meVegetarianism and veganism are booming in 2021, and our menus reflect this. Restaurants and fast food chains have rapidly expanded their meatless offerings as they race to meet growing customer demand. McDonald’s has launched its first plant-based burger, joining a wave of operators embracing non-meat options.
By 2026, the landscape will change noticeably. Last month, the fast food chain announced it was discontinuing most of its vegetarian products, except the McPlant burger, due to poor sales. Wagamama has removed some vegan dishes from its menu, and Domino’s has also scaled back its plant-based options. The last store of Veggie Pret, the high street sandwich chain’s standalone concept store that launched in 2016, closed in February 2024.
Some industry observers say the changes reflect growing consumer skepticism about ultra-processed foods, with certain vegetarian meat alternatives facing criticism for being overly processed. Instead, the data shows that all sources of protein, especially chicken, are making a comeback. Others argue that the changes are less dramatic. In other words, rather than retreating, the sector is stabilizing after a rapid boom.
Data from Lumina’s Menu Tracker shows that pubs and bars served two fewer dishes in the first three months of 2025 compared to the same period the previous year. The average main course list remained high at 54 items, but vegetarian options were described as "distinctly dwindling” as menus slanted more towards meat-centric dishes.
Liv Warren, insight manager at Lumina, said pubs were “eliminating the small portion category by cutting back on vegetarian dishes and doubling down on core, highly profitable meat dishes”.
A similar pattern emerged in restaurants. Traditional meat entrees have seen significant growth, with pizza and burgers on the rise. “We had vegetable dishes, but they were down a little bit,” Warren said. High-protein chicken dishes were the main driver, increasing share of mains by 4.2 percentage points during the analysis period.
Looking at the first half of 2025, Warren said menus are expanding in some channels, but growth is clearly driven by meat. She said pubs were explicitly reducing vegetarian dishes, focusing on “chicken and protein”. She added: “Vegetable dishes are there, but they are not driving growth… indulgences and proteins are outpacing plant-based innovation.”
Operators are reallocating menu space to higher-margin meat dishes, especially chicken, she said. These changes reflect ongoing cost pressures, the normalization of demand following the plant-based boom, and a shift in health messaging from “meat-free” to “high-protein.”
“Many people may not realize how algorithm-driven food trends can be,” said Bia Bezamat, director of cultural insights at market research firm Kantar. “TikTok is often filled with micro-trends like high protein, which skews heavily towards meat, and gut health, behind the rise of fermented foods like kefir and pickles.”
“The rise of GLP-1 medicines also means there is a trend toward smaller, more nutrient-dense meals. So restaurants are ultimately responding to all of these different trends.”
Kara Buffrey, founding partner of restaurant agency Chomp, believes change is an adjustment, not a reversal. “The reduction of vegetarian options at McDonald’s and Domino’s and the closure of concepts like Veggie Pret and other vegan restaurants feel more like a market adjustment than a cultural reversal,” she said.
“Veganism has gone through a hype phase and brands have responded boldly to the momentum. But fast food operates on very narrow margins and is entirely demand-driven. If people don’t order enough vegetable takeaways, the product won’t survive.”
She added that pressure from rising menu prices could also impact consumer choice. “I don’t necessarily think vegetarianism itself is on the decline. Rather, as eating out becomes more expensive, consumers may feel they are getting more value from meat options. This seems like brands are responding pragmatically to purchasing behavior rather than making a wider ideological shift.”
Inflation, wage rises, National Insurance and business rates increases are all putting pressure on margins. Now, with nearly 38% of restaurants eating out less often than a year ago, citing rising costs and the need to save money, businesses are making difficult decisions about which dishes to cut back on.
Laura Hellwig, executive director of vegan charity Viva!, agreed that wider economic factors cannot be ignored. “The hospitality industry is dealing with high wages, inflation and rising costs. Across the industry, operators are cutting low-performing items from their menus.”
According to Hellwig, consumer interest in a plant-based lifestyle remains strong and is actually growing. She cited the Good Food Institute, which published research in May last year showing that 31% of Britons were actively reducing their meat intake and 9% were following a meat-free diet. Veganuary 2026 was a record-breaking event with approximately 30 million participants worldwide, up from 25.8 million the previous year.
For this reason, she rejected the idea of plant-based disruption. She also emphasized that Wagamama still offers a wide range of vegan products and that the sector is entering a period of consolidation. "That’s normal. That level of rapid growth wasn’t sustainable in the long term. Many brands jumped on the plant-based bandwagon and launched a ton of products. It’s inevitable that some of them will disappear.”
What’s important is that strong performers still exist. “McPlant is still very popular. We’re stubborn about what works.” Cheaper high street options such as McPlant and Greggs vegan sausage rolls continue to sell strongly.
“Minimally processed whole foods and natural high-protein options, such as tofu, tempeh, seitan and falafel, are growing, as are functional foods that offer additional health benefits,” Helllwig added.