TRENOS SiGINT: Vegan Wellington Lead The Waitrose Early Christmas Parade

JC Analyst - September, 2025

Signal:

Waitrose has rolled out its 2025 Christmas range and doubled down on vegan centrepieces rivalling the turkey. The No.1 Mushroom, Malbec & Port Wellington layers chestnut, portobello and pulled shiitake mushrooms in a wine-rich sauce takes pride of place. So too their Cauliflower Cheese Galette Crown arrives looking very Christmasy, all rustic and hand-crimped from a Cornish bakery with 125 years of history. These are not token meat-free afterthoughts, they’re positioned as the stars of the festive table.

Human Factor:

This is where culture shifts as Christmas has long been shorthand for meat and trimmings, yet here’s a premium UK retailer saying the vegan plant-based options are showstoppers. Emily Quinn, Waitrose’s vegetarian and vegan buyer, spells it out — “nothing says Christmas like cauliflower cheese.” That framing makes plant-based both familiar and aspirational, opening the door for flexitarians and mainstream families.

TRENOS Metrics Snapshot

Signal	Data Point
Signal	Waitrose Christmas 2025 vegan hero dishes
Data Point	665 products, 267 new
TikTok Views	#veganchristmas +250M UK/EU (Aug 2025)
Retail Footprint	Nationwide UK Waitrose stores
Ingredient Format	Plant-based Wellington, galette crown, roasts
Product Range	No.1 series, PlantLiving vegan mains
Consumer Segment	Vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian families
Brand Origin	UK (John Lewis Partnership)
Export Status	Domestic UK, signals EU adoption trends
Trend Classification	Premiumisation of plant-based festive dining
System Pressure Point	Retail parity between meat & plant-based mains

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