UK Supermarket Sainsbury’s Opens the Country’s First Vegan Butcher Shop

Between June 21 and June 23, British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s will erect a pop-up vegan butcher counter with “Meat-Free Butchers” signage in-store in London on Bethnal Green Road. The counter will feature 20 vegan meats, including Sainsbury’s Shroomdogs and products from The Meatless Farm such as ground beef, plant-based bacon, and steak, amongst others. “Whilst we’re seeing a huge climb in sales of our plant-based foods, we know from conversations with customers that there is a sense of trepidation about cooking with them. So, our Meat-Free Butchers has been launched to encourage people to get up close to the products, try what they like, and take home some valuable cooking advice and recipe inspiration,” Sainsbury’s Buyer James Hamilton said. “We have carefully selected the products on offer from the growing range of over 100 plant-based products now available at Sainsbury’s, so customers are in for a real meat-free treat when visiting the butchers.” In recent years, Sainsbury’s has responded to demand for plant-based food with several unique products launches, including its own line of vegan ice cream, Sweet ‘n’ Smoky Veggie Ribz by British company Plant Power, and a 119-item vegan makeup line.