Asda Trialling Vegan Butcher Counter Selling 'Facon' And 'Steakless Bakes'

Asda is trialling a vegan butcher counter as Brits across the country attempt 'veganuary'.

The Veelicious counter is opening at a Watford branch from Monday (11 January) and will be offering up plant-based meat-free alternatives for the next six months.

Prices at the counter start from 75p and customers will be able to choose form a range of products, such as 'facon', bean burgers and meat-free meatballs.

Asda

The moves comes after the supermarket's website saw searches for the term 'vegan' rise by 175 percent last year, compared to 2019.

Asda's chief strategy officer Preyash Thakrar said: "The demand for vegan products is on the rise and we have seen a surge in people seeking out ways to easily enjoy a plant-based lifestyle.

"Veelicious will be a 'test and learn' trial to help us understand what resonates with customers to enable us to enhance our plant-based proposition."

The supermarket has also added 22 new meat-free products to its Plant Based range, and from tomorrow (Tuesday 5 January), customers will be able to choose from the likes of vegan roast chicken pieces, vegan chicken nuggets, a hoisin duckless wrap, steakless bakes, meat-free sausage rolls, soya mince, a butternut squash curry and a berry and coconut breakfast muffin mix.

In September, Asda became the first supermarket to launch dedicated vegan aisles. With it, the store launched 104 plant-based products.

Sarah Thornewill, Asda's Buying Manager, said: "We understand that customers want a quick and simple shopping experience, and this shouldn't be restricted by dietary requirements.

"By merchandising all our vegan items together, we hope to save customers time and offer inspiration, whether for those following a plant-based diet, or those looking to reduce their meat consumption."

Asda

In October, the supermarket opened its first sustainable store in Leeds, flogging essentials such as pasta, cereal and teabags via refillable containers, as well as loose and unwrapped produce and paper wrapping, in an attempt to cut plastic use.

The stores could be rolled out more broadly this year.

Roger Burnley, the chief executive of Asda, said in a statement: "Today marks an important milestone in our journey as we tackle plastic pollution and help our customers to reduce, reuse and recycle.

"We have always known that we couldn't go on this journey alone, so it is fantastic to work in tandem with more than 20 of our partners and suppliers who have answered the call to test innovative sustainable solutions with us."

Topics: Food, UK News, Vegetarian, Vegan, Asda

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey