Leading supermarket giant ASDA has announced that it will be trialling a new vegan butcher counter at some of its stores in the UK.
Starting the trial exclusively at its Watford Store, before potentially expanding to other locations across the country, the six-month trial period will offer a wide range of vegan products such as facon (vegetarian bacon), bean burgers, and meat-free meatballs.
With pricing starting at 75p, the counter – named ‘Veelicious’ – will also serve a range of meat-free alternatives such as mock lamb and vegan ‘black pudding’, as well as a small selection of vegan cheeses, ready-to-eat meal kits and vegan staples, such as chutneys and base cooking sauces.
The idea has been brought to life following a partnership between ASDA and vegan concept creator Kbox Global.
The move comes after the chain also announced last September that it would be introducing new aisles dedicated to vegan foods at hundreds of stores up and down the UK, with a number opening up right here in Greater Manchester.
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It’s looking like the new counter will be in place in Watford from next week and is coinciding with ‘Veganuary’.
Did you hear! @Asda has announced it will trial a VEGAN BUTCHER concept at its Watford store next week 😱 The ‘Veelicious’ counter will offer a selection of products such as facon, bean burgers, meat-free meatballs and black pudding! How cool is that!#Veganuary2021pic.twitter.com/4UVgkBuJ90
In addition to the one-store vegan butcher trial, this Veganuary – a concept which encourages people to follow a vegan lifestyle and plant-based diet for the month of January – ASDA has also added 22 new meat-free alternatives to its plant-based range too.
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Speaking on the launch of the Veelicious trial, Preyash Thakrar – Chief Strategy Officer at ASDA – said: “The demand for vegan products is on the rise and we have seen a surge in people seeking out ways to easily enjoy a plant-based lifestyle.
“We recognised the importance of helping our customers with their Veganuary journey, which includes partnering with Kbox to trial Veelicious in our Watford store.
“Across our product range, we offer many options for vegans and flexitarians, such as meat-free alternatives and vegan cheeses, ensuring that our customers don’t have to compromise on quality, taste or value when following a plant-based lifestyle [but] “Veelicious will be a ‘test and learn’ trial to help us understand what resonates with customers to enable us to enhance our plant-based proposition.”
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ASDA
So, what do you think then?
It all depends on how the trial goes as to whether we can expect to benefit from this UK-first service in the future, but would you like to see a vegan butcher counter come to an Asda in Greater Manchester?
Keep your eyes peeled and see what happens.
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Classic FM will be back playing calming music for anxious pets this Bonfire Night
Emily Sergeant
Classic FM will be back playing calming music for anxious pets during this year’s fireworks season.
Bonfire Night may be loved by us humans for the spectacular firework displays and all the festive-themed activities that come along with it… but sadly, the November holiday isn’t quite so fun for our four-legged friends.
Loud bangs, flashing lights, and unpleasant strong smell of spent explosives are just some of the reasons why fireworks are frightening to pets.
Not only that, but with multiple bangs occurring from numerous displays across this time of year, pets are rarely able to pinpoint when and where the booming explosions are coming from, therefore creating even more anxiety around this time of year.
Classic FM will play calming music for anxious pets during this year’s fireworks / Credit: DESIGNECOLOGIST (via Unsplash)
Which is why, for the ninth year running now, Classic FM is once again teaming up with the RSPCA for two Pet Classics programmes packed with ‘the most soothing and comforting classical music’.
The music has been handpicked to help calm and settle any anxious pets.
A survey by the RSPCA revealed that almost two-thirds (63%) of animal owners reported their pet was distressed during fireworks season, and that playing relaxing music was the most common way (36%) to help calm or prepare their animal.
Presenters Dan Walker, Aled Jones, and Dawn O’Porter will each host a night of the specially created programme to help keep the nation’s pets calm through the whizzes and bangs.
Dan will present the first programme on Bonfire Night itself (Thursday 5 November), and then as celebrations continue throughout the weekend, Aled will be on hand to bring some peace to Friday 6 November, and Dawn picks up the baton on Saturday 7 November.
All three Pet Classics programmes will be broadcast from 5pm to 10pm, and you can listen on Classic FM or Global Player available across the UK.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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What is the UK’s national dish? New survey reveals Brits’ pick in landslide victory
Emily Sergeant
If you’ve ever thought to Google the question ‘what is Britain’s national dish?’, then you probably came away thinking it’s chicken tikka masala.
But is that actually the truth? A new survey has disproved the claim, massively.
There’s no denying that chicken tikka masala – an Indian curry that’s actually widely thought to have been created in Britain – is a popular dish that’s loved by many, but despite what many headlines have claimed over the years, a new YouGov survey has revealed it’s not what Brits consider to be the country’s ‘national dish’.
YouGov conducted two online surveys earlier this month, made up of 2,079 and 2,104 adults aged 18+ living in Great Britain.
And, in their own words, Brits chose fish and chips as the country’s national dish, making it the ‘resounding’ winner with 49% of the vote.
What is the UK’s national dish? A new survey has revealed Brits’ pick in a landslide victory / Credit: The Manc Group
With nearly half of the overall vote, this puts fish and chips far ahead of the roast dinner in second place, which only 24% of people picked – including the 6% who made sure to specify a beef roast.
In fact, only 3% of Brits actually name chicken tikka masala as the UK’s national dish, although 52% in the survey did confess that they eat some form of curry at least once a month, so it is still a popular pick regardless.
Fish and chips is by far the most common answer across all generations too, according to the survey (45-50%), with the biggest difference between age groups being that 18-24 year olds are less likely to have nominated roast dinner and more likely to have chosen chicken tikka masala instead.
What do Brits say is the UK’s national dish?
Fish and chips – 49%
Roast dinner – 24%
Chicken tikka masala – 3%
Curry (non-specific) – 2%
Full English breakfast – 2%
Bangers and mash – 1%
Cottage or shepherd’s pie – 1%
Other – 3%
Don’t know – 15%
The survey also showed that, of the three top contenders for the UK’s national dish, roast dinners are the most frequently eaten, as 52% of people said they eat them on a monthly basis – including 16% who do so every week.
Aside from the frequently mentioned dishes, some survey respondents also gave shoutouts to the full English breakfast (2%), bangers and mash (1%), and cottage or shepherd’s pie (1%).
Emily Sergeant -
6th January 2021 
