The UK’s largest supermarket chain Tesco has expanded its vegan Plant Chef range for Veganuary, with several new and updated products.
In the chilled category, the range now includes:
- Meat Free Spaghetti Bolognese — Pasta in bolognese sauce with soy protein, mushrooms, tomatoes, and herbs.
- Sweet Potato Katsu Style Curry — Spiced sweet potato in a mild curry sauce with ciabatta-style breadcrumbs, plus a side of cooked jasmine rice and peas.
- Sweet & Sour No Chicken & Rice — Soy protein strips in a pineapple and ginger sauce with cooked jasmine rice, water chestnuts, peas, and red pepper.
- Bean Chilli & Mexican Style Rice — Mixed beans in a spiced tomato sauce, alongside cooked seasoned long grain rice with sweetcorn and black-eyed beans. The meal is topped with vegan cheese.
- Mexican Inspired Bean Burgers — Bean-based burgers with sweet potato and spices.
The frozen Plant Chef range now features:
- Meat Free Southern Fried Fillets — Plant-based fillets coated in crispy spiced breadcrumbs.
- Spicy Bean Burgers — Vegetables and spicy beans in a herby breadcrumb coating.
- Katsu Style Veggie Crispbakes — Katsu-style bakes with vegetables and edamame beans.
- No-Beef Meatballs — Soy protein-based meatballs, seasoned for a meaty taste.
- Hot & Spicy No-Chicken Strips — Seasoned wheat and pea protein strips coated in spiced breadcrumbs.
“Delicious new products”
The new launches come a year after Wicked Kitchen founder Derek Sarno announced the departure from his position as Director of Plant-Based Innovation at Tesco. At the time, the retailer said it planned to launch more “veg-led” options, following a rise in demand for less processed plant-based foods. Tesco is also increasingly focused on frozen products, which are becoming more popular with consumers due to their affordability and long shelf life.
“We know making healthy eating easy and accessible is key to delivering for our customers,” said Breige Donaghy, Director of Product Development & Innovation at Tesco, last year. “As we evolve our offer, we will expand our ranges of ‘veg-led’ options, introducing some delicious new products which will help customers incorporate more veg into their diets whether they are vegan, vegetarian, or simply want to reduce the amount of meat they eat.”
