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Retail giant Tesco has been crowned the best UK supermarket for vegans in a recent poll.
More than 400 vegans were quizzed on their shopping habits by vegan and ethical blog Howay the Herbivores.
According to the respondents, they take into account several different factors when doing their weekly food shop in UK supermarkets – with one major consideration being the brands on offer.
Specialist
Despite its growing popularity in the UK, Aldi failed to pick up fans in the survey, receiving just 2.5 percent of the vote. With lower prices and top quality produce, commenters were definitely fans of the budget German chain, but its lack of specialist products like tofu and oat milk meant it fell short from its mainstream competitors
“Aldi is excellent for the basics but I need to visit Tesco for Tofoo and Oatly,” one user said.
Meanwhile, premium supermarket Marks and Spencer has been notoriously slow to catch up with the growing vegan trend. As a result, the chain received less than one percent of the vote.
The Digital Underdog
Northerners may not be aware of this digital giant, but Ocado caused quite the buzz in the survey.
With hundreds of vegan products on its site, Ocado was mentioned by several users, despite it not being included in the poll as it’s solely an online business.
“I think Ocado is the best (but obv is an online supermarket), it’s quite pricey though,” one Facebook user commented.
Location
Another element of vegan shopping to consider is the shopper’s geographic location: “I’ve found the vegan options at different branches within the same company vary, stores in more affluent areas generally have more vegan options,” a Facebook user shared in response to the poll.
Other Facebook users concurred, with metropolitan stores hosting an abundance of vegan products, while other areas struggle to keep up.
Tesco
The majority of respondents named Tesco their favorite – a response to the clear and conscious effort the retail giant has put into developing plant-based options. Last year, the store announced it was hiring chef Derek Sarno as its Head of Plant Based Innovation.
In January, Tesco launched a 20-product range of vegan ready meals and grab-and-go options, called Wicked Healthy, created by Sarno in collaboration with his brother Chad.
In addition, the store stocks an array of plant-based products, including Vivera’s sell-out vegan steaks. It is also due to launch the high-tech Beyond Burger in August this year.
