Sainsbury’s dishes up a range of classic alternatives as Britons get a taste for veganism

EDITOR

SAINSBURY’S is attempting to recreate vegan versions of classic favourites such as smoked salmon and chorizo sausages.

The dishes are among 25 new plantbased products launched this week by the supermarket to provide families with meatless alternatives to classic meals that usually involve animal products.

Among the offerings is vegan “smoked salmon”, which is actually made from konjac root, an ancient superfood that is a staple across southeast Asia and mimics the texture of real smoked salmon.

Also available are style “shroomdogs”, mainly of mushrooms but have been developed to have a similar texture and colour to real Spanish chorizo sausages.

The meat-free range includes “sizzling beefless strips”, Sophie’s Kitchen “prawns”, and Gardein “fishless fillets”.

Around nine in 10 (91 per cent) of Britons are now adopting a “flexitarian” diet in a bid to improve their health and help the environment, according to research from consumer analysts at Mintel.

And one person is signing up for Veganuary every eight seconds, according to vegan website plantbasednews.org, with 2019 expected to be its biggest year ever, with sign-ups expected to hit around 300,000.

Veganuary is a charity that encour- ages and supports people as they try a vegan diet next month.

Sainsbury’s said it had seen an 82 per cent increase in customers searching for vegan products online, and a 45 per cent increase in sales of plant-based products compared with last year.

Rachael Matthews, product developer for plant-based food at Sainsbury’s, said: “With more than seven million vegetarians in Britain, and the rise of the flexitarian lifestyle, Britain has certainly got the taste for meat alternatives at meal times.

“Our new range of plant-based products provides innovative and truly delicious options – from the juicy jackfruit quarter pounder to flaky fishless fillets – to help to take the hassle out of cooking for a flexitarian diet.”