Hellmann’s Just Launched Vegan Baconnaise in the UK

Three new flavors of Hellmann’s vegan mayonnaise are launching in the UK from January — Baconnaise, Chipotle, and Garlic.

The three new varieties will expand Hellmann’s vegan range to four, including the original flavor. The Unilever-owned company first launched vegan mayo in UK supermarkets back in 2018, following a successful U.S. introduction two years earlier. Hellmann’s produces its vegan mayo with maize starch in place of eggs.

According to a recent Perspectus Global Survey commissioned by Hellmann’s, over 84 percent of Brits self-identify as “bacon lovers.” The brand said that it aimed to target these bacon-loving customers during Veganuary and that its new flavors could convert “even the staunchest meat eater.”

“We’re like pigs in mud with our new Baconnaise, and the just-as-tasty Chipotle and Garlic spreads. We can’t wait for UK consumers to taste it for themselves,” said Rachel Chambers, Senior Marketing Manager at Hellmann’s UK & Ireland. “Especially at a time when the bacon cravings might be hitting little piggies’ homes the most. It might be rash to say it tastes just like the real thing – but we wouldn’t be telling porkies if we did.”

Egg-Free Mayonnaise and Vegan Demand

Hellmann’s first launched the vegan version of its flagship product in order to compete with rival brands and to better cater to the increasing market of health-conscious, flexitarian consumers in the UK.

Parent company Unilever has also increasingly emphasized its plant-based portfolio and recently announced a $1.2 billion sales target for vegan food over the next five-to-seven years. Unilever’s “Future Foods” initiative aims to cater to the growing global demand for more healthy and sustainable food.

Kraft Heinz is also expanding its vegan range in early 2021; its range of egg-free mayonnaise and salad creams is launching in January.

“Veganism is a trend that we are seeing across the board in so many grocery retail categories and it is being driven by vegans, but also by flexitarians who want to eat less meat and have a more balanced diet,” David Adams, Head of Ireland, Kraft Heinz, told Checkout.

Hellmann’s Vegan Mayo Baconnaise, Chipotle, and Garlic flavor spreads will be available nationwide from January 2021 in Asda stores and online from Ocado and Amazon Fresh. Each 270g jar costs approximately £2.50.