Sainsbury’s unveils UK’s first meat-free butchers

Sainsbury’s has opened the UK’s first meat-free butchers which substitutes meat staples for plant-based alternatives.

Launched for World Meat Free Week and located in Bethnal Green, the traditional style butchers will offer customers an array of cuts and joints from the 21-23 June. ‘Meaty’ cuts, joints and strings of sausages found in the shop will in fact be made from the likes of mushroom, jackfruit and even pea protein.

Sainsbury’s said the pop-up comes after it has seen a 65% increase in sales of plant-based products year-on-year – with sales having doubled in the last year compared to the previous 12 months.

A recent Future of Food report issued by the ‘Big Four’ grocer predicted that a quarter of all British people could be vegetarian in 2025, up from one in eight Britons currently, and half of us could identify as flexitarians in five years’ time.

Despite this, the report also found over half (56%) of Britons have never tried what they would consider to be a meat alternative with 52% hoping to increase their number of meat-free days.

Buyer for Sainsburys, James Hamilton said: “Whilst we’re seeing a huge climb in sales of our plant-based foods, we know from conversations with customers that there is a sense of trepidation about cooking with them. So, our Meat-Free Butchers has been launched to encourage people to get up close to the products, try what they like and take home some valuable cooking advice and recipe inspiration.

“We have carefully selected the products on offer from the growing range of over 100 plant-based products now available at Sainsbury’s, so customers are in for a real meat-free treat when visiting the butchers.”