Over the past seven years, The Vegetarian Butcher has been diligently developing plant-based smoked sausages that could be satisfyingly swapped out for traditional Dutch options—even by meat-eating consumers. While there are now tons of vegetarian- and vegan-friendly alternatives for many meat products, The Vegetarian Butcher is specifically targeting meat eaters and flexitarians who want to reduce their consumption of meat due to health or sustainability reasons. As such, it became of the utmost importance for the brand to develop a meatless substitute that focused on authentic flavor and texture.
For the pre-launch of the product, The Vegetarian Butcher rewarded fans at the beach with a taste of its new product if they jumped into the North Sea. As of the fall of this year, the vegan smoked sausages are set to be sold through Dutch supermarkets.
Plant-Based Smoked Sausages
The Vegetarian Butcher's Sausage Alternative Has a Traditional Taste
Trend Themes
1. Plant-based Meat Alternatives - The development of authentic-tasting plant-based meats is disrupting the meat industry and catering to health- and sustainability-conscious customers.
2. Targeting Flexitarian and Meat-eating Consumers - Catering to flexitarian and meat-eating consumers with plant-based meat alternatives is a growing trend in the food industry.
3. Pre-launch Marketing Stunts - Attention-grabbing pre-launch marketing stunts, such as rewarding fans with a taste of a new product, are becoming increasingly popular in the food industry.
Industry Implications
1. Food Retail - The launch of plant-based smoked sausages in Dutch supermarkets highlights the growing trend of offering meat alternatives to cater to changing consumer preferences.
2. Plant-based Meat Production - The Vegetarian Butcher's focus on developing authentic-tasting plant-based smoked sausages highlights the growing trend of plant-based meat production and its potential to disrupt the traditional meat industry.
3. Marketing and Advertising - The use of pre-launch marketing stunts, such as rewarding fans with a taste of a new product, highlights the importance of marketing and advertising in the food industry and the potential for disruptive innovation in this area.