Print
Advertisement
Retail giant Sainsbury’s will launch a highly-anticipated ‘bleeding’ vegan range in the meat aisle of 400 stores tomorrow.
A number of mainstream media outlets have written about the burger and mince made by Danish brand Naturli’ Foods which will be the first plant-based products of their kind to be sold alongside meat in the UK.
The brand uses porcini mushrooms, as well as almonds and tomatoes in its recipes, in order to create an umami flavor. Beetroot juice is used to replicate bloody juice.
Meat aisle
Sainbury’s is following a precedent set by US food tech company Beyond Meat, which insisted that its flagship Beyond Burger be displayed next to beef. The brand’s CEO and Founder Ethan Brown told Plant Based News that the patty is now outselling beef in some stores.
There are a reported 22 million ‘flexitarians’ (also known as ‘meat reducers’) in the UK, and Sainsbury’s is hoping to capitalize on these consumers – as well as the burgeoning vegan sector.
Earlier this year, Sainsbury’s itself created a line of what it called ‘next generation’ plant-based products, including a jackfruit dish. At the time, Georgina Lunn, Product Developer for Fresh Produce, said: “With over a quarter of meat-eating Brits actively reducing their meat consumption, there is a clear appetite for exciting and new ways to introduce more vegetables into our lives.”
Beyond Meat was the first to sell its products in the meat aisle.Subscribe to PBN’s YouTube Channel here
Growth
Speaking about the launch, James Hamilton, Meat-Free and Ready Meals Buyer at Sainsbury’s, spoke about how more people are opting for meat-free. He said: “We are seeing an increasing interest from our customers in plant-based foods, with sales of our current meat-free range growing 20 percent each week.
“We’re always exploring new ways to offer even greater choice, quality and value and our new Naturli’ mince and burgers are a brilliant example.”
Henrik Lund, Chief Executive Officer of Naturli Foods added: “We’ve developed this product assuming that many people want to eat plants instead of animals, but are afraid of compromising on flavor and maybe even missing out on their favourite dishes such as lasagna or burger patties.”
