The Meatless Farm Co has taken its first foray into freezer aisles with the launch of a frozen version of its plant-based mince SKU into Ocado.
The vegan mince will be made with the same recipe as its chilled version, which is pea, soya and rice protein-based (rsp: £2.60/500g).
The brand said the launch has been aimed at tapping growth in demand for frozen meat-free products, which surged by close to a fifth in value over lockdown, according to data compiled by Kantar and the British Frozen Food Federation.
“Frozen food is having a real resurgence,” said chief growth officer at Meatless Farm, Michael Hunter.
“Heightened by lockdown, increasingly more people are recognising the value in its long shelf life and reduced food wastage. We’re bringing to market a frozen product that meets consumer demand from a sustainability, convenience and nutrition point of view.”
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It comes as frozen aisles have continued to perform well since the coronavirus pandemic hit the UK in February.
Value sales of frozen food in the 12 weeks to 14 June surged 19.4%, on volumes up 17.5% – a whopping £285m increase, according to the latest data compiled by Kantar and the British Frozen Food Federation.
Frozen seafood has also enjoyed an uptick with volume sales up 23.9% on last year [Nielsen 52 w/e 13 June 2020].
Meanwhile, at the start of September, Birds Eye owner Nomad Foods announced it was eyeing up acquisitions of European frozen food assets to capitalise on booming sales and profits during the coronavirus pandemic.
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