The demand for vegan alternatives in the food retailing sector has seen a steady increase in 2018, with Mexican fast-food restaurant, Zambrero the latest franchise to target the vegan market.

Zambrero announced this week it would be rolling-out vegan cheese as part of its new vegan friendly offering, following other franchise networks such as Domino’s and Pizza Hut.

The MyLife Biocheese Cheddar Flavour cheese, which is coconut oil-based and palm-oil free was trialled in Victorian stores earlier this year and following positive customer response is now be available at Zambrero’s 170 restaurants nationwide.

Bianca Azzopardi, Zambrero CEO said the integration was a reflection of growing demand for vegan and dairy-free options.

“Across the industry we have seen an increase in the desire for vegan-friendly products, not only by vegans but also those that are lactose intolerant and health conscious,” Azzopardi said.

“We know it can be tricky to find consistency in plant-based alternatives, especially that taste really good, and we continue to aim to position Zambrero as the first choice for a healthy, vegan-friendly meal.”

Over the last 12 months, Australian retail has seen a shift towards dairy-free and vegan alternatives, with the demand expected to grow.

Speaking in April, Domino’s Australia and New Zealand CEO, Nick Knight said the pizza franchise’s decision to make vegan cheese a regular menu item was on the back of over-whelming demand.

“The popularity of, and demand for, vegan products has increased considerably over the years,” Knight said.

“We knew the response was going to be big after the demand we saw for the product on social media but we had no idea it was going to be this big.”

Currently, Australia is the third fastest growing vegan market in the world.