Veganuary hype has gone but demand is strong, businesses say

There was a time when Veganuary saw a flurry of new and exciting plant-based products on supermarket shelves and restaurant menus.

The 31-day campaign, encouraging people to adopt a vegan lifestyle for January, has driven the release of scores of items at the beginning of previous years, from burgers and nuggets to sandwiches and ice creams.

But over recent years, many vegans in the UK have reported the options drying up, with major chains like Burger King, Domino's and Subway removing popular options from their menus.

One social media account even dubbed 2026 "the year of the falafel" over the sheer number of almost identical falafel options being released this month, at the expense of more varied products.

Vegan businesses across the West Midlands said that while the hype around Veganuary had faded, with fewer people trying it for the month, veganism itself had actually become more embedded in society.

Frankie Heekin-Powell co-founded BA-HA, a vegan restaurant in Birmingham, back in 2017 with her partner Becky Heekin-Powell.

Nestled in The Rainbow pub in Digbeth, BA-HA serves up burgers, wings and even Sunday roasts, all fully plant-based.

Speaking of the prominence of Veganuary, Heekin-Powell said: "Has the whole Veganuary hype stopped? I would say yes. With any trend, it's a trend. It's within the definition. Everything comes and goes.

"2019 was peak for sure, I think a lot of people jumped on the bandwagon. I'm sure there'll be a big push again.

"But the difference between hype and demand is hugely different. The demand is still there in Birmingham."

The 35-year-old said business had been steady this January, despite the restaurant not actively marketing around Veganuary this year - when in previous years they had created specials for the month.

"This year's actually been busier, despite not marketing Veganuary," she said.

Vincenzo Crudele, who runs Pizza by Vinnie in Worcester, thinks the concept of Veganuary has "died a bit", but believes the veganism movement is growing.

January 2026 has been quieter for the business than previous years, but still in line with trade in other winter months.

"It used to be a busier-than-average month, now it's less dramatic than it was a few years back," he admitted.

"It used to bring in brand new people - it was a moment of discovery. Now it's customers being more intentional."

While Crudele himself is a vegan, his restaurant also offers dairy cheese as an alternative to the default vegan product, so as "not to lose that chunk of customers".

"I get people coming look down and realising [it's] only vegan and vegetarian then they leave," he said.

"I wouldn't survive if I was only vegan."

However, Crudele's dream is to have a fully vegan restaurant.

"I think [veganism is] growing, otherwise I wouldn't be opening for the future a fully vegan restaurant," he said.

For Ranj Patel, from Wolverhampton, Veganuary was the start of a journey that led to her not only becoming vegan, but also founding her own business.

After trying the challenge in 2020, she signed up for the official campaign and received their email newsletters.

"That's where I discovered how the dairy industry works and I was really shocked," she said, having previously thought she would not be able to give up dairy.

"That was the big why. I felt like I could really commit to it."

In 2021, she started the vegan cake business VeCakes in Wolverhampton, after gifting vegan cakes to her friends and family, who told her she should sell them.

"The more people tried them, I thought these are better than my other cakes that I used egg in. And it snowballed from there," she said.

Like Crudele, Patel has had customers approach her and not realise that her business is vegan, and have subsequently walked away.

"If I didn't promote I was vegan I probably would be busier, but once people try them they love them," she said.

As with the other businesses, Patel believes Veganuary's power has diminished over the past few years, but she thinks there has been a bigger shift generally towards plant-based eating.

But the campaign is still close to her heart.

"For me it's always going to have that special place," she said. "It's given me a business, it's given me a sanctuary."

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