The 7 Most Googled Vegan Brands

While sustainable plant-based foods have been slowly gaining momentum for years, their popularity has quickly accelerated of late. Much of this increased interest is a result of the panic buying that ensued during the COVID-19 pandemic that created meat shortages, leading shoppers to search for meat alternatives. Now with meat prices on the rise, consumers are even more interested in vegan options.  

To find out which brands consumers are most curious about, commercial supplier Maxima Kitchen Equipment conducted research to analyze the monthly searches for 100 of the most popular vegan brands. Here’s the list of the seven most sought-after brands.

1. Beyond Meat Inc. came out on top as the world’s most searched-for vegan brand. The producer of plant-based sausages, burgers and beef pulls in more than 422,000 searches a month – more than twice as many searches as its nearest competitor. Beyond Meat launched its new Beyond Chicken Tenders in July at restaurants nationwide. For its second quarter ended July 3, El Segundo, Calif.-based Beyond Meat reported that its net revenues increased 32% year over year to $149.4 million.
2. Oatly is the world’s second most Googled vegan brand. The company – which creates oat-based alternatives to milk, yogurt and ice cream – rakes in almost 200,000 searches a month, well ahead of the average searches for all brands on the list (127,000). Market leader Oatly received an enthusiastic response from Wall Street during the Swedish company’s first day of trading on May 20. Oatly shares climbed 30% before the closing bell, for a valuation of about $13 million. The oatmilk company priced its initial shares at $17.
3. The third most searched-for vegan brand is Quorn. The global meat substitute, endorsed by Olympic stars Mo Farah and Adam Peaty in the past, pulls in 95,000 searches a month. According to the U.K.-based company, Quorn's meatless grounds use 94% less land and produce 95% fewer carbon emissions than beef.
4. Just Egg is also a popular vegan brand. The plant-based egg product – a favorite breakfast ingredient of singer Lizzo – rakes in 94,000 searches a month. Just Egg is made from mung beans, a protein-rich legume that has been cultivated around the world for thousands of years and is a staple in many global cuisines. Mung beans are a sustainable crop and are rich in potassium, magnesium and dietary fiber. San Francisco-based Just gets its golden egg-yolk color naturally from turmeric and carrot.
5. Los Angeles-based Follow Your Heart, the producer of egg-free mayonnaise Veganaise, among other products, saw the world’s fifth-highest number of searches, at 32,000 a month. Earlier this year, global food and beverage company Danone acquired Follow Your Heart from Earth Island. The share purchase agreement allowed Danone to acquire 100% of Earth Island’s shares. In addition to Vegenaise, the Follow Your Heart portfolio consists of dairy-free cheese in various formats, as well as plant-based sour cream, salad dressings and VeganEgg.
6. U.K.-based allplants racked up 29,000 searches month. The B Corp Certified company creates chef-made vegan meals that are delivered frozen to lock in nutrition and taste, for a quick and healthy meal solution.   
7. Santa Monica, Calif.-based Hippeas, a maker of organic chickpea snacks, had 18,000 searches. Better-for-you snacks like such as Hippeas’ chips and puffs have been gaining traction lately, with more continued growth expected.

When it came to individual countries, Beyond Meat (which counts Bill Gates among its investors) reigned supreme in various nations, including the United States, Germany, Russia, Japan and South Korea.  

Quorn dominated searches in the United Kingdom, at nearly 500,000 a year, and was also the top-searched brand in Finland and Malta.  

Oatly was the most Googled vegan brand in Australia, as well as in Sweden and Indonesia.  

On the continent of Africa, Aduna – a creator of superfood vegan snacks – was the favorite brand in Ethiopia and Senegal, while Tofurky dominated in Botswana, and OWYN (a plant-based protein shake brand) was tops in Angola and Ghana.  

When it came to North Africa, plant milk brand Alpro was the most googled vegan brand in Libya and Morocco, while Beyond Meat was the top-searched brand in Egypt.  

Lightlife, a producer of plant-based meat, was the top-searched vegan brand in such countries as Mongolia, Jamaica and the Bahamas.  

“As vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian diets increase in popularity and become ever more mainstream, it’s fascinating to see which vegan brands are the most searched in the world, as well as which brands dominate in each country,” said a representative of London-based Maxima. “The popularity of brands like Beyond Meat and Quorn shows our interest in plant-based meat, while the prevalence of Oatly and Alpro reflect the increasing demand for dairy alternatives.” 

Maxima has more than 40 years of experience in the supply and maintenance of professional kitchen equipment.