Lazy Day Launches Mini Vegan Caterpillar Cakes at Supermarkets UK-Wide

From vegconomist.com 

Lazy Day, a Scotland-based vegan and gluten-free bakery, has launched a selection of new products that includes mini caterpillar cakes.

Inspired by the classic caterpillar-shaped birthday cake, the bars consist of chocolate sponge cake and frosting encased in Belgian dark chocolate. They are topped with colourful sugar decorations and have faces made from vegan white chocolate.

The cakes are sold in packs of four, retailing at £3.50. They are now available at Morrisons and Co-op stores UK-wide, and will launch at Sainsbury’s later in the year.

© Lazy Day

Plant-based baked goods

Lazy Day has also introduced two more plant-based and gluten-free cakes. The Vanilla Sponge Cake is topped with vanilla frosting and sugar confetti, while the Celebration Chocolate Cake is covered in chocolate frosting and finished with a drizzle of Belgian dark chocolate. The brand’s cakes have all been certified by the Vegan Society.

Plant-based cakes are increasingly in demand in the UK, leading several companies to launch new products — from cupcakes by OGGS to cheesecakes by Gü. Meanwhile, Wicked Kitchen offers three plant-based bakery products — doughnuts, cookies, and cinnamon rolls.

Lazy Day’s Vanilla Sponge and Celebration Chocolate cakes are now available at Sainsbury’s stores.

https://vegconomist.com/food-and-beverage/sweets-snacks/lazy-day-caterpillar-cakes/

Co-op Cuts ‘Unfair’ Price of Vegan Food

From livekindly.co

The Co-op said that it aims to reject the “unfair” pricing of vegan staples in order to create a price parity with traditional animal products

Co-op’s vegan food is now cheaper than ever.

The British retail group just announced a price reduction across 29 products in GRO, its plant-based range, with up to 50 percent off some key ingredients and meals.

The Co-op said that it aims to reject the “unfair” pricing of vegan staples such as burgers and sausages in order to create a price parity with traditional animal products. It also clarified that the ingredients and quality of its vegan food will not change, and the group has invested an additional £1.7 million into its own-brand range to make the price reduction possible.

While an increasing number of Brits are interested in flexitarianism, the cost of vegan products is a concern for many. According to Jo Whitfield, the Co-op Food chief executive, eating plant-based food “shouldn’t cost you more money.”

“It’s an industry-wide standard that plant-based alternatives are usually priced higher than their meat and dairy counterparts,” said Whitfield in a press release shared with LIVEKINDLY. “This disparity is unfair to those following vegetarian, vegan and flexitarian diets.”

This price drop will see the GRO range vegan sausages fall from £3 to £1.45, while burgers will now cost just £1.35 rather than £3 – more than 50 percent off the previous price. 

According to the group, these reductions could save a family who regularly eats vegan foods over £100 every year. By reducing the cost of its vegan food range, the Co-op hopes that more customers will be able to try its meat-free options

“It’s Co-op’s ambition to make our plant-based range, GRO, even more accessible to our members and customers, helping them make decisions that collectively will have an impact on the world we all share,” continued Whitfield.

The Co-op aims for ‘net-zero’ emissions by 2040

Vegan foods are often more sustainable than their animal-based counterparts. Beef and dairy in particular rack up huge environmental footprints. This move by the Co-operative Group is part of its broader 10-point-plan for net-zero emissions by 2040.

“Emissions from our operations and our own-brand products are where we have the greatest responsibility and can make the biggest difference. This move is a step in the right direction and we encourage other retailers and brands to consider making the change too,” added Whitfield.

International chains including Starbucks, Burger King, and Nestlé are emphasizing plant-based ingredients and flexitarian options for similar reasons, in addition to catering to the demand for healthy, environmentally-friendly foods.

The Co-op launched the GRO range in January last year with 35 vegan products, following the example set by rival supermarkets Tesco, Asda, and Iceland, all three of which are also increasingly emphasizing the need for affordable plant-based food.

Is vegan food really more expensive?

While vegan food is far from accessible to everyone, it’s possible to eat a plant-based diet on a budget, and studies do show that this can save you money in the long run.

Just last year, a study commissioned by vegetarian brand Linda McCartney reported that British consumers saved £6.7 billion in 2019 by eating plant-based foods instead of animal products.

Either way, the industry is moving fast, and the European vegan market alone has grown by 49 percent over the past two years. Globally, the vegan food market is predicted to surpass $31 billion by the year 2026.

https://www.livekindly.co/co-op-cuts-price-vegan-food/

Co-op to launch new products for Veganuary, including vegan steaks

From veganfoodandliving.com

Co-op is launching more products into its Gro range for Veganuary, including some enticing vegan steaks and kievs

With Veganuary right around the corner, it’s that time of year when all the supermarkets expand their vegan ranges. Earlier this month, Veganuary revealed that past participants had saved a whopping 100,000 tonnes of CO2.

What started as a few thousand people eating more veg has now become one of the most important months on the retail calendar.

Co-op’s vegan range, Gro, is launching a selection of new products for Veganuary 2021 which “real foodies will love”. The drop of products will ‘celebrate the deliciousness of veg’ and provide both existing vegans and those participating in Vegnauary something new to try.

 

Meat-free wonders

While the range is mostly veg-focused, a few of the new products involve plant-based meat.

Following in the footsteps of Marks and Spencer and Tesco, Co-op is launching vegan Chick’n Kievs made with plant protein, roast garlic and crunchy breadcrumbs. Kievs are a staple meal in the British foodie world, and with soon to be three supermarket options to choose from, there won’t be any missing out!

Moreover, Gro is also launching a pack of 2 Sizzle Steaks, made from mushroom and plant-protein. The retailer says they are a ‘tender’ alternative to the real thing and will make a great addition to the existing vegan steak market. Steak Frites anyone?

Living on the veg

Co-op is, however, remaining largely veg-based with the rest of its new launches.

New in the Gro range is the Spiced Squash and Cauliflower Pie, perfect as a meal for one. The crumb-topped pie is filled with chickpeas, butternut squash and cauliflower in a spicy coconut sauce.

Other notable mentions include Arrabiata Ravioli, Teriyaki Mushroom Noodles, and a mushroom-based Meatball Marinara Linguine.

With so many new products already on the agenda, we can’t wait to see what else Veganuary 2021 brings!

The new products will be available in Co-op stores from January 6th

Lidl launch vegan turkey sandwich for Christmas

From veganfoodandliving.com

Lidl have launched a vegan turkey sandwich this year, and we can't wait to try it

Budget supermarket Lidl has surprised vegans this Christmas with a new vegan sandwich.

The new Vegan Feast Sandwich will feature vegan ‘turkey’, vegan mayonnaise and cranberry sauce – the perfect lunch to get us in the mood for Christmas this year.

This budget sandwich will hopefully encourage even the fiercest non-vegans to try something plant-based this Christmas, with its cheap and cheerful price tag of £1.69.

Lidl is not the only supermarket with a new vegan turkey sandwich this year, as the Co-op announced back in August that it was launching a Vegan No-Turkey Lunch (£3) as part of the Gro range. This sandwich contains all the elements of a Christmas dinner rolled into one: vegan turkey made from soya protein, vegan bread sauce, roasted carrot and parsnip, cranberry sauce, sage and onion stuffing and vegan mayonnaise.

This new sandwich from Lidl adds another exciting vegan treat to the outstanding vegan options for Christmas. Vegans will certainly not be left out this year!

https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/news/lidl-launch-vegan-turkey-sandwich-for-christmas/

20 East of England Co-op stores have introduced loads of new vegan foods

From edp24.co.uk/news

Get your hands on falafel burgers, dairy-free cheese, vegan snacks, doner 'kebab' meat, organic pies and more.

Whether for health, environmental or compassionate reasons, more Brits than ever before are choosing to switch to a vegan diet. If not every day, but for part of the week. It's really never been easier to go meat and dairy-free, with supermarket buyers and product development teams working overtime to provide tasty, nutritious alternatives to this growing section of the population.

The latest retailer to get on board is the East of England Co-op, which has just introduced a range of new plant-based products across the Deli-to-go, freezer and chilled areas of 20 of its stores in the eastern region.

Here are just some of the brands to look out for.

Clive's Pies
Pies are an easy option to turn to on those nights when you don't have time to prep dinner from scratch. And Clive's hit the nail on the head when it comes to both flavour and convenience. The organic, free-from pastries have been made in the top floor of a converted woollen mill in South Devon for over 30 years. "We do everything we can to minimise our environmental impact through local sourcing of ingredients, waste recycling, using recyclable packaging and the recent installation of a heat recovery unit which uses the waste generated from our chillers and freezers," say the Clive's team. Look out on your shelves for anything from saag aloo pie to lentil and kale tart and creamy mushroom pie.

                                                   Clive's tomato tart Picture: Clive's Pies

The Brook
Home-cooked style dishes made in small batches and full of nutrients. Their ready meals range from red Thai curry to black bean chilli and jackfruit rending. "We understand just how busy life is these days and, without access to convenient meals, eating plant-based regularly can be hard to sustain. Our hope is that by delivering a range of restaurant-quality meals we can help you achieve the lifestyle and diet you want, without having to compromise on quality."


Fry's
Established in 1991, Fry's is now a second generation family business that is passionate about tasty plant-based foods, from burgers, sausages and mince, to falafels and falafel burgers. "The original idea behind Fry's," says the team, "was to make nutritious products for our family who are all passionate about plant-based diets. We still make our food for our family, but it is now a lot bigger, so join us and you can enjoy tasty food that is better for you."

                                            Fry's falafel burger Picture: Fry's Family Food

V Bites
Meat-free burgers, beef pieces, chicken pieces, ham slices, lamb doner kebab slices and cheese are just some of the tasty products V Bites sells, with cheese and kebab 'meat' hoped to be clear winners for vegan shoppers at the Co-op. The brand was established over 25 years ago and has a clear vision to be at the forefront of creating vegan meat substitutes, saying: "Through our taste-obsessed research and development, we are focused on delivering a wide variety of delicious and healthy meat substitutes to satisfy the most discerning meat-reducer."


Mama K's
Mama K's focuses on sourcing the finest ingredients and freshest produce to create healthy products whilst maintaining an authentic and traditional Middle Eastern and Mediterranean taste. In the Deli to Go section of your Co-op you'll discover snacks, from bean salads and falafels with fresh houmous to houmous dips with pitta chips.


Find the new ranges in Essex: Manningtree, Stanway, West Mersea, Sible Hedingham, Brightlingea, Halstead, Wivenhoe
Suffolk: Framlingham, Saxmundham, Leiston, Felixstowe, Hadleigh, Combs Ford, Holbrook, Woodbridge

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/co-op-introduces-new-vegan-ranges-1-6235697