South West business reports export growth as Veganism goes global

Veganism has grown in popularity in recent years, with The Vegan Society reporting that in the UK, the number of people with plant-based diets has quadrupled from 2014 to 2019. 

There is also clear global interest in veganism, with search data from Google Trends showing a significant increase in worldwide searches of the topic from 2004 to 2018.

The vegan food market value is expected to reach US $25.3 billion, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 8% from 2020-2025. This presents a great opportunity for UK producers looking to grow their business through exporting. 

Just Wholefoods, a producer of vegan and organic food was established in 1989 and supplies and exports a range of vegan health foods.

The company’s export revenue grew by 69% from 2018 – 2020 achieved through increases in sales to Japan and Australia.  

When asked about the advice he would give to companies looking to export the company’s Director Joe Snow said:

“Make sure you find the right distributor and don’t rush into it. If you have got a good product then you are going to have a lot of people interested in distributing it. If you don’t find the right person then you could end up losing out on sales.

“You can get an impression of who the best distributors are by speaking to experts at the Department for International Trade (DIT). This has been so valuable for our business growth.”

From 2019 – 2020, the company’s export sales have risen by 56% and Joe says he is unsure whether this is due to the Coronavirus pandemic causing people to become more health conscious, or whether it is simply the quality of the food that is increasing demand. 

“We often create many leads from around the world through trade shows and DIT have always offered extremely useful advice when it has come to developing these relationships. 

“This usually comes in the form of market research and support with regulatory information as well as answers to pressing questions as and when they arise.

“Having the information and resource from DIT has really helped us to succeed and grow. We also attended a trade mission with the DIT to the Czech Republic where we met a lot of great contacts who we are looking at working with soon.”

Get in touch

To discuss your own export options with one of DIT’s International Trade Advisers in the South West contact 01275 774 456 or visit www.great.gov.uk to find out more about the range of support available as well as live export opportunities. DIT’s services in the South West are delivered by Business West. For further information, click here.