UK retailer Tesco has teamed up with Beyond Meat to launch a new ready meal range as part of the retailer's Wicked Kitchen brand.
The collaboration marks the first time Beyond Meat has created a product with another UK food manufacturer.
Plant-Based Food
According to research by Kantar, demand for chilled meat-free food grew by nearly 40% at the supermarket last year.
Tesco has pledged to grow its plant-based meat-free alternatives by 300% by 2025 to meet both customer demand and environmental concerns.
The latest collaboration with Beyond Meat, will see Tesco further expand its frozen plant-based food offering with the launch of a new range of protein-packed, meat-free exotic dishes from around the world which will be offered through its exclusive Wicked Kitchen brand.
Director for plant-based innovation at Tesco, Derek Sarno, said, "Both Wicked Kitchen and Beyond Meat have worked hard to create excitement in the world of plant-based food in the UK and we are thrilled to be working with them on this new range.
"We hope that the launch of these new meals will encourage more people to give plant-based food a try. Early feedback from people who took part in food trials for the new range was that they did not believe the meals were vegan."
Beyond Meat
The items available in the Tesco and Beyond Meat range include culinary dishes from Korea, Mexico, and India, priced at £2.75 each.
Chuck Muth, chief growth officer of Beyond Meat, said, "As consumers are increasingly looking to include plant-based meals in their diet, Tesco's new ‘ready meals’ featuring Beyond Meat, offer a simple and delicious solution without having to sacrifice on flavour or convenience."
Tesco has collaborated with other meat-free producers in the past, including Dutch vegetarian/vegan manufacturer Vivera and Swedish vegan experts Oumph!
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Conor Farrelly. For more Private Label news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
