Veganuary is storming along, with bakeries, retailers and brands across the country launching meat-, dairy- and egg-free NPD to tap into the vegan boom.

There has already been a host of new launches including indulgent sweet treats from Dum Dum Doughnuts, Doughnut Time and Deliciously Ella, while retailers including Costa, The Co-op and Marks & Spencer have expanded their vegan ranges.

To help bakeries fully embrace the vegan opportunity, British Baker is hosting a webinar ‘Tapping the plant-based bakery boom: how NPD is key to unlocking this multi-million pound opportunity’ on 6 February. Register free of charge here to hear from experts in the field.

Here’s the latest round of vegan bakery NPD:

Tesco

Britain’s largest supermarket chain has boosted its on-the-go and frozen vegan options, available under its Plant Chef brand, with new sandwiches, wraps and sausage rolls.

First up is the Plant Chef Hoisin Wrap, which claims to have ‘all the flavour without the duck’. Priced at £2.50, the wrap is filled with pea protein, hoisin sauce and slices of cucumber and spring onion. Also joining the range is the Plant Chef Coronation Cauli Wrap,which sees the usual chicken replaced with cauliflower for a plant-based lunch on-the-go, priced at £2.50. Rounding off the trio of grab-and-go NPD is the Plant Chef Houmous & Harissa Vegetable Sandwich. Costing £2.20, it sees two slices of tomato bread filled with smooth houmous and harissa-coated vegetables.

In the freezer, Tesco has looked to tap into demand for vegan sausage rolls with its Plant Chef Frozen Meat-Free Sausage Rolls. They feature flaky vegan filo pastry filled with a soya-based vegan sausage, seasoned with sage and onion. They come in a pack of approximately 30 for £1.75.

Fletchers Bakery
Fletchers Bakery, part of the Finsbury Food Group, has teamed up with Sheffield-based restaurant Make No Bones to create a Vegan Brioche Bun. The buns, which display the Vegetarian Society vegan-approved and RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil logos on pack, will be available in selected Tesco stores from 27 January. The packs are branded as Make No Bones as it is an “established brand in Sheffield with a loyal following”, according to Fletchers Bakery.

All non-vegan items found in a traditional brioche – butter and egg glaze – have been replaced with natural butter flavourings and sustainable palm oil.

Gato & Co
Gato & Co has launched a new biscuit range for Veganuary 2020 called Cookies N Cream. The gluten-free and vegan treats offer a “modern twist on classic cookie sandwiches”, according to the company, and are available in Boots with an rsp of £1.59 for a two-pack. The biscuits come in four variants: Choc Vanilla, Choc Peanut Butter, Choc Hazelnut Butter Cookies and Salted Caramel. They are made with gluten-free oats and ground almonds in place of flour, while nut butters and coconut oil replace butter.

The Fry Family Food Co
Fry’s is tapping into demand for vegan twists on classic junk food with the launch of two pizzas, available via wholesale suppliers. The Smoky BBQ Woodfired Pizza is topped with red and yellow peppers, roasted red onions and Fry’s chicken-style strips marinated in a smoky barbecue sauce.

Also joining the range is the Mediterranean Woodfired Pizza with sliced cherry tomatoes, baby spinach, black olives and Fry’s chicken-style strips on top, with Italian herbs.

Cutter & Squidge
London cake brand Cutter & Squidge is no stranger to vegan cakes, with a number already on offer in its range. For 2020, however, it has expanded its portfolio with a four-strong range of vegan cake loaves. Embracing tropical fruity flavours is the Mango Passionfruit Loaves, which feature mango sponge and passionfruit buttercream, topped with dried mango and pomegranate seeds.

Keeping things more traditional are the Chocolate Velvet Loaves – chocolate sponge cake topped with chocolate buttercream and a swirl of salted caramel – and the Vanilla Strawberry Loaves which have a vanilla sponge with pink vanilla buttercream on top and a dusting of strawberry powder.

Rounding off the quartet are the Banana Hazelnut Loaves made from banana cake topped with hazelnut buttercream and chopped nuts.

Veggie Pret
Pret’s vegetarian venture has expanded its menu with 19 exclusive new recipes, 75% of which are vegan. Of particularly note to the vegan bakery crowd is the Mexican Inspired Sweet Potato Wrap (pictured). It features roasted diced sweet potatoes coated in chipotle ketchup on a bed of refried beans, finished with sliced red pepper, sweetcorn salsa, pickled onions, spinach and fresh coriander.

Other new recipes to grace the menu include a Sweet Potato Falafel Mezze Salad Bowl, a Cocoa, Nuts & Berries Smoothie Bowl and a Marinated Tofu Poké Bowl.

To find out what other brands and retailers are doing this Veganuary, check out our other stories:

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