Britain’s biggest sandwich maker commits to making nearly half of all new products meat-free

Britain’s biggest sandwich maker has pledged to make almost half of all its new products meat-free.

Greencore, which supplies pre-packaged sandwiches to major UK supermarkets including Marks & Spencer, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s, said it plans to introduce 1200 new products as coronavirus restrictions ease.

Of these, 40 per cent will either be vegan or vegetarian. A spokesperson for Greencore told The Independent that 700 new products have been launched or refreshed in the first half of this year. This total is expected to reach the intended goal of 1,200 by the end of 2021.

Greencore said it has been “building momentum” on its meat-free range for several years in line with consumer demand. 

“At Greencore, we’re constantly refreshing and evolving our product range to respond to changing consumer tastes. Meat-free is a trend that’s been developing for some time and we’ve really built momentum in our meat-free ranges over the past few years,” a spokesperson said.

The company’s chief executive, Patrick Coveney, told the Evening Standard that it has seen a “strong demand from consumers and customers for different types of healthier product”.

He said that despite the introduction of vegan options requiring new ingredients, such as chick-pea-based mayonnaise or cheese made from cashew nuts, the changes have not affected business costs or pricing for consumers.

“Sometimes the costs of goods can be a bit lower, but the development costs can be a bit higher, so it doesn’t necessarily have to be inflationary,” he told the publication.

Clare Oxborrow, food campaigner at Friends of the Earth welcomed Greencore’s pledge but said a “bigger overhaul” of our food systems is still needed.

“Switching to a diet lower in meat and dairy is one of the climate-friendly choices we can make as individuals, so it is good to see a business making it easier for people,” she said.

“But curbing climate and nature breakdown requires a much bigger overhaul of our food systems, and the meat still on offer needs to be better. Sourcing produce from farmers who adhere to higher environmental and animal welfare standards is a must for companies,” she added.

The news comes as Greencore announced it has seen a 19 per cent drop in revenue. It attributed the loss to the tiered restrictions and subsequent lockdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier this month, the Co-operative Group announced that it will be lowering the prices of some of its plant-based products to match equivalent meat and dairy-based offerings.

Research has found that vegan alternatives are 14 per cent more expensive than non-vegan products. As part of its plan to achieve net-zero emissions, Co-op has reduced the prices of 29 products in its vegan range.

Jo Whitfield, chief executive of Co-op Food said the supermarket hopes that by making the products more accessible, customers will “make decisions that collectively will have an impact on the world we all share”.

According to research by Finder, the number of vegans in the UK increased by 40 per cent in 2020.