UK supermarket chain Waitrose has expanded its PlantLiving range with 12 products designed to cater to the growing demand for less processed plant-based foods.
The new products are said to contain less soy protein and more vegetables and pulses than previous plant-based options. The range includes:
- Plant & Veg Mince
- Plant & Vegballs
- Organic Firm Tofu
- Marinated Organic Tofu
- Garlic-Filled Doughballs
- Southern Fried No Chicken
- Mediterranean Style Mini Rolls
- Curried Vegetable Mini Rolls
- Loaded Vegetable Kebabs
- No Chorizo Sausages
- No Chicken Kyiv
- Nduja Style Fiorelli.
The launch comes as Waitrose reveals that searches for canned lentils and marinated tofu have increased by 200% and 134% respectively. Meanwhile, searches for vegan salad have increased by a huge 700% on the chain’s recipe site.
“With customers prioritising whole foods, we have incorporated more vegetables into our plant-based proteins,” said Simona Cohen-Vida-Welsh, Waitrose Vegan Product Developer. “Our new PlantLiving: Plant & Veg Mince and PlantLiving: Plant & Vegballs are both made from vegetables and pulses and are extremely versatile – allowing customers to make easy and delicious plant-based meals every day.”
“Customers are looking to consume less meat”
Despite media claims that demand for plant-based food is faltering, another major UK supermarket chain, Tesco, recently reported that the plant-based revolution is “entering a second phase”. This is said to be driven by consumers cooking from scratch using meat-free ingredients and plant-based whole cuts; the chain has reported rising sales of products such as tofu, fish alternatives, and vegan steaks.
Other supermarket chains are expanding their plant-based ranges as demand continues to increase. Aldi UK introduced its biggest ever vegan range this January, predicting that plant-based sales would increase by 40% that month due to the Veganuary campaign. And throughout 2023, Asda launched over 100 new plant-based products, spread across two dedicated vegan ranges.
“Our customers are looking to consume less meat and by using PlantLiving: Plant & Veg Mince, PlantLiving: Loaded Vegetable Kebabs and PlantLiving: No Chorizo Sausages, they can make delicious plant-based swaps without all the prep,” said Catherine Shacklock, Waitrose Vegan and Vegetarian Buyer. “Plant-based proteins such as tofu have become kitchen heroes, and our new PlantLiving: Organic Firm Tofu is made using traditional Japanese techniques – which means it is perfect to cook with and a great base for most recipes.”
