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Changing diets have prompted Tesco to double its vegetarian and vegan festive food offering.
In the past year, demand for vegetarian and vegan food has soared, with sales of chilled vegetarian ready meals and meat substitutes growing by 25% for the supermarket chain.
As a result, Tesco has introduced two vegan Christmas dinner centrepieces: a Turmeric Spiced Cauliflower Wellington and a Pecan and Peanut Roast with maple-roasted carrot and parsnip.
For vegetarians, the offer includes a Portobello Mushroom Wellington (pictured) made with spinach and bursts of cranberry in puff pastry, and a Nut Roast with a mulled wine and cranberry glaze.
Tesco recently announced that chef Derek Sarno would be joining the retailer as director of plant-based innovation. He is now working with suppliers, farmers and chefs to develop new plant-based foods that will go on sale next year.
Derek said: “These are changing times and vegetable dishes have now become centrepiece heroes in their own right on dinner tables up and down the country.
“This year, Tesco’s Christmas campaign celebrates the many ways we come together at Christmas, and with the quality of vegetarian and vegan food so good, there may even be squabbles across the dinner table over who gets what.”
Tesco now offers its biggest ever range of vegan products. It recently increased its range of dairy-free cheeses to nine and launched eight milk-free desserts to cater for vegans.
Lynne Elliot, chief executive of the Vegetarian Society, commented: “With demand for vegetarian and meat-free alternatives rising, it’s great to see supermarkets across the UK like Tesco working hard to keep their customers happy and increasing their vegetarian range. Offering customers a better choice is especially welcome at Christmas.”
Portobello Mushroom Wellington
