Redefine Meat’s plant-based protein alternatives are hitting UK retail shelves as the Israeli business secures its first ‘big four’ listing with Asda.
Up to seven products across the company’s New Meat range will be available in Asda stores from today (13 October), including steak, mince and pulled pork.
The frozen products launch includes a total of 385 Asda outlets across the country that will stock at least three items, while 197 stores will carry seven SKUs.
Redefine Meat, which was set up in Israel in 2018, claims its alt-protein range is “designed to celebrate the taste, texture and sensory experience of meat”, characteristics the category has struggled to replicate and has led to weakness in sales of late.
The company called the Asda launch a “significant milestone” for the brand, which is already listed online with Ocado.
Simon Owen, the vice president for the EMEA region at Redefine Meat, said: “Continuous product development and innovation is at the heart of our strategy, creating premium, high-quality products that continuously outperform the market in reviews and taste tests.
“Taste is the biggest barrier to category entry, and having built our brand in foodservice before entering retail we have been able to demonstrate exceptional taste at scale.”
The business has tended to test the out-of-home channel first before launching in retail. CEO Eshchar Ben-Shitrit said in 2023 that the company marks that point when it reaches a “critical mass” in foodservice.
He told Just Food at the time that Redefine Meat had not reached that marker in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands as he set out plans to expand in Europe. Ben-Shitrit did, however, confirm the business already had a presence in foodservice in the UK, a market it entered in 2021.
Just Food asked Redefine Meat for an update on any further potential retail listings in the UK and beyond and for clarification of its existing foodservice customers.
Owen declined to comment on any future UK listings that might be in the pipeline but did provide some detail on where else the company has a presence.
A list of 38 foodservice outlets and restaurants in the UK were named in a response, including pub chains Brewdog, Green King and Stonegate, along with Steakhouse, Wolf and Lamb, and Green Grill, as a selection of those identified.
Owen added that Redefine Meat's products are on the menu of more than 4,000 outlets in Europe. He also clarified retail listings in the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland - Jumbo, Albert Heijn and Monoprix to name a few.
In the UK, joining the line-up in Asda are a lamb kofta mix, shawarma and a burger.
Matt Gouland, head of frozen trading at Asda, said the retailer is “embracing demand for innovative, premium frozen options” with the New Meat launch.
“The Asda freezer aisle continues to evolve at pace, providing more exciting options for shoppers, and we’re confident that our customers will love the new Redefine Meat range,” he added.
