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Asda has announced that it will offer 97 vegan products as part of its Christmas range this year.
The UK supermarket will stock plant-based versions of traditional festive foods like pigs in blankets and turkey crowns.
The range includes items like Breaded Vegan Brie with Sweet Chilli Dip, Plant-Based Vegan Turkey Crown with Umami Stock, and Extra Special Vegan Chocolate Baubles.
“We’re continuing to work hard when it comes to sustainability and inclusivity, and we’re extremely proud that this year’s Christmas range includes more vegan and Free From lines than ever before,” Jonathan Moore, Senior Director of Food Innovation and Trends, told Plant Based News (PBN).
“Complete with an on-trend Umami Basting Stock, the Vegan Turkey Crown is my top pick – it’s packed with flavour and cuts beautifully!”
Asda is one of a number of UK supermarkets to offer plant-based festive foods. Tesco’s Wicked Kitchen has this year launched a Maple & Bourbon No-Gammon Joint, while Morrisons announced the release of its Christmas No Prawn Toast.
Asda embraces veganism
Asda, alongside its UK competitors, has been increasingly tapping into the ever-growing vegan market in recent years.
It stocks a huge range of own-brand plant-based products. These include pancake mix, coleslaw, steak and gravy pie, sausage rolls, and a range of burgers and pizzas.
The retailer even won Vegan Retailer of the Year at the 2021 Quality Food Awards.
“At Asda, we strive to give all of our customers the very best, no matter their dietary requirement or preference, so winning Vegan and Free From Retailer of the Year is a real seal of approval for us,” Sam Dickson, Asda’s Vice President of Own Brand, said at the time.
The UK moves away from meat
The plant-based food market has exploded in recent years. While this can be partly attributed to the growing number of vegans, it is also down to the sharp rise in popularity of “flexitarianism.”
Flexitarian broadly refers to someone who mostly eats a vegetarian diet, but occasionally eats meat.
It is thought that around 16 percent of British consumers identify as flexitarian. This is compared to around six percent who say they are vegetarian, and four percent who are vegan.
The new range is Asda’s largest vegan Christmas collection to date. Launching during World Vegan Month this November, it will be available to buy in Asda stores nationwide and online from November 24, 2022.
