Asda has partnered with Kbox Global to trial a supermarket vegan butcher counter at one of its stores in the UK, in response to the growing plant-based trend.

The one-store vegan butcher trial will initially last six months and is part of a new joint venture between Asda and Kbox Global, a UK start-up that helps optimise kitchen assets.

The Veelicious counter will be situated at Asda’s Watford store and will offer a range of meat-free alternatives starting from 75p such as facon, bean burgers, mock lamb and vegan ‘black pudding’, as well as a small selection of vegan cheeses, ready-to-eat meal kits, chutneys and cooking sauces.

With Veelicious, Asda hopes to provide consumers with access to high quality and flavoursome vegan foods, coinciding with Veganuary.

Preyash Thakrar, Asda’s chief strategy officer, said: “The demand for vegan products is on the rise and we have seen a surge in people seeking out ways to easily enjoy a plant-based lifestyle.

“Veelicious will be a ‘test and learn’ trial to help us understand what resonates with customers to enable us to enhance our plant-based proposition.”

Asda says it has recorded an increase in online searches for ‘vegan’ on its website by 175% year-on-year and is forecasting its vegan sales in January to rise by 391% year-on-year. This month, Asda has also added 22 new meat-free alternatives to its plant-based range.

Salima Vellani, founder and CEO of Kbox Global, said: “Our partnership with Asda to launch the UK’s first vegan butcher is an exciting joint venture that recognises growing demand for plant-based brands, from meat eaters and vegans alike.

“Veganism is now a mainstream, healthy and environmentally sustainable way for anyone to eat. We are pleased to be working with one of the country’s leading supermarkets to give consumers more of what they are asking for.”

Last January, Asda announced plans to trial a new sustainability store in Leeds where shoppers can refill containers of products such as Kellogg’s cereals and Unilever’s PG Tips tea.

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