Plant-based needs to be high on the agenda for pub operators

29-Apr-2021 - Last updated on 30-Apr-2021 at 10:29 GMT

Top of the list: Unilever has emphasised the importance of ensuring sustainability remains a priority for operators (image: Getty/Galeanu Mihai)

Plant-based food options and sustainable choices need to continue to be high on the agenda for operators as we start to navigate our way out of the pandemic, one leading supplier has said.

According to Hazel Detsiny, vice president of food and refreshment away from home for Unilever, for one in three consumers, sustainability was still top of mind.

“Don’t think any of us need any more convincing that living in a more sustainable way is the only way forward. For us as a company, we’ve got to keep making it top of mind, we’ve got to keep telling people that there is no alternative, moving to more sustainable plant based eating is the only way forward.”

Global target

She said Unilever had an annual global target of €1bn of plant-based and dairy alternatives of in the next five to seven years. “We know it’s the right thing to do and it’s up to us to make sure we take operators on a journey so they enjoy the journey to getting there.”

To help with that Unilever, under it’s Knorr brand, have worked with the World Wildlife Fund to create the Knorr Future 50, a list of products to encourage a more diverse consumption of foods and they’ll be using that for recipe inspiration through its business, said Sarah Branagan, managing director for away from home.

Better for agriculture and the planet

“It’s not just about plant-based eating, it was about making sure we eat a more diverse set of veg and grains, and knowing that that is better for agriculture and the planet in totality,” she added.

On top of that, the company will be working hard on it’s Vegetarian Butcher range, and will be launching a £6.4m consumer marketing campaign to support it, as well as launching new products later in the year.