Richmond has moved up in the rankings of plant-based meat alternatives, now sitting in third place having overtaken vegetarian and vegan food brand, Cauldron.
According to NielsenIQ, in the year to 18 June, Cauldron sold £30.2m, however Richmond’s retail sales saw a 50.2% increase, reaching £35.4 million.
Primarily known for its range of sausages, Richmond branched out into the plant-based category in 2019, selling just over £5m in its first year to June 2020.
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Richmond marketing manager, Chris Doe told The Grocer: “We’ve focused on developing and promoting our new innovations in meat-free and we also made sure to champion our top sellers such as Richmond Meat-Free Sausages and Meat-Free Burgers.
“The plant-based category has a multitude of alternatives that rival classic meat options when it comes to the dinner occasion, but consumers are on the hunt for a totally meat-free basket, and we aim to be the first port of call.”
The subsidiary of Pilgrim’s Food Masters expanded its plant-based range in April of this year with meat-free options including Back Bacon, BBQ Sauce Flavour Sausages, Chargrilled No-Chicken Pieces and Deli Slices.
Despite Cauldron sales seeing a 7% drop last year, its head, Tom Lindley told The Grocer: “We still have the number one rate of sale for falafels and tofu within chilled plant based, and our Lincolnshire and Cumberland Sausages continue to be two of the top three bestselling sausages in the category.”
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