Belazu, a UK-based producer of Mediterranean-style ingredients, has launched vegan ‘nduja — a meat-free alternative to the spicy Italian pork sausage spread.
The ‘nduja is made with simple ingredients such as pepper paste, coconut oil, haricot beans, Calabrian chillis, and red wine vinegar. It was initially developed in collaboration with London and Oxford-based pizzeria Pizza Pilgrims.
Belazu
In 1991, friends Adam and George launched B2B company the Fresh Olive Company, inspired by the high-quality olives they had sampled in the Mediterranean. They worked to expand their range to include other Mediterranean ingredients, and launched Belazu — their B2B brand — in 2000.
Initially, Belazu only offered oils and vinegars, but by 2005 it had expanded into pastes and pestos. In 2018, the company was acquired by William Jackson Food Group, and the following year Belazu products launched at major UK supermarkets such as Tesco, Waitrose, and Sainsbury’s.
Vegan ‘nduja
Currently, there are very few plant-based alternatives to ‘njuda on the market. Italian-American chain Frankie & Benny’s offers a vegan Tortellini ‘Nduja, while clean label alt-meat brand Symplicity Foods makes upcycled vegan ‘nduja from tomato byproducts. However, neither of these products are available for retail.
“‘Nduja has been growing in popularity in recent years and in line with more people opting for plant-based diets, we wanted to give consumers who don’t eat meat the opportunity to try the increasingly trendy paste in their recipes,” Belazu commercial director Peter Oden told The Grocer.
Belazu’s vegan ‘nduja is now available at Ocado, Planet Organic, and Booths. It will launch at Waitrose later this month.
