Plant Based Asian Food The Growing UK Demand for Vegan Oriental Ingredients

The UK vegan Asian food market is valued at £380 to £420 million in 2026 and is forecast to grow at 12.5% a year through 2035. Tofu and tempeh sales grew over 10% at UK supermarkets in the past year. 12 to 15% of UK adults now identify as flexitarian. Plant-based Asian ingredients are no longer a niche — they are a fast-growing wholesale category.

Ten years ago, stocking plant-based Asian ingredients meant keeping a block of tofu in the chiller for the one customer who asked. Today, tofu is growing at double digits in UK supermarkets, tempeh has gone from unknown to mainstream, and restaurants that once offered one vegetarian option are now building whole sections of their menu around vegan Asian cooking.

This guide covers the plant-based Asian food categories growing fastest in the UK, the data behind that growth, and what wholesale buyers need to stock in 2026.

UK Plant-Based Asian Food: Key Statistics for 2026

Why Plant-Based and Asian Food Work Together

Plant-based eating and Asian cuisine have a natural overlap that Western food traditions do not. Many of the most-used ingredients in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese cooking have always been plant-based by design: tofu, tempeh, miso, edamame, seaweed, rice, noodles, fermented vegetables.

This is different from the plant-based burger category, where manufacturers work hard to recreate meat. In Asian cooking, plant-based ingredients are often the original. A Japanese dashi broth, a Korean doenjang jjigae, a Vietnamese pho made with vegetable stock — these are traditional dishes, not modern substitutions.

60% of UK consumers eat Asian-inspired meals at least once a week. Among those consumers, a growing proportion are flexitarian or vegan — and they are actively looking for plant-based options within the Asian cuisines they already enjoy.

The Core Plant-Based Asian Ingredients UK Buyers Should Stock

Tofu

Tofu is the most established plant-based protein in Asian cooking and the fastest-growing item in the UK chilled plant-based category. Sales of tofu and tempeh grew more than 10% at UK supermarkets in the past year, driven by consumer interest in high-protein, clean-label plant foods. UK buyers stocking tofu should carry at least three formats: silken for soups and dressings, firm for stir-fries, and extra-firm for grilling and frying. For a full guide to matching tofu types to dishes, read our tofu buyer guide for UK chefs.

Browse our dried products category and canned products range for tofu and related plant-based protein lines.

Tempeh

Tempeh is fermented soybean cake, originating from Indonesia. It has a firmer texture and a nuttier flavour than tofu, making it better suited to grilling, frying and marinating. UK retail sales of tempeh are growing rapidly as consumers seek whole-food plant proteins with more texture than soft tofu.

Tempeh is also a fermented food, which aligns with the gut-health trend that is driving interest in kimchi, miso and other fermented Asian products simultaneously.

Edamame

Edamame (young soya beans) is one of the simplest plant-based Asian ingredients to add to a menu and one of the easiest to sell. A bowl of salted edamame is a high-margin, low-labour starter or side dish in any Asian restaurant. Browse our frozen category for edamame and other frozen vegetable lines.

Jackfruit

Young green jackfruit has become one of the most commercially significant plant-based meat alternatives in the UK, primarily because of its fibrous, pulled-meat texture. Used in curries, tacos, bao buns and Asian-style braises, jackfruit canned in brine or water is a practical wholesale product for operators adding vegan mains. Browse our canned products range for jackfruit and other canned ingredients used in plant-based cooking.

Miso Paste

Miso is fermented soybean paste, available in white (shiro), red (aka) and mixed (awase) varieties. It works in soups, dressings, glazes, marinades and sauces. UK demand for miso has grown significantly alongside the fermented foods trend, and it is now stocked in mainstream supermarkets. Our Japanese pantry essentials guide covers miso alongside other staple Japanese ingredients. Browse our pastes category for miso paste and other Japanese fermented pastes.

Seaweed and Sea Vegetables

Nori (dried seaweed sheets), wakame, kombu and dulse are all growing in UK retail and foodservice. Nori exports from South Korea grew 14.1% to $877 million globally in 2025. Seaweed is sought after for sushi, ramen toppings, snacks and as a seasoning ingredient. Browse our dried products range for seaweed and dried sea vegetable products.

Coconut Products

Coconut milk, coconut cream and coconut oil form the base of many plant-based Thai, Vietnamese and Indian dishes. These are among the most consistently ordered ambient products in UK Asian wholesale. Browse our coconut products category for the full range.

Rice and Noodles

Jasmine rice, sushi rice, glass noodles, udon and soba are all naturally plant-based and form the carbohydrate foundation of plant-based Asian menus. Our Asian rice buyer guide covers the main rice varieties stocked by UK trade buyers. Browse our rice category and noodles category for the full range.

Plant-Based Sauces and Condiments

Several core Asian sauces are already plant-based: most soy sauces, most hoisin sauces, sweet chilli sauce and sesame oil are vegan. Fish sauce is not, but many Thai and Vietnamese operators now carry both a standard and a plant-based version of their sauces. Browse our sauces range and read our guide to the 7 Asian sauces every UK kitchen needs for stocking guidance.

Who Is Buying Plant-Based Asian Food in the UK?

Flexitarians: The Largest and Fastest-Growing Segment

Flexitarians — people who reduce rather than eliminate meat — now account for 12 to 15% of UK adults. This is the group driving most of the growth in plant-based Asian food sales, not vegans. Flexitarians are not looking for meat replacements; they are looking for genuinely satisfying plant-based dishes, and Asian cuisine provides them in abundance.

Vegans: A Smaller but High-Value Segment

3 to 5% of UK adults identify as vegan. This segment tends to spend more per visit on plant-based options, actively seeks out restaurants that cater well to them, and is highly vocal on social media — making vegan Asian food disproportionately visible relative to market size.

Health-Conscious Non-Vegan Consumers

A significant proportion of plant-based Asian food is purchased by consumers who are neither vegan nor flexitarian but are actively adding high-protein, whole-food ingredients to their diet. Tofu and tempeh are growing in this segment precisely because they are high in protein, low in saturated fat and free from ultra-processed ingredients.

What Plant-Based Asian Food Means for UK Restaurants and Takeaways

For restaurant operators, the practical implication is clear: a menu without strong plant-based Asian options is now losing customers it would previously have served. A customer who orders for a group of four and finds no suitable plant-based main will influence where the whole group eats.

The solution is not a separate vegan menu. It is integrating plant-based options into the main menu with the same quality and care given to meat dishes.

• Stir-fries and noodle dishes are easy to adapt: substitute tofu or tempeh for meat with no change to the sauce or technique.
• Dumplings and bao can be filled with tofu, mushrooms, edamame and vegetable mixtures that rival meat fillings in satisfaction.
• Japanese ramen works with a kombu and shiitake broth base, which is both plant-based and rich in umami.
• Korean dishes can feature kimchi (which is plant-based), gochujang-glazed tofu and doenjang-dressed vegetables.

What Plant-Based Asian Food Means for UK Retailers

For convenience stores and independent retailers stocking Asian food, the plant-based segment offers high-margin potential. Tofu in branded packaging, miso in small jars and edamame in 300g frozen bags all carry retail price points that support strong margins. Our guide to Asian supermarkets and the UK retail shift covers how mainstream retailers are responding to plant-based Asian demand.

Related Reading

Which Tofu for Which Dish: A Guide for UK Chefs and Buyers — match tofu varieties to the right cooking methods.

UK Asian Food Market Report 2026 — the wider market context for plant-based Asian growth.

The 7 Asian Sauces Every UK Kitchen Needs — check which of your core sauces are already vegan.

Fermented Asian Foods: Kimchi, Miso and Preserved Vegetables — browse fermented plant-based products.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big is the plant-based Asian food market in the UK?

The UK vegan Asian food market is valued at £380 to £420 million in 2026 and is forecast to grow at a compound annual rate of 12.5% through 2035. The global vegan Asian food market was valued at USD 20.5 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach USD 37 billion by 2035.

Which plant-based Asian ingredients are growing fastest in the UK?

Tofu and tempeh led growth with over 10% sales increases at UK supermarkets in the past year. Edamame, miso paste, nori, jackfruit and coconut-based products are also seeing strong demand growth in both retail and foodservice.

Are most Asian sauces vegan?

Many core Asian sauces are vegan: most soy sauces, hoisin, sweet chilli sauce, sesame oil and most chilli pastes contain no animal products. Fish sauce is not vegan, and neither are oyster sauce or shrimp paste. Our guide to the 7 Asian sauces every UK kitchen needs includes notes on which varieties to use for plant-based menus.

What is the difference between tofu and tempeh for UK chefs?

Tofu is pressed soybean curd — mild in flavour, versatile in texture from silken to extra-firm. Tempeh is fermented soybean cake — firmer, nuttier and with a more complex flavour. Tofu absorbs the flavours around it; tempeh stands up to strong marinades and high heat. Both are widely used in Asian cooking.

Is kimchi vegan?

Traditional Korean kimchi is typically made with fish sauce or salted shrimp as a flavouring agent, which makes it non-vegan. However, plant-based kimchi made without these ingredients is widely available and growing in UK retail. Always check the ingredient list before labelling a dish as vegan.

Why are flexitarians important for the plant-based Asian food market?

Flexitarians — people who reduce rather than eliminate meat — account for 12 to 15% of UK adults and are the largest consumer group driving plant-based food growth. They are buying tofu, tempeh and edamame not as replacements for meat but as genuinely desirable foods in their own right.

Browse our full product range across frozen, sauces, dried goods, canned products and more, or register as a trade buyer to access wholesale pricing on plant-based Asian ingredients.