Fry’s Launches ‘UK First’ Vegan Formable Mince

Plant-based brand Fry Family Food has announced the launch of what’s thought to be the first ever vegan formable mince to be sold at UK supermarkets.

Shape and Sizzle mince – which can be made into meatballs, sausages, burgers, and more – is high in fiber and protein and made from non-GM soy. It’s currently available in frozen form at Tesco supermarkets, where it RRPs at £2.50.

“The taste, texture and appearance was highly rated with the taste panelists, which gives us total confidence that this product will be a winner with Tesco shoppers,” Emma Herring, head of marketing at Fry’s and Livekindly Collective UK, said in a statement. “We really hope that this will encourage families up and down the country to try plant-based for the first time or swap out a few more meals, using Fry’s plant-based Shape & Sizzle Mince.”

Demand for plant-based food in the UK

A large sign saying "meat free" in the plant-based meat section of a UK supermarket — Adobe Stock More and more people are trying out meat alternatives in the UK

The launch comes amid rapidly growing interest in plant-based food across the UK. In January of this year, it was reported that the number of vegans in the country had skyrocketed by more than a million over a 12-month period.

The research, which came from finder.com, found that there are around 2.5 million vegans living in the UK. This was a rise of 1.1 million since January 2023.

Animal meat consumption dropped to a record low last year, as many people sought out plant-based alternatives. While the vegan meat market has experienced highly publicized struggles over the last couple of years, demand for animal-free mince, sausages, and burgers remains strong. The UK meat substitutes market is expected to grow 2.3 percent in the period 2024 to 2029, reaching USD $820 million by the latter year.