Rustlers moves into ‘meat mimicking’

Rustlers Meatless Maverick will be available from November in One Stop stores and the Booker Group, retailing at £2.

The burger is made from pea protein and seeks to mimic the brand’s Quarter Pounder variant, complete with Rustlers “signature sauce” to “deliver on satisfying taste and convenience credentials”.

Research from Kantar shows the £648.4m meat-free category is in over 20% growth, with 27% of consumers who have never purchased a free from/alternative product planning to do so in future.

Merchandised within the meat free fixture in store, the product aims to generate incremental sales from the 55% of consumers who say they found the lack convenience foods to suit their diet for snacking and eating on the go a “barrier to purchase”.

Adrian Lawlor, chief marketing officer of brand owner Kepak Group, said: “Meatless Maverick will offer a meat free alternative to Rustlers whilst bringing the taste, convenience and quality credentials associated with the brand to the audiences we have defined – moderate meat reducers, committed meat reducers and moderate vegetarians.

“Meat mimicking products tend to carry a price premium versus the equivalent meat version, which acts as a deterrent.

“The Meatless Maverick burger will be available at the same accessible price point as our meat products (£2), appealing to the 52% of people who find affordability a challenge when committing to a plant-based lifestyle.”