La Vie VLT launches as part of Sainsbury's meal deal

© La Vie

Products & Launches

Sainsbury’s Partners With La Vie to Add Vegan BLT to Stellar Vegan Meal Deal Offer

British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s has added a new vegan sandwich to its lunchtime meal deal in partnership with French plant-based bacon producer La Vie. Sold under Sainsbury’s Plant Pioneers brand, the VLT contains La Vie bacon with lettuce, tomato, and vegan baconnaise. As part of the meal deal, customers can get the sandwich along with a snack and a drink for a total of £3.50. The VLT is now available at over 800 Sainsbury’s stores UK-wide. The launch comes after Sainsbury’s became one of the first UK retailers to stock La Vie bacon and lardons, following a successful marketing campaign by the French brand last year. La Vie has since seen considerable success in the UK, becoming permanently available at Burger King stores and Breakfast …

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© Herbimore

Food Service

UK Brand Herbimore to Launch at 40% of University Sector & Hundreds More Locations

Herbimore is a UK convenience food producer set to launch in June of this year. The plant-based brand will make its debut at hundreds of food service locations, including coffee lounges, schools, colleges, and 40% of the university sector. Herbimore’s range will include ready-made sandwiches, wraps, and salads, and will be brought to market by the UK’s leading independent sandwich company, Tiffin Sandwiches. Tiffin says it is responding to increased demand for vegan grab-and-go options. Said to be high in fibre and protein, the wraps and sandwiches will contain a variety of fillings, including meat alternatives made by Squeaky Bean and VBites. They will also feature house-made sauces and marinades. The convenience foods will be available nationwide, via a large distribution network serviced by a …

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7-Eleven Impossible Breakfast Sandwich

©7-Eleven Canada

Products & Launches

7-Eleven Canada Debuts Plant-Based Breakfast Sandwich with Impossible Sausage and JUST Egg

JUST Egg announces 7-Eleven Canada is launching a new, 100% plant-based breakfast sandwich across its stores. The Plant-Based Breakfast Sandwich with Impossible Sausage is now available 24/7 at participating 7-Eleven locations nationwide. Made with Impossible Sausage, JUST Egg, and melted Violife Cheddar inside a toasted English muffin, the sandwich is described as an option for both “vegan lovers and flexitarians” that offers 18 grams of plant-based protein. It also offers a good source of iron and calcium, with zero cholesterol.  More healthy options The sandwich is 7-Eleven Canada’s latest plant protein offering – in 2022, the convenience chain partnered with Lightlife Foods to debut plant-based chicken tenders in more than 600 of its stores.  According to 7-Eleven, the oven-baked tenders were part of a commitment …

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Japan Airlines Vegan Tuna

©BettaF!sh

Tourism & Travel

Japan Airlines Now Offering BettaF!sh Plant-Based Tuna on Select Flights

German alt-seafood brand BettaF!sh announces its plant-based tuna will now be served aboard Japan’s second-largest airline company, Japan Airlines. Available for business and first class passengers, the TU-NAH Sandwich Wrap will be offered on flights from Tokyo to London.  Featuring BettaF!sh’s TU-NAH Creamy, the new sandwich wrap offers passengers a sustainable alternative to nostalgic tuna mayo. Japan Airlines will initially serve the snack on JL 42 and JL44 flights between London Heathrow and Tokyo Haneda, with plans to increase those routes’ frequency over the coming months.  “What delighted us most about working with Japan Airlines was the overwhelmingly positive feedback we received from day one,” said Jacob von Manteuffel, co-founder of BettaF!sh. “It was a huge honor to have the authenticity and deliciousness of TU-NAH …

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Meatless Maverick Chick'un Sandwich

© Rustlers

Products & Launches

Rustlers Introduces Meatless Maverick Chick’un Fillet

British chilled convenience food brand Rustlers has launched its first fully plant-based product — the Meatless Maverick Chick’un Fillet. The ready meal consists of a pea and wheat protein fillet on a sesame seed bun. It is topped with vegan mayo and salad leaves. Rustlers — which is owned by meat producer Kepak — launched its first vegetarian option, the Meatless Maverick Classic Burger, about a year ago. But while labelled as plant-based, the burger contains a slice of dairy cheese, making it unsuitable for vegans. The new Chick’un Fillet, on the other hand, has been certified by the Vegan Society. Vegan sandwiches A report published in June found that many UK retailers have reduced the number of vegan sandwiches they offer, though the use …

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Vegan bacon breakfast sandwich

Vegan Bacon Sandwich ©Gregory's Coffee

Gastronomy & Food Service

5 US Coffee Chains Embracing 100% Plant-Based Breakfast Sandwiches

While coffee giants like Dunkin’, Starbucks and Tim Hortons have gradually adopted more vegan-friendly options in recent years, such items have largely been limited to dairy-free milks and the occasional plant-based sausage. Now, a growing number of smaller US chains are taking the initiative to offer consumers fully vegan versions of breakfast favorites, including bacon, sausage, eggs and cheese. Here we present some of the most notable names leading this trend: 1. Peet’s Coffee  Peet’s, which operates over 200 locations in 11 states, first introduced the Everything Plant-Based Sandwich as a limited-time offering in early 2021. But the item, which features a Beyond Sausage with folded JUST Egg and melted vegan cheddar, was so phenomenally successful the chain added it back permanently one year later. …

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meat-free sub

© Lion's Choice

Fast Food

Lion’s Choice Launches Meat-Free Sub in Collaboration With Hungry Planet

St. Louis-based fast-food chain Lion’s Choice has joined forces with local alt-meat startup Hungry Planet to offer a meat-free sub. Best known for its roast beef sandwiches, this is the first time Lion’s Choice has offered plant-based meat in its 55-year history. The sub features Hungry Planet’s soy-based meatballs on a toasted bun with marinara sauce. By default, the sandwich also contains Provel cheese, but vegans can request it without. “There’s a growing portion of the population who are looking for meatless options – whether they be vegetarian or flexitarian,” said Lion’s Choice CEO Michael Kupstas. “The common factor, however, is that these customers still want the same ridiculously good food and flavor that they have come to expect, something that we’ve delivered on for …

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THIS sandwiches WH Smith

©THIS

Products & Launches

UK: THIS Becomes “First-Ever” Plant-Based Partner for 230-year-old WH Smith 

UK plant-based producer THIS is launching a range of three sandwiches and snacking pots into WH Smith travel stores. With the alt meat offering hitting shelves this week, the launch marks the first time the retailer has partnered with a plant-based brand.  Entering the emerging plant-based food-to-go segment, THIS – the UK’s fastest-growing alt meat company – will showcase its newly reformulated alt chicken pieces in the sandwiches. WH Smith is a 230-year-old UK high street retailer whose travel stores in railway stations, airports, and motorway service stations provide a perfect retail platform for vegan on-the-go solutions.  The sandwich range will feature This Isn’t Chicken & Sweetcorn, This Isn’t Chicken & Stuffing, and This Isn’t Coronation Chicken, as well as a snack pot range comprising …

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Ham & cheese melt Squeaky Bean

©Squeaky Bean

Food & Beverage

UK: 620% Rise in Alt-Protein Sandwich Fillings, But Fewer Vegan Sandwiches on Offer

A report by Eating Better has examined the availability of healthy and vegan sandwiches in the UK. The research looked at 430 sandwiches across 14 retailers and foodservice outlets, including the country’s largest supermarket chains. Strikingly, the use of alt-proteins as sandwich fillings has increased by a huge 620% since 2019. However, other results are disappointing, with many major supermarkets having reduced their plant-based sandwich offerings. Tesco’s vegan sandwich range has shrunk by 28% since 2019, while Morrisons and Asda have entirely removed their plant-based sandwich options. Vegan sandwiches also tend to be more expensive, costing 15% more at Sainsbury’s. Though 84% of sandwiches examined by Eating Better contained animal products, figures for foodservice were significantly better, with 34% of sandwiches meat-free and half of …

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Alfred Impossible Sausage Sandwich

©Alfred

Food Service

Famed LA Coffee Shop Alfred Debuts Plant-Based Breakfast Sandwich with Impossible Sausage

Alfred, an Instagram-famous coffee shop chain, announces it is now introducing the “PBBS” – Plant-Based Breakfast Sandwich – to its menus. Featuring Impossible Sausage, the new breakfast item can be found at most of Alfred’s LA-based locations.  Described as a modern twist on traditional breakfast sandwiches, the PBBS is made with Impossible Sausage, Folded JUST Egg and Violife Cheddar on a vegan potato bun. Containing 20 grams of protein, each sandwich also comes with all-natural ketchup and Zab’s hot sauce.  The PBBS marks the latest breakfast sandwich launch for Impossible Foods, which supplies plant-based sausage for breakfast items at major brands like Starbucks and Jamba Juice. In March, massive Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons re-launched its meatless breakfast menu with Impossible products after ending its …

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Caribou Coffee Flatbread

©Caribou Coffee

Food Service

Caribou Coffee Partners with JUST Egg to Launch Its First Vegan Breakfast Sandwich

Caribou Coffee, an American coffeehouse chain, announces the debut of the JUST Egg Roasted Tomato & Pesto Flatbread, the brand’s first fully plant-based breakfast sandwich. Created as a partnership with plant-based egg brand JUST, the sandwich will be available starting Thursday, May 5 at Caribou Coffee stores across the US. With over 400 US locations, Caribou says it is now the largest coffeehouse chain to carry JUST Egg’s product.  As part of the All Day Breakfast Menu, the new item features a warm flatbread with roasted tomato, vegan pesto, folded JUST Egg and Violife dairy-free smoked Provolone cheese. Caribou says the flatbread offers clean, sustainable protein with savory flavors, and makes a perfect on-the-go option.  2nd plant-based sandwich launch With the launch, Caribou becomes the …

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Next Level Burger Steak Burger

©Next Level Burger

Gastronomy & Food Service

Next Level Burger Plans to Quadruple Its US Locations By End of 2025

Next Level Burger, a popular plant-based burger chain, announces the brand intends to add dozens of outlets over the next four years, as part of an accelerated US expansion.  Based in Oregon, Next Level Burger is renowned for its casual and colorful take on healthy and sustainable fast food. Its signature menu features a lineup of organic and non-GMO vegan burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries and handspun milkshakes. In addition to the original store in Bend, Oregon, the brand operates six locations in Washington, California, New York and Texas.  Next Level wants to significantly increase its restaurant footprint, and reveals it is on track to open many more locations. To reach new communities, the chain plans to expand into the West Coast, Southwest and Northeast regions, …

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IHOP Vegan Breakfast Sandwich

©IHOP

Products & Launches

IHOP Trials First Vegan Breakfast Sandwich “Plant-Based Cali” in NYC

American restaurant chain IHOP (International House of Pancakes) announces a test-release of its first vegan breakfast sandwich, the Plant-Based Cali.  Offered exclusively at one Flip’d by IHOP eatery in New York City’s Flatiron district, the sandwich may see a larger location rollout depending on customer demand. According to a release, the Plant-Based Cali features a Sweet Earth breakfast sausage patty and folded JUST Egg topped with roasted tomatoes, arugula and avocado, served on an all-vegan bun.  The IHOP culinary team reportedly spent two years developing the menu item, and worked closely with brands behind the ingredients to craft an appealing flavor profile, the company stated. A positive change The Plant-Based Cali debut marks a major milestone for the pancake house, which, in recent years, has …

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BreakfastSandwich Peet's Coffee

©Peet's Coffee

Products & Launches

Peet’s Coffee Launches ‘Everything Plant-Based Sandwich’ Featuring Beyond Meat and JUST Egg

Following the news that Starbucks has launched a vegan menu across the US; Peet’s Coffee – whose founder was a mentor to the founders of Starbucks and whose 200+ locations operate across 11 US states – announces a partnership with Beyond Meat and JUST Egg for the Everything Plant-Based Sandwich. There will also be a range of oat-based drinks as part of the 2021 Spring menu.

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Ham & cheese melt Squeaky Bean

©Squeaky Bean

Products & Launches

Squeaky Bean Launches Roast Chicken Flavour Slices at Sainsbury’s and Waitrose

Popular UK brand Squeaky Bean is set to launch its new Roast Chicken Flavour Slices, following a recent survey from the British Sandwich Association, where chicken was voted the UK’s favourite sandwich filling. The survey found that more than 43,000 tonnes of chicken are consumed every year in the UK sandwich market alone.

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pb sandwiches 7-eleven

©7-Eleven Australia

Products & Launches

International Convenience Store Chain 7-Eleven Launches New Vegan Line in Australia

As reported by InsideFranchiseBusiness.com, international convenience chain 7-Eleven has launched its new vegan line of products in Australia. Available in all stores nationwide, the menu includes the 7-Eleven No Chicken and Lettuce Sandwich, 7-Eleven No Egg and Lettuce Sandwich, 7-Eleven No Beef Pie, and 7-Eleven No Sausage Roll.

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