Authentic taste, health-forward messaging and meat quality cues are crucial to convince UK consumers
New consumer research[i] conducted by Meatless, a brand of BENEO, shows that hybrid meat products, where plant-based ingredients replace part of the meat content, are gaining traction as a credible and appealing option for consumers. Key arguments for them include reducing meat consumption without compromising on taste, quality or price. Hybrid meat products are therefore a great fit for the 4 in 10 UK respondents identifying as flexitarian, according to the survey.
The consumer survey of 3,500 respondents across the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands was conducted to gain key insights to support the further development of Meatless’ solutions for hybrid offerings. The findings show that in the UK, taste, quality and price, as well as nutritional considerations are primary drivers of purchase intent: 6 in 10 UK consumers would be willing to buy hybrid meat products if the taste is good and the product is offered at an acceptable price. The survey also reveals that purchase intent is heavily driven by positive features of the meat component rather than the plant-based ingredient, with a ‘real meat taste’ considered a fundamental requirement for hybrid products to appeal to consumers. Premium meat quality, including premium cuts, certified meat, real taste and texture, plays a decisive role, contributing strongly to purchase intent.
Compared to Germany and the Netherlands, nutritional aspects were found to be especially important in the UK, with ‘high in protein’ ranking among the top three statements driving purchasing intent. In fact, for Millennials and Gen Z consumers, a high protein content is the most influential factor. Health-forward messaging and meat quality cues will therefore be key to convince UK consumers of hybrid meat products.
When it comes to overall format preferences, sausages came out as the clear favourite for UK shoppers in the survey, with almost half opting for that format, followed by minced meat (33%) and hamburger patties (15%). When having the choice between the full-meat and hybrid version, the results showed a clear preference among flexitarian consumers for hybrid products across all three formats.
Niels E. Hower, Managing Director at Meatless, concludes: “As one of the first suppliers to focus on hybrid solutions, Meatless has long believed in the power of combining meat and plants. Our survey confirms that this pragmatic approach of reducing meat by maintaining great taste is key. We are supporting our customers in creating products that fit seamlessly into everyday eating habits and are confident that hybrid will establish itself as a concept that is here to stay, helping to overcome sustainability and availability challenges of the meat category.”
The high-quality plant-based Meatless® texturates are made from ingredients such as faba bean, rice and mycoproteins, enabling manufacturers to develop hybrid products that deliver a familiar meaty taste and improved juiciness, while providing a better nutritional profile. As well as allowing manufacturers to tap into growing consumer demand, hybrid meat products offer them a practical response to ever‑increasing meat costs.
To make improvement potential as tangible as possible, Meatless has designed a cost calculator which manufactures can use to compare their recipes with hybrid formulations in terms of costs, CO2 equivalents, saturated fat and energy.
ENDS
Find more information on hybrid meat here: https://www.beneo.com/meatless-hybrid
To learn more about BENEO’s Meatless® portfolio, please visit: https://www.meatless.nl/ or https://www.beneo.com/human-nutrition/human-nutrition-products/meatless.
For further information on BENEO and its ingredients, please visit: www.beneo.com and www.beneo.com/news or LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/beneo.
At its production site in Goes, the Netherlands, Meatless processes various raw materials, such as faba beans, mycoprotein, rice and quinoa, into texturizing solutions and semi-finished products for plant-based and hybrid meat and fish applications. The texturates in its Meatless® portfolio are available in versatile variants and improve the taste, texture and nutritional profiles of food products.
Meatless is a brand of BENEO, which has long-term experience in developing and producing plant-based functional ingredients from natural sources for the food, feed and pharmaceutical industries. By supporting health and optimising taste and texture, they help improve the nutritional and technical properties of a wide variety of products.
Formed in 2007, BENEO is active in over 80 countries, employs more than 1200 people and has seven state-of-the-art production sites in Belgium, Chile, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands that deliver high-quality ingredients at all times.
For further press information, please contact:
Jo Kent at SEC Newgate
Tel: +44 (0)203 757 6800
Email: beneo@secnewgate.co.uk
For further information please contact:
Inga Heinemann, Head of Corporate Communication, BENEO
Maximilianstraße 10, 68165 Mannheim, Germany
Phone: +49 621 421 179
Email: Inga.Heinemann@beneo.com
[i] Meatless Survey on Hybrids 2025. Online quantitative study across Germany, the Netherlands and United Kingdom (N=3.489), Nov-Dec 2025.
