Potato supplier QV Foods is broadening its offer - and taking on Quorn and Linda McCartney - with a meat-free, cereal-based food range.

Naturally Best is being launched later this year under the company’s Fresh Approach Produce banner. The rollout of the oat and lentil-based products is expected to kick off with sausages and burgers in flavours such as parsley & thyme and red onion & parsley.

Other formats will include nuggets, and also sausage-shaped ‘chubbs’ that can be sliced and used as an ingredient in meals. The products are low in fat and salt, high in fibre and protein and free from dairy, colourings, preservatives and added sugar.

QV Foods, which has yet to confirm prices or listings, said it was also in discussions with a number of retailers about launching own-label products.

The company had worked for years to develop an alternative to meat, said sales and marketing director Simon Martin, who claimed the range would offer a convenient, fast and healthy solution.

“This brand has the ability to revolutionise the meat-free market over the course of the next five years as it offers something unique to retailers and customers,” he claimed.

Meanwhile, meat-free brand Create a Goodlife is branching into gluten-free this month. Root vegetable roast (rsp: £2)and Glamorgan sausages (rsp: £1.95) will roll out to selected Waitrose and independent health stores later this month, while nut cutlets (rsp: £1.99) will hit selected Sainsbury’s, Waitrose stores and independents.

“We felt this was an area no-one was covering in the frozen meat-free sector,” said marketing manager Nia Williams.

Meat-free category sales have risen 8.5% in the past year to £239m and volumes have grown 4.8% [Kantar Worldpanel 52 w/e 15 April 2012].

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