Vegan chicken nuggets and vegetarian Lincolnshire sausages by the Vegetarian Butcher have arrived at UK supermarket chain, Waitrose. The plant-based nuggets will be part of the chain’s new vegan section.
Waitrose has recently added 50 new vegan and veggie products to its offerings due to rising consumer demand for meat and dairy-free products. Vegetarian Mc2 Burgers, vegetarian Little Willies, vegan Chicken Nuggets, and vegan Chicken Chunks by The Vegetarian Butcher will all now be available in stores across the UK.
“We are thrilled to add these products to the already successful collection at Waitrose,” said Jaap Korteweg, founder and CEO of the Vegetarian Butcher, in a statement. “After the ready meals we’ve launched together, this next step perfectly fits our ideal to have meat enthusiasts experience meat-free products. It’s our aim to help them realise they don’t have to miss out on anything if they omit meat from animals from their diet.”
Chloe Graves, a vegan and vegetarian buyer for the supermarket, added: “our current selection of products in partnership with The Vegetarian Butcher has been selling really well week after week, with requests for more choice coming from our customers and partners, so we could clearly see there was an appetite to have more vegetarian and vegan options in our shops. This selection provides a solution for those looking to opt for a meat-free meal, that is suitable for the whole family to enjoy.”
Pieminister, Clive’s, KoKo, Bol, Cauldron, and Quorn, are just some of the new veggie and vegan brands that Waitrose has recently added to its shelves. Irish brand, The Happy Pear, was particularly pleased with the partnership, as the chain is its first supplier in the UK.
“We are chuffed to be entering the UK market with our products and really honoured to be working with Waitrose to expand its vegan range,” David and Stephen Flynn, founders of The Happy Pear, said in a joint statement. “We have been working with Waitrose since 2016, creating vegan recipe videos and on customer events, and this is a great, growing partnership, which supports our mission to help people live healthier and happier lives.”
UK Supermarkets, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, and Ocado, have all expanded their vegan lines over recent months in a bid to keep up with demand from customers.
Image Credit: The Vegetarian Butcher
