Vegan brands offer home delivery box for coronavirus lockdown

Vegan food brands, including Squeaky Bean, Vivera, Mummy Meagz and Minor Figures, have partnered to create a plant-based food box, available for delivery during the coronavirus outbreak.

This can be ordered through an app which normally supplies restaurants, known as Foodchain.

Products include recently launched vegan sandwich slices from Squeaky Bean, as well as other meat replacements such as plant-based shawarma kebab and fishless fingers, non-dairy milk, ready-to-eat vegan pancakes, vegan chocolate bars and kimchi.

Anastasia Emmanuel of Foodchain says: “Many of our suppliers saw their sales drop by more than 95% as the lockdown ensued. By adapting quickly to consumer demand, we were able to offer households access to restaurant quality produce, and provide our suppliers with a much needed lifeline in this crisis.”

“Offering a wide range of products, delivered often next day, is a faster option than most online supermarkets right now, and the quality – buying direct from suppliers – is arguably superior.”

“We see this as a necessary solution, not only for those who are self-isolating or shielding, but also creates an option for more people to stay home, avoiding the spread of the virus.“

Before the crisis, Foodchain was working with over 500 restaurants. When it launched the consumer delivery option in late March, it received over 25,000 new sign-ups in the first two weeks alone.

“We’re seeing a shift in consumer buying behaviour and we hope to see this continue post crisis. We are excited about increasing the diversity of our offering with products such as the new Squeaky Bean Plant Based Box, which means we are now able to cater to those following a plant-based diet, as well as consumers considering their choices more carefully during this time,” Emmanuel comments.

The box costs £38.99, including delivery, and is currently available within the M25 and parts of Hertfordshire, with plans to expand nationwide in the future.