Waitrose & Partners is launching 14 new chilled vegan products to its expanding range as demand for plant-based food continues to rise in the UK.
The high-end retailer now stocks 65 dedicated vegan products across its own-band and branded segments.
In the past year, searches for the word ‘vegan’ have doubled on the Waitrose website, while searches for ‘vegetarian’ have shot up by 67 per cent, highlighting a significant rise in consumer awareness and appetite for plant-based products.
The number of vegans in Britain has quadrupled in the past four years from 150,000 to 600,000, according to theVegan Society.
Last week Waitrose launched Fish‘less’ fingers – made with breaded seaweed tofu – which it said have already proven popular with customers, helping sales of its vegan and vegetarian ranges increase by 110 per cent.
Other new additions to the vegan range include:
Fish'less'cakes,made with chunky potatoes, butterbeans, herbs and seaweed
Italian Inspired Veggie Balls,which contain mushrooms, lentils and vegetables, and are infused with herbs and passata
Stonebaked and Hand Stretched Barbecue Jackfruit Pizza,topped with roasted pulled jackfruit, chargrilled red peppers andhickory smoked BBQ and tomato sauce
Asian Inspired Greens and Smoked Tofu,which includespak choi, Chinese leaf, fine green beans, Tenderstem tips, edamame beans and red chillies
Chloe Graves, the supermarket chain’s buyer for chilled vegetarian and vegan products, said: “The growing appetite for meat-free dishes has been reflected throughout the year with rising sales of vegan and vegetarian products, as well as the introduction of exciting and innovative new products to the foodie market.
“We’re excited to be a part of growing demand for vegan products and lead the way in creating, developing and supplying innovative ranges that delight customers.
“Our flavour packed products range from complete meals for a quick and easy dinner, to the staple vegan must-haves.”
The range is available in Waitrose & Partners branches and online.
