Frozen food company Birds Eye has launched its very own vegan sausage roll. The U.K based company’s meat-free sausage roll is made from a seasoned pea protein filling, enclosed in a flaky puff pastry. This new vegan alternative is very similar in taste and texture to Birds Eye’s traditional frozen sausage rolls, according to Birds Eye.
Anne-Marie Gayer, Birds Eye’s senior brand manager said in a statement: “We know that sausage rolls are one of the nation’s favourites snacks. So we wanted to create a meat-free version that perfectly replicates the taste and texture of high-street outlets, but with the convenience of being able to cook at home straight from the freezer.”
“As the pastry is only cooked once, it results in a lighter and flakier pastry compared to just warming through a chilled sausage roll. We’ve also ensured that our recipe has the perfect ratio of seasoned vegan sausage to flaky pastry.” She added.
The vegan sausage rolls are available at Tesco and Sainsbury’s stores.
Birds Eye launched its first range of vegan products in the UK last year. Teaming with Tesco and Asda stores to put it on their shelves. With their main goal to help people, particularly children have access to more plant-based foods
Called Green Cuisine, the range of vegan products include meatless burger patties, meatballs, and sausages. The plant-based meats are made with pea protein instead of wheat or soy, which is high in fibre and iron.
“This is a major strategic launch into an increasingly important and fast-growing segment within the plant-based foods space,” Birds Eye’s marketing director, Steve Challouma, said to The Grocer
“We have successfully been able to recreate the taste and texture of popular meat products, helping families reduce their meat consumption through healthy options without compromising on flavour,” he added.
The UK’s Shift To Plant-Based
The UK is moving towards more meatless and plant-based products. Between 2014, and 2019, the sales of vegan meat in the UK has greatly increased to over £816 million, which is over $1 billion ($1,032,729,600) according to a report from Mintel.
That’s a 40 % increase over 5 years according to the report. Researchers expect the figure to grow to over £1.1 billion by 2024. And the number of meat-eaters who have limited the amount of meat they consume has increased from 28 % in 2017 to 39% in 2019.
