Nestlé is ramping up for a global rollout of its vegan foie gras alternative.
The fmcg giant trialled a plant-based foie gras substitute called Voie Gras – made from soy, miso paste and truffle – in Switzerland and Spain last year, under its Garden Gourmet brand.
Packaged in a chilled 180g block, the innovation rolled into 140 Co-op stores in Switzerland and certain points of sale in Spain in “very limited” quantities.
Nestlé has since applied to register the name ‘Veggie Gras’ as an international trademark with the Intellectual Property Office under classes 29 and 30, accounting for vegetable substitutes for foie gras and pastes.
However, a Nestlé spokeswoman told The Grocer there were “no plans” to launch it in the UK, following the withdrawal of the Garden Gourmet brand from the UK market earlier this year.
The Swiss leviathan unveiled plans to pull Garden Gourmet, alongside pea milk brand Wunda and Middle Eastern-inspired ingredients brand Mezeast, following a strategic review in March.
Garden Gourmet initially launched in the UK in 2019, but was withdrawn within a year due to poor sales. It returned to UK supermarkets in September 2021 in a second effort to conquer the meat alternatives market.
However, the brand registered sales of just £2.2m last year, compared with more than £155m for the category’s biggest brand, Quorn.
Garden Gourmet products are still being sold through foodservice in the UK and Ireland.
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