Waitrose has launched 30 new veggie dishes to cater for the growth of meat-free and ‘flexitarian’ diets.
Launching in stores tomorrow, the veggie range uses a new soya protein that “looks like and has the texture of meat”.
The range, which is co-branded with Dutch meat substitute specialist The Vegetarian Butcher, uses the protein to create veggie versions of traditionally meat-based dishes such as a tikka masala and a lasagne.
There are also vegetable-only dishes such as cauliflower cheese croquettes, arancini, beetroot burgers and a rainbow vegetable stew.
The new products will see Waitrose increase its shop space devoted to vegetarian foods by an average of 35%.
“Vegetarian meals are one of our fastest-growing categories with sales up 14% year on year and we know this will only get bigger,” said Waitrose vegetarian buyer Chloe Graves.
“There’s little doubt that plant protein will play an increasingly important part in a healthy balanced diet in the future. By working with The Vegetarian Butcher we can offer our shoppers a first-to-market high-quality replacement protein that is more akin to the texture of meat than anything we have stocked before,” she added.
“This will appeal to flexitarians who want to reduce their meat intake without the compromise, but is also suitable for vegetarians.”
Mintel has tipped the meat-free market for significant growth. According to its figures, some 28% of Brits consciously reduced their meat consumption during the six months to August and it estimates meat-free volume sales will rise by 9% from now to 2021.
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