Welcome to season two of ProVeg Talks: Food Industry, where we go beyond innovation to examine the real-world challenges keeping plant-based food from reaching its full potential.

This season: 'Breaking barriers – making plant-based mainstream' is your practical guide to navigating – and overcoming – the commercial challenges alternative protein businesses face today. Each episode dives into one of the most pressing hurdles in the sector, from cracking consumer resistance to scaling up production, securing investment, winning in retail, and much more.

Hosted by Gemma Tadman, this season of our Food Industry show brings together leading founders, retailers, marketers, investors, researchers, and strategists to share their hard-won lessons, proven tactics, and fresh ideas. Whether you're working in food service, developing plant-based products, or trying to win shelf space, this series will deliver the insights you need to succeed in an increasingly competitive market.

You’ll notice that we’re launching into the second series with a new name and refreshed branding. Well, we thought it was time to take things up a notch and expand the podcast. Gemma will still chat with food industry experts, but the further ProVeg team will also begin hosting new shows with insiders on health, nutrition, and sustainability.

In this month’s Food Industry episode, we’re setting the stage for season two with a big-picture look at what’s holding plant-based back from truly going mainstream.

To help us unpack the key commercial challenges – from pricing and positioning to the psychology of consumer choices – Gemma is joined by someone right at the forefront of this conversation: Chris Bryant, Founder of Bryant Research.

What you’ll hear about:

• The ‘attitude-behaviour gap’: why consumers say they want sustainable options but often don’t buy them
• The dangers of misinformation and the limits of the UPF classification system
• The key commercial roadblocks holding back mainstream uptake – including price, taste, availability, and trust
• Why positioning plant-based as ‘better for you’ or ‘climate-friendly’ can sometimes backfire
• What the latest data tells us about consumer segments and flexitarian behaviour
• What companies need to do to move from niche to mass appeal