Some 12 per cent of the respondents admitted changing their diet to include more non-meat protein sources in the last five years. Volac dubs this group ‘flexitarians’, and their number is in addition to the approximately 5 per cent of the population that is ‘vegetarian’. The biggest reason for the switch was seen to be weight management, with the cost of meat following hot on its heels. But around a third of those changing their diet said they were driven by environmental or climate change concerns, or ‘vegetarian principles’. Younger people were seen to be more likely to talk about the principles of eating less meat, and body composition and nutritional issues. People aged 35-44 were more likely to mention weight matters.

Survey indicates scale of UK meat switch-out