It seems that every week in the world of vegan food news is more exciting than the last and this week is no exception. Veganuary is off to a great start at Subway UK, where plant-based steak sandwiches are on the menu thanks to a new partnership with The Vegetarian Butcher. Stateside, vegan fast-food chain Veggie Grill is giving Veganuary participants something exciting as well with its mouth watering collaboration with cult-favorite Bitchin’ Sauce. Want a side of (dairy-free) cheesy Doritos with your vegan food news? HIPPEAS has just the thing. Read on for more.
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1Subway gets into vegan steak for Veganuary
Vegan steak at Subway? It’s happening over at the international sandwich chain’s United Kingdom locations in celebration of Veganuary. The chain started the year off with the launch of two Teriyaki Steak subs, one of which features plant-based steak created in collaboration with its new plant-based partner The Vegetarian Butcher—a Unilever-owned brand that also supplies fast-food giant Burger King.
Subway UK
“Our Plant-Based Teriyaki Steak has been created in collaboration with The Vegetarian Butcher, one of the world’s leading plant-based meat brands, so our guests don’t have to compromise on taste or texture to enjoy a meat-free lunch,” Angelina Gosal, Head of Marketing UK & Ireland at Subway, said in a statement.
The new sandwich is packed with plant-based steak, vegan cheese, teriyaki sauce, and can be customized with veggie toppings. Beyond Veganuary, The Vegetarian Butcher will work with Subway UK on additional plant-based options.
2Hippeas gets into vegan nacho tortilla chips
If you’re craving the classic flavors of Nacho Cheese Doritos but don’t want to mess with dairy, vegan snack brand HIPPEAS has just the thing. This week, HIPPEAS released the newest flavor under its chickpea-based tortilla chip line: Nacho Vibes.
“We are really proud of the Nacho Vibes flavor of our HIPPEAS Chickpea Tortilla Chips, as we’ve been working hard to perfect this recipe to surpass consumer expectations of what a chickpea tortilla chip can taste like,” Julia Hecht, HIPPEAS CMO, said in a statement.
Like all of HIPPEAS snacks, this vegan take on classic Doritos comes with the added benefit of being made from chickpeas, a legume that not only delivers protein (three grams per serving in this case) but helps improve soil health during farming.
HIPPEAS
“This product more than stands up well next to its mainstream competitor from a taste and texture standpoint, but that’s where the comparisons end because HIPPEAS Nacho Vibes Chickpea Tortilla Chips are vegan and contain the nutritional benefits of both protein and fiber as well as no artificial colors, flavors, or ingredients of any kind. Plus, these chips are made from super sustainable chickpeas, so we feel good about this product on all sides.”
HIPPEAS also offers a vegan Rockin’ Ranch tortilla chip flavor, veggie straws in Straight Up Salt and vegan Sour Cream & Onion varieties, along with puffs in exciting flavors such as Vegan White Cheddar.
3Violife’s new sour cream
Greek brand Violife has been at the forefront of the dairy-free revolution since the 90s and it continues to reinvent itself with new and exciting products. Case in point: Violife just launched vegan sour cream to serve all your baked potato-topping needs.
Violife
Available at 883 Walmart locations for a suggested retail price of $4.99 per tub, Violife’s new Just Like Sour Cream was developed as a one-for-one swap for its dairy counterpart and is free from lactose, soy, palm oil, artificial flavors, preservative, nuts, and gluten.
“It is important for Violife to continue expanding our portfolio to offer delicious dairy-free alternatives for everyone to enjoy,” Debra Yoo, Senior Brand Manager at Violife, said in a statement. “We created Just Like Sour Cream to have a creamy, cooling, and tangy flavor so fans won’t miss out on what they know and love.”
Violife’s portfolio of products spans the cheese category in terms of formats and flavors and the new vegan sour cream bolsters its non-cheese options, which include dips, butter, and a sweet chocolate spread.
4Amazon Fresh expands plant-based line
Amazon Fresh first got into producing its own plant-based food items last year when it launched in-house brand Fresh Plant-Based with 15 products, including almond milk, plant-based chicken, and plant-based beef.
This week, the e-tailer is expanding the line to capitalize on market research that points to the behaviors of Gen Z, a demographic that is growing in terms of purchasing power. What does this generation want? Being born amid the climate crisis means that the majority of Gen Z consumers are looking for sustainable choices, including meat and dairy alternatives.
Amazon Fresh responded accordingly with the launch of new vegan meats: Fresh Brand Plant-Based Breakfast Sauce and Fresh Brand Plant-Based Chorizo, which are available both fresh and frozen. These products boost Fresh Plant-Based’s vegan meat options to 11 total products.
Amazon Fresh
Amazon is also getting into vegan ice cream with its in-house brand with products that explore different plant bases, including Coconutmilk Mint Chip, Cashewmilk Peanut Butter, Oatmilk Vanilla, and Coconutmilk Chocolate.
Amazon’s Fresh Plant-Based line also includes vegan cheeses in shreds, slices, and cream cheese varieties.
5Veggie Grill gets bitchin’
Southern California-based vegan brand Bitchin’ Sauce—made from a base of almonds in a variety of flavors—has found somewhat of a cult following among shoppers at Costco and its other 1,200 retailers. Now, the punchy sauce is coming to another beloved business, Veggie Grill, a vegan fast-food chain with 31 locations nationwide.
Veggie Grill
The new bitchin’ limited time menu at Veggie Grill is comprised of four items: Bitchin’ Burger (VG Classic Burger with Original Bitchin’ Sauce); Bitchin’ Bowl (Harvest Bowl with Original Bitchin’ Sauce); Bitchin’ BLTA with Chipotle Bitchin’ Sauce; and Bitchin’ Nachos with Chipotle Bitchin’ Sauce.
“We are ecstatic to launch this exclusive LTO menu collaboration with Bitchin’ Sauce and inspire a new wave of plant-based eating among an even broader group of consumers,” said Brandon LaChance, Chief Marketing Officer for Veggie Grill. “The synergies between both brands make them the perfect partner to celebrate Veganuary and make the world a lot more ‘bitchin’.”
The launch at Veggie Grill represents the first time Bitchin’ Sauce has made an appearance on a restaurant menu. “Bitchin’ Sauce is delighted to partner with Veggie Grill in our first venture into food service,” Harrison Edwards, Chief Marketing Officer for Bitchin’ Sauce, said in a statement.
“Bitchin’ Sauce is oh so Bitchin’ atop a totally Bitchin’ Burger or smothered across a warm Harvest bowl like the ones we used to make at the San Diego Farmers Markets.,” Edwards said.
Veggie Grill’s partnership with Bitchin’ Sauce comes on the heels of its newest location in Manhattan, NYC, where four vegan food concepts are rolled into one—a move the chain made to advance its mission of making plant-based food exciting to as many people as possible.
“Teaming up with like-minded brand Veggie Grill enables us to return to our roots and serve delicious food to more Bitchin’ people,” Edwards said. “We couldn’t think of a better partner than the pioneer of plant-based restaurants.”
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Anna Starostinetskaya is the Senior News Editor at VegNews and is always keeping an eye on all things vegan in her home city of San Francisco, CA and everywhere else.
