Vegan food activist leader VFC is celebrating Veganuary with the launch of several new products in the UK, including a range of fakeaway ready meals, plant-based chicken sausages that are claimed to be a market first, and a chilled version of the brand’s chicken-style mince.
The frozen ready meals debut with two products — Chick*n Fried Rice and Chick*n Curry. The single-serving bags can be pan-fried in eight minutes, and aim to offer a healthier, meat-free version of takeaway favourites. They are gluten-free, high in protein, and provide one of the five recommended daily servings of fruit and vegetables.
The chick*n sausages and mince are sold chilled, and are described as “flavour-packed”. Both are high-protein, gluten-free, and low in salt and saturated fat. The sausages are a brand-new product, while the mince is a chilled version of the frozen chick*n mince launched by VFC in November. Alongside the brand’s plant-based chicken breasts, the frozen mince was the first uncoated product in VFC’s range.
“Taste, health, and convenience”
VFC entered the chilled category for the first time in July of last year, launching a chilled version of its popular Crispy Chick*n Fillets along with a brand new product, Piri Piri Chick*n Wings. The expansion was made possible by a £6 million investment led by Veg Capital in April. For Veganuary 2023, VFC launched spicy tenders and fillets, after updating its recipe to contain more protein and less salt.
The company made headlines last year when it acquired Meatless Farm which was on the verge of administration, then succeeded in getting the brand’s products back on shelves within weeks. VFC then acquired pie and quiche brand Clive’s Purely Plants in October, a strategic move that is expected to increase the group’s annual sales by 30%.
“Delivering on taste, health, and convenience is fundamental to converting more people into meat-free alternatives. Our new VFC One Bag range, chilled Chick*n Sausages, and Mince bring all these benefits to the table, appealing to a broader target consumer base across new meal occasions,” said Alison Reilly, Head of Marketing for VFC.
The ready meals are now available in Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, while the mince and sausages will launch at Asda this week.
