Show caption Iceland’s No Bull jalapeño burger is part of its new vegan range. Photograph: Iceland / Weber Shandwick Media Vegan food and drink Faux-rizo: Iceland to sell 13 vegan-friendly foods, including chorizo replica Frozen food retailer hopes to meet soaring UK demand from estimated 22m ‘flexitarians’ Rebecca Smithers Tue 7 Aug 2018 00.01 BST Share on Facebook

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The UK’s first frozen supermarket own brand faux meat chorizo will go on sale in September, as part of what is claimed to be the largest single supermarket range of frozen plant-based foods.

Frozen food specialist Iceland is bolstering its freezer offering with 13 new own-brand products – including vegan-friendly foods that look like chorizo sausages, chicken, burgers and mince – to meet soaring customer demand for meat substitutes.

Iceland is hoping to capitalise not only on the burgeoning vegan market but also the UK’s estimated 22 million “flexitarians”, who enjoy meat but want to reduce their meat consumption.

The move follows the success of its “No Bull” burgers, which are made of soya protein and coloured with beetroot extract and paprika. They were launched in April as the retailer’s first step toward an own-brand vegan range and have since outsold the retailer’s Wagyu beef versions.

The new range includes a spicy jalapeño variation which the supermarket says “looks like meat, tastes like meat but simply isn’t meat”. Iceland said its “no porkies chorizo slices” have “all the smoky and spicy characteristics of your typical chorizo, without the meat”. The range also features a paella dish with “no chick chicken”.

The number of vegans in the UK, who avoid all animal products including dairy and eggs, has grown fourfold in the past 10 years to about 550,000, according to the Vegan Society. Flexitarianism, which involves people increasingly choosing vegetarian and vegan options but without quitting meat and dairy produce, is also becoming more popular, with supermarkets scrambling to cater for this group.



“We had tremendous success with the No Bull Burger and it’s clear our customers want more from us,” said Iceland’s head chef Neil Nugent. “In creating this range, we have embraced the nation’s love for alternative plant-based foods in an innovative and exciting way.

“The growth of the vegan food market in the UK has been rapid, with 56% of adults now saying that they are adopting vegan behaviour when conducting their supermarket shop.”

Unlike other supermarkets like Sainsbury’s, which is selling plant-based burgers and mince alongside the real thing, Iceland will sell the new products in a dedicated “meat-free” cabinet.

And in a bid to appeal to vegans, the range includes three dishes, including Asian-inspired wheat protein and tofu and vegetable burgers, which do not have the same texture as meat.

Meanwhile, the fresh food and salad pot brand BOL Foods, which is available in many supermarkets, will this summer stop using dairy products and will make 100% plant-based dishes.

On the high street, Pizza Express is poised to revamp its autumn and Christmas menus with more vegan-friendly and vegetarian options. In the last six months sales of its vegan Giardiniera have increased by 36%, making it the ninth best-selling pizza ahead of long-standing classics such as the Veneziana.