HECK

Source: Heck

The low-satfat range is based on the brand’s chilled variants

Heck has unveiled its first frozen range, a trio of plant-based sausages set to roll exclusively into Holland & Barrett across the UK.

The low-satfat range (rsp: £2.79/340g) is based on the brand’s chilled variants. It comprises eight-packs of Vegan Breakfast (sage, onion, carrot & mushrooms), Supergreens (kale, spinach, chickpeas, quinoa & mint) and The Beet Goes On (beetroot, carrot & horseradish) – all of which can be cooked straight from the freezer.

The launch comes after Heck invested £600,000 in new equipment to produce the new sausages at its dedicated vegan facility in North Yorkshire, where it also produces five variants of plant-based sausages for chillers.

At the same time, the brand has overhauled the packaging of its meat-free lines, switching to 100% compostable packs and adding the strapline ‘Veg with Edge’.

Heck was “very much the David to the Goliath vegan big boys” claimed co-founder Jamie Keeble. “Our tasty plant-based offering has really struck a chord, and I can really see vegan being the majority of our business in five years.

“We are delighted to launch our first frozen into Holland & Barrett as it’s a really switched on audience.”

H&B food category manager Louise Broom said there were “more and more new and exciting players in the plant-based category who favour frozen”. This preference allowed them to “avoid the use of any artificial preservatives and excessive plastic packaging and also lessen food waste”.

In July, Heck signed a deal to supply its vegan sausages to Bidfood, with the catering giant set to make the likes of Bollywood Bangers and Sweet Fusion Veggie Bangers available to customers across the UK and Europe.