Extra Special Chocolate Torte - vegan

Who: Asda

What: Extra Special Chocolate Torte

Where: Chilled desserts

How much: £4/381g

Why: Sales of vegan food and drink shot up last year by 14.3% in grocery to £352m [Kantar Worldpanel 52 w/e 12 August 2018]. The trend has seen supermarket shelves become inundated with meat-free, dairy-free NPD - not only from brands but also across own label. This plant-based Asda sharing dessert is made with cashews, almonds, Belgian dark chocolate and coconut milk.

Consumer verdict: There was a great deal of pre-trial interest in this dessert for six. With a clear, circular window, it looked “expensive” said shoppers. Upon tasting, they praised the inventiveness of the base made from chopped nuts. They also enjoyed the “great chocolate taste” and “lovely texture”. However, the price was an obstacle for many. As such, purchase intention slumped post-trial. Promotional activity would be needed to encourage trial and re-purchase, said testers.

Pre-trial purchase: 73%

Post-trial purchase: 46%

Better than what’s out there: 79%

New and different: 71%

Overall score: 42/50