Tesco has launched a new own-brand range of plant-based products, as the grocer leans into what it has called the “biggest culinary trend of the decade”.

The supermarket giant has lifted the lid on its new Plant Chef brand, developed to offer shoppers plant-based alternatives to traditional meals, such as battered fish and cottage pie.

The new products, which include mushroom pizza, breaded goujons made from seasoned soya and butternut cauli mac and cheese, will be stocked alongside meat products to offer ‘flexitarians’ alternative meat-free options.

Tesco will create dedicated plant-based and vegetarian zones in its stores for the first time, as it ramps up efforts to make its food more sustainable.

As part of that drive, Tesco is also expanding its Wicked Kitchen vegan range, which will see its proposition of own-label plant-based products extended to 103 lines.

With products from proprietary brands included, Tesco will stock a total of 267 plant-based goods.

The increase comes as demand for more sustainable foods increases. According to data from IRI, sales of chilled vegetarian and vegan products have jumped 31% year on year.

In the past two years, two-thirds of adults have either cut down or cut out meat from their diets. Last year, 16% of all new food products launched were plant-based, according to Mintel.

Tesco’s head of plant-based innovation Derek Sano – the chef behind the Wicked Kitchen brand – said: “The biggest impact we can make as individuals, for our health but also that of the planet, is to eat more plants. At Tesco we’re making that easier than ever by providing the widest and best range of plant-based options available on the UK high street.”

Tesco said the new product launches will be staggered over the next four months. The first wave of Plant Chef goods will appear in the meat aisles at 450 of its largest stores today. The range will expand into the prepared fresh food aisles in 900 more stores on October 14 and into frozen next January.

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