If 2018 was the year of the “bleeding” plant-based burger, 2019 looks likely to be dominated – on vegan dinner tables, at least – by “faux fish”. From fishless fingers to vegan versions of tuna, smoked salmon, prawns, scampi, sushi and even caviar, those who want to ditch fish for “Veganuary” can find an array of new products in their local supermarkets.

Waitrose’s own-brand Fishless Fingers are now on sale – made from from breaded seaweed tofu and boasting a crispy coating and what the retailer claims is a “subtle” fish flavour. A new vegan “smoked salmon” product goes on sale this month in Sainsbury’s, alongside vegan “prawns” and golden fishless fillets. Fish-free “tuna” is also coming to supermarket shelves via the US brand Loma Linda.

“Vegan seafood products are a great idea,” said vegan blogger Philipp Ertl, who set up the website Exceedingly Vegan. “I often hear from friends who would like to go vegan but could never live without fish. Vegan seafood has been an untapped market until now. So I am very excited about the next frontier in plant-based innovation, giving people even more choice without having to compromise on taste,” he said.

Given that most of the ground-breaking new ideas in creating “fake meat” came from the US, the Netherlands and Denmark, supermarket product developers have been scouring the world in their search for inspiration for plant-based replicas of fish.

Waitrose buyers are predicting the growing popularity of konjac, an Asian root vegetable which has an edible tuber already used to make pasta, lasagne sheets and “rice” noodles and, increasingly, vegan versions of faux fish and seafood. Konjac powder – renowed for its distinctive “fishy” smell – along with pea and potato starch and alginate (extracted from seaweed) is a key ingredient in the new vegan “smoked salmon” product. It is manufactured in Taiwan by the US brand Sophie’s Kitchen, based in California, which over the last eight years has transformed the US food landscape with a growing array of faux-fish frozen, chilled and ready meals, including the “prawns” going on sale in Sainsbury’s.

The animal welfare charity Peta, whose public petition urging Greggs to introduce more vegan choices led to the bakery chain launching a vegan sausage roll, has welcomed the moves. “As record numbers of Britons are embracing vegan foods, it’s hardly surprising that the demand for fish-friendly options has skyrocketed,” said Dawn Carr, director of vegan corporate projects at Peta UK. “Vegan fish and chips, vegan prawns and veggie caviar (made from seaweed “pearls”) offer all the taste but none of the toxins or cholesterol found in their animal-derived counterparts. These foods allow people to choose a cruelty-free version of a food that they’re already familiar with, but without the blood, guts and suffering.”

Chloe Graves, Waitrose’s buyer for chilled vegan and vegetarian products, said: “After the launch of our new vegan and vegetarian range in October 2018 we’ve been working to see what other interesting dishes and products we can add. The Fishless Fingers are a great vegan alternative to a much-loved food which we hope our customers will love.”

Sainsbury’s became the first UK supermarket to stock plant-based mince and burgers in the same aisle as animal meat, causing controversy amongst the vegan community. It has noted a 82% increase in customers searching for vegan products online, and a 45% increase in sales of plant-based foods compared with last year.Ertl, meanwhile, has gone back to basics and devised a simple faux “smoked salmon” using a humble carrot.