Tesco has unveiled its first-ever range of ‘Finest Signature Vegetables’ main dishes to give shoppers more veg-led meal solutions as demand for vegetarian options continues to rise.
The six-strong selection, which includes roasted butternut squash and stilton crunch, and roasted cauliflower and bean tagine, comes as 34% of the nation now limit or exclude meat from their diet.
The UK’s biggest retailer’s research also found that a third of non-meat eaters would rather eat meals made from whole foods, such as vegetables and plant proteins, than meat imitations.
The launch coincides with National Vegetarian Week, with the range now available in Tesco supermarkets at £4 per dish.
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Tesco director of food product development and innovation Breige Donaghy said: “We see the next stage of our strategy as ‘Plant Forward’ and our latest range has been developed as we’ve seen a growing demand for veggie options featuring wholefoods, vegetables and dairy products as the central part of the dish, rather than meat mimics.”
“People are discovering just how delicious this way of eating can be when you bring together unique textures and tempting flavours and we want to help our customers on this journey.”
In 2018, Tesco launched its plant-based food range, Wicked Kitchen which has since secured a £17 million investment including backing from actor Woody Harrelson. It has also ventured into the dairy-free milk category last year.
Donaghy added: “Tesco has always been a leader in the food space. With the launch of Wicked, we set the benchmark within the industry. This was a fundamental part in helping the nation enjoy healthy and sustainable diets.”
