Garden Gourmet makes UK debut: Nestlé targets flexitarians

28 May 2018 --- Nestlé is bringing the Garden Gourmet food brand to the UK, "offering delicious and healthy meat-free products for food lovers looking to cut down on meat but not wanting to compromise on taste." Answering the popular consumer lifestyle trend; flexitarianism, or eating less meat and more plant-based protein, Garden Gourmet is claimed to offer an exciting variety of “scrumptious meat alternatives” made with the highest quality ingredients.

The team behind Garden Gourmet went the extra mile to make sure that the range satisfies even the most discerning of taste buds. Nestlé’s chefs and nutritionists have worked together using ingredients we all know and love to develop a range of 12 delicious plant-based products, ranging from meat-free burgers, mince and chicken style pieces to exciting veggie flavors, including quinoa and broccoli bakes and bright beetroot falafel.

Paula Jordan, Managing Director of Nestlé’s UK Food Division said: “We are incredibly excited to introduce this new delicious food brand into the meat-free category which is one of the most innovative areas in the food segment.”

“We find that people want to enjoy a healthier diet and try to eat less meat, but they are sometimes disappointed with the taste. We’ve been working hard to offer something different to consumers and have developed a versatile range of delicious meat-free products packed with flavor to make sure there is no need to compromise on taste ever again.

“We believe that vegetarian cooking is more than just cooking vegetables; it’s about new tastes, flavors and an exciting experience, as well as leading a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

“Meat-free doesn’t have to mean excitement free and Garden Gourmet is here to help revolutionize the vegetarian category by banishing bland and livening up mealtimes with a fantastic range of delicious veggie products.”

All the products within the range are made with no artificial flavors or preservatives.

Garden Gourmet’s meat substitute products are positioned as a source of protein, which helps muscle mass growth and maintenance as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. They are also a source of fiber.

Additionally, none of the products are high in salt, sugar, fat or saturated fat meaning they have no red labels under the color-coded nutrition labeling system.

The Garden Gourmet range also meets the salt targets recommended by Government for meat alternatives.

The new products became available in Sainsbury’s and Ocado from yesterday (Sunday, May 27).

Garden Gourmet was initially launched in Israel in 1986. Nestlé invested in the brand early on in its trajectory and acquired it entirely in 2017. 

Innova Market Insights reports that the increased demand for plant-based diets has resulted in a diverse range of product innovation which targets vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian consumers. The trend represents a growing opportunity for high-quality meat alternatives, which is also reflected in the 11 percent average annual growth in global meat substitute launches recorded between 2013 and 2017. A desire to cut down on meat, rather than cutting it out altogether, has given rise to growing numbers of consumers who identify themselves “flexitarians.” These consumers regularly swap meat for plant-based proteins, for environmental and ethical reasons, and generally prefer quality over quantity when it comes to purchasing meat. The market researcher highlights ten recent innovations within this space. You can see the product trend review here.