute is needed.

A vegan version of milk chocolate, known as mylk chocolate, has been created using coconut milk or soya to create a sweet milk chocolatey taste without the use of animal products.

Confectionery juggernaut Cadbury have revealed that they are working on producing a vegan range of the Dairy Milk chocolate – so watch this space!

What about vegan sweets?

Many well-known retailers have a range of vegan-friendly confectionery products. The vast majority of the Swizzels sweet range are vegan, including Swizzels fruity pops, double dip and love hearts.

Vegan sweets are some of the best types of sweets to keep stock of as more people adopt the vegan diet as part of their lifestyle.

It is important for manufacturers and store owners to consider the dietary requirements of consumers, so as not to exclude customers due to the lack of vegan options.

Wholesale Sweets UK are proud to stock a variety of dietary-specific sweets, suitable for vegans, vegetarians and more.

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