In case you didn’t know, vegan chocolate digestives are a thing and you can buy them at the largest supermarket chain in the UK.
Tesco sells own-brand dairy-free digestives. Described as crumbly, crunchy, and “generously dipped in rich chocolate for a dunkable treat,” the biscuits are made with cocoa butter and 30 percent dark chocolate.
The first digestive was developed in 1839 but chocolate wasn’t added to the mix until 1925. A UK survey of 3,000 people found that the chocolate digestive is the nation’s favourite “dunking biscuit.”
Original recipes typically include milk. Tesco’s stray away from the animal product aligns with shifting consumer demand for plant-based products.
Veganism in the UK
Over the past two years, more than a quarter of young people in the UK have reduced their consumption or cut out dairy entirely. Health reasons were the leading motivator for the change. Scientists have linked dairy intake to issues like diabetes, Parkinson’s, acne, and various forms of cancer.
Environmental and animal welfare concerns also played a role.
It’s not just dairy that Brits are turning down. Last month, it was reported that consumption of red meat in the UK had dropped by nearly 30 percent in a decade. Data released last year suggested that the number of people following a plant-based diet in the UK had surged by 700 percent in just two years – going from one percent to seven percent of the population.
Tesco Vegan Food
As demand increases, Tesco is growing its vegan food options to keep up. Under its plant-based food line Wicked Kitchen, the supermarket has introduced meals like Nana’s Mushroom Bolognese, Cauliflower and Mushroom Pie, and Margherita Pizza Sourdough. Vegan sausage rolls and plant-based lasagne are also on offer. In October, Tesco more than doubled its meat-free ready meal range by adding 26 new Wicked Kitchen products.
The continuous expansion of the line is likely due to its popularity. Within the first seven months of being launched, 4 million vegan meals from Wicked Kitchen had been purchased by Tesco shoppers.
Aside from its own-brand range, Tesco stocks products like dairy-free caramel pecan ice cream, vegan haggis, and plant-based cheese pizza by Goodfella’s.
Tesco’s Plain Chocolate Digestive Biscuits can be purchased for £0.60.
