Could sustainable diets be the next lockdown casualty?

2020 was a difficult year for flexitarianism, writes Natasha Preskey

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As with its cousin, Dry January, this Veganuary has proved more difficult than most.  

With our joys limited to the ring of the doorbell when Nando’s come calling, or the whiff of bacon on the hob on a Saturday morning, it seems many of us have upped our intake of processed meat products during the pandemic. And, when after-work drinks, clubbing and meals out are off the table, it’s unsurprising that people may be reaching for this one inexpensive and easy-to-access vice.  

A record 500,000 people may have signed up to take part in Veganuary this year, but a new report by retail analysts Mintel suggests that we’ve also been eating more bacon, sausages and burgers since the pandemic began. The value of the processed poultry and red meat market spiked by 18 per cent last year, reaching an estimated £3.7bn.