UK shoppers boost bean and lentil purchases as meat prices climb

Market research from NielsenIQ, analysed by climate group Madre Brava, shows a 7.3% increase in UK sales of beans, pulses and soy-based items in the first half of 2026 versus the previous year, led by a 23% surge in inexpensive dried lentils. Shoppers are also opting for higher-end legume options, with canned and jarred butter beans climbing 30.3% thanks to new brands like Bold Bean Co, Navarrico and Marks & Spencer’s own label, as well as viral recipes on social media.

Traditional baked beans slipped slightly, a decline attributed to fewer sausage-filled cans, while overall fake-meat sales dropped 4.3% due to lower demand for textured soy, pea and wheat proteins, even as Quorn’s mycoprotein grew. The trend coincides with a 1.8% year-on-year fall in meat sales, driven by high beef and lamb prices. Campaigns such as Bang in Some Beans, backed by chefs Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and major retailers, aim to double bean consumption by 2028, highlighting health, sustainability and cost benefits. Food Foundation’s Chloe MacKean noted that beans offer a triple advantage of nutrition, affordability and lower greenhouse-gas emissions, prompting 29 companies, including Sainsbury’s, Lidl GB and M&S, to pledge increased legume offerings.