Waitrose has added more vegan products than ever to its Christmas range to enable customers to have a full vegan Christmas dinner.
The upmarket retailer has seen orders for vegan and vegetarian lines increase by 49% compared to the previous year, which is only predicted to increase further.
The big festive food shop comes at a time when more customers enjoying a flexitarian diet, with online searches for ‘Vegan Christmas Food’ their website surging 188% compared to the same time last year.
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With over 20 vegan products on offer this Christmas, Waitrose is ensuring that “nobody misses out.”
Searches for ‘Vegan Roast Potatoes’ have seen an increase of 166% compared to last year, as vegan consumers look to achieve a crispy spud without using animal fat.
Searches for Vegan yorkshire puddings are also up 94% month-on-month.
With the Christmas party season in full swing, the retailer is further tapping into the vegan market with Vegan Mini No Beef Empanadas and Vegan Thai Style No Fishcakes.
“I love being able to make delicious meat-free swaps very accessible for our customers and I wanted Christmas to be no different,” vegan product developer at Waitrose, Simona Cohen-Vida-Welsh said.
She added: “I am delighted we are now able to provide a vegan option for every course and with vegan and vegetarian
“Waitrose Entertaining orders are up 49% compared to last year, and I have no doubt that this category will continue to go from strength to strength. I am already excited to see how we can expand the range even further next Christmas.”
The news comes as Waitrose is dropping store temperatures by 2°C and dimming lights to cut costs as it looks to save energy and drive down soaring energy bills.
