Waitrose has announced the addition of 12 new products to its PlantLiving range to cater to rising flexitarian eating habits.
They have been developed to meet evolving dietary preferences, including less soya protein and more vegetables, beans and pulses.
The new PlantLiving products include Organic Firm Tofu (£1.95/300g), Marinated Organic Tofu (£2.80/300g), Plant & Veg Mince (£2.60/250g), Plant & Vegballs (£2.60/240g), Southern Fried No Chicken (£3.00/227g), No Chicken Kyiv (£3.40/250g), No Chorizo Sausages (£2.75/280g), Loaded Vegetable Kebabs (£2.75/260g), Garlic-filled Doughballs (£3.00/210g), Nduja Style Fiorelli (£3.60/250g), Mediterranean Style Mini Rolls (£3.00/180g), and Curried Vegetable Mini Rolls (£3.00/180g).
Data from the Waitrose website reveals a big increase in searches for key ingredients such as canned lentils, marinated tofu and vegan salad recipes, with rises of 200%, 134% and 700% respectively. This suggests that there is growing customer demand to incorporate more whole foods into diets.
Simona Cohen-Vida-Welsh, Waitrose Vegan Product Developer, said: “With customers prioritising whole foods, we have incorporated more vegetables into our plant-based proteins. Our new PlantLiving: Plant & Veg Mince and PlantLiving: Plant & Vegballs are both made from vegetables and pulses and are extremely versatile – allowing customers to make easy and delicious plant-based meals everyday.”
Catherine Shacklock, Waitrose Vegan and Vegetarian Buyer, added: “Our customers are looking to consume less meat and by using PlantLiving: Plant & Veg Mince, PlantLiving: Loaded Vegetable Kebabs and PlantLiving: No Chorizo Sausages, they can make delicious plant-based swaps without all the prep.”
