Major UK Grocery Chain Iceland Develops Its Own Vegan Food Line  

United Kingdom-based grocery chain Iceland soon will launch a proprietary 13-item line of vegan frozen foods, including a plant-based chorizo, that will be available next month. Iceland’s executive chef Neil Nugent created the plant-based line—which also includes sausages, chicken, ground beef, and burgers—after identifying a growing demand for plant-based foods in the UK. Last April, Nugent debuted the No Bull Burger, a vegan “bleeding” burger that recently outsold the store’s wagyu beef. “We had tremendous success with the No Bull Burger and it’s clear our customers want more from us. In creating this range, we have embraced the nation’s love for alternative plant-based foods in an innovative and exciting way,” Nugent said. “The growth of the vegan food market in the UK has been rapid, with 56 percent of adults now saying that they are adopting vegan behavior when conducting their supermarket shopping.” All of the major supermarket chains in the UK have launched vegan options to capitalize on this demand—including Tesco, which partnered with vegan chef Derek Sarno to debut his 20-item Wicked Kitchen line at 600 locations in January (selling 2.5 million units by May).