Firm closing

[Ringy Rose]

On 12/17/2023 at 11:25 PM, The Bastard said:

Not sure about the "idiots" bit, but there has been a sea change in attitudes towards veganism over the past year. Heather Mills' vegan food business is the latest casualty, going under in recent days.

No there hasn’t. People are eating less meat generally.

The problem is that specialist vegan products are expensive. Nobody has any money- this is also linked to why people are eating less meat, which is also expensive.

[The Phantom]

7 minutes ago, Ringy Rose said:

The problem is that specialist vegan products are expensive. Nobody has any money- this is also linked to why people are eating less meat, which is also expensive.

Plus, I think people are realising that something with this many ingredients is probably less healthy and more impactful than just meat. 

[Banker]

Mario has posted on portofino facebook confirming closure with reasons including toll on his health

[Max Power]

1 hour ago, Banker said:

Mario has posted on portofino facebook confirming closure with reasons including toll on his health

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/rising-costs-and-industry-challenges-behind-restaurants-decision-to-shut-down/

[The Bastard]

3 hours ago, Ringy Rose said:

No there hasn’t. People are eating less meat generally.

The problem is that specialist vegan products are expensive. Nobody has any money- this is also linked to why people are eating less meat, which is also expensive.

So you agree with me, then. There has been a sea change in attitudes, in your view largely driven by cost. People are buying less vegan food. Thanks ! 

[Mouthpiece]

37 minutes ago, Max Power said:

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/rising-costs-and-industry-challenges-behind-restaurants-decision-to-shut-down/

I’d be guessing it’s also creditor related. 

[Ringy Rose]

25 minutes ago, The Bastard said:

So you agree with me, then. There has been a sea change in attitudes

Veganism is as popular as ever, if not more so.

But people are cooking their vegan food from scratch, rather than buying expensive pre-made vegan products.

A vegetable stew is vegan.

[GD4ELI]

7 minutes ago, Ringy Rose said:

Veganism is as popular as ever, if not more so.

But people are cooking their vegan food from scratch, rather than buying expensive pre-made vegan products.

A vegetable stew is vegan.

Maybe. You can tell when it's term-time at the university - ASDA's vegan shelves are bare. I've seen mummies & offspring loading up the cart with pre-made vegan offerings, many of which are very good indeed.

[Roger Mexico]

2 hours ago, The Phantom said:

Plus, I think people are realising that something with this many ingredients is probably less healthy and more impactful than just meat. 

That's true to some extent, though I suspect if you look on the ingredients of most purchased beefburgers, you'll find a rather longer list that "grass-fed beef", including some of the same items.  And not all beef is grass-fed, even in the UK, with imported beef less likely (under 5% of US beef is).  And of course the 'impact' that particular forms of food production have is complicated, but simpler doesn't automatically mean low-impact.

But the reaction against ultra-processed foods may also be playing into lack of success of many of the latest wave of fake-meat products.  Plus the fact they're not very good.

[The Bastard]

2 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

But the reaction against ultra-processed foods may also be playing into lack of success of many of the latest wave of fake-meat products.  Plus the fact they're not very good.

You're right, many commentators have highlighted that meat-alternative products are a tricky sell.

It's not just fake meat products that are disappearing, though. Oatly's vegan ice-cream range didn't get sales, Innocent gave up on dairy-free smoothies, numerous other providers are dropping non-substitute lines. 

I quite enjoy vegan food, but would be wary of the substitute "milks", "meats" and "dairy free" lines. Stuff like almond milk has clearly had a lot of transport and processing involved, which just isn't persuasive against a local dairy provider.   

Although there's no stats, Ringy may be right that cost has a lot to do with it, alongside fierce competition and oversaturation of the tiny potential market by too many providers seeking to leap on the bandwagon.

But, tellingly a Gallup Poll of eating habits in the USA reflected that vegan levels in the people surveyed in 2023 were lower than in 2012 and 2018. Again, it ties in with a peak in veganism around the 2018-2019 boom, with a decline afterwards.

[HiVibes]

 

1 hour ago, The Bastard said:

So you agree with me, then. There has been a sea change in attitudes, in your view largely driven by cost. People are buying less vegan food. Thanks ! 

Actually people are buying more vegan food albeit unknowingly as established brands have replaced pork gelatin and other animal derived ingredients in many products with only minimal labelling to state it is now vegan and so dropped the 'vegan version' for example M&S Percy Pigs.

[The Bastard]

38 minutes ago, HiVibes said:

 

Actually people are buying more vegan food albeit unknowingly as established brands have replaced pork gelatin and other animal derived ingredients in many products with only minimal labelling to state it is now vegan and so dropped the 'vegan version' for example M&S Percy Pigs.

Good point, more and more brands are becoming vegan, even though the percentage of vegans is shrinking in some markets. It's good to see, though it does intensify the competition for producers who are exclusively focused on vegan branding.  

[John Wright]

Portofino closed. Looks as if the rebrand didn’t work.

[HiVibes]

19 minutes ago, The Bastard said:

Good point, more and more brands are becoming vegan, even though the percentage of vegans is shrinking in some markets. 

You do seem intent on confusing Vegans, and non-vegans eating foods marketed as Vegan. Actual vegans I know buy the same vegetable ingredients as meat eaters on the whole, and then more leafy greens, beans, lentils, nuts etc. People who choose to be Vegan are very concious of the nutritional value of eating healthy food so the decline in ultra processed pea protein rubbish does not correlate at all with the number of Vegans, now if you said that chickpea sales had fallen through the floor you might have a point.

[Kopek]

Got to wish Mario the best with his health. 'Tho the debts, if any, could also be involved in that?

Could it be that the re-branding partner could take over completely???