This week Greggs have launched a vegan sausage roll (available from today Thursday). McDonalds is following this with its first vegetarian happy meal, it’s safe to say that the meat-free trend is here to stay.
More and more people are going vegetarian, vegan, or flexitarian if the thought of giving meat up forever is too much to swallow.
Whether you stand on the debate, it’s good to see so any different options now available. Greggs and McDonalds couldn’t have timed their announcements any better either. With January being a time when people are looking to eat healthier after gorging over the festive period.
Greggs
In Greggs case the launch of the vegan sausage roll is more than just a marketing ploy. Last year a petition was organised by the animal welfare organisation. It called on the bakery to produce a vegan version of its bestselling product. And it was signed by 20,000 people! So credit to the company for listening.
Greggs say the new vegan version has 96 layers of light and crisp puff pastry, made with vegetable oil, and a ‘bespoke’ Quorn filling. We are willing to guess it’s pretty good and won’t be surprised if they sell out quickly today.
McDonalds
McDonalds can’t quite say their have gone fully vegan. Their red pesto goujon is made from a mixture of yellow split peas, tomato, arborio rice and sundried tomato pesto and covered in breadcrumbs. But it comes with a tortilla wrap which passes through the same toaster as milk-containing burger buns. But this won’t matter to the millions of vegetarians who have been waiting years for a product like this.
Pizza Hut
Others are also following suit. As part of Veganuary, Pizza Hut is selling a vegan pizza topped with Quorn and jackfruit. The chain has pledged to make this a permanent item if they sell 10,000 by the end of January. We’re willing to bet they will!
According to an article we read this week, the UK is one of the leaders when it comes to plant-based foods. It stated over half of the population are either flexitarian or interested in pursuing a flexitarian diet.
We think this is great and are looking forward to seeing even more products in 2019, who knows we may even have one or two of our own up our sleeve, but that’s for another blog……
About Neil Shaefer
Marketing & Communications Executive of SK Foods.
Your food. Our Passion.
