With 41% of consumers actively reducing their meat consumption, or cutting meat out altogether this year[1] Santa Maria has introduced a new Tex Mex range of seasoning mixes to cater for vegetarians and flexitarians.
Tapping into the growing popularity for Mexican and the booming ‘Mexitarian’ market, Santa Maria’s new seasoning mixes for Chili & Lime Taco, Enchilada Chili Bean & Cheese and Bean & Corn Taco feature mouthwatering, easy-to-prepare vegetarian recipes. These give Mexican food lovers three more delicious dishes to add to their repertoire, whether they’re looking for inspiration on Meat-Free Monday, Taco Tuesday, or any other day of the week.
The UK’s Mexican market has undergone steady growth over past years and is now worth a sizeable £204.9 million[2]. Sales for the category spiked over the last year as Brits took to the cuisine to create easy-to-prepare healthy meals while working from home or during lockdowns.
Mexican is hugely popular with vegetarians, and took the lion’s share of voice over social media – this Veganuary as well as last[3]. With plant-based diets on the rise and a growing array of tasty meat alternatives now available on the shelves, there are increasing opportunities for retailers to provide inspiration and complementary products for this rapidly growing niche.
Hannah Hurling, Marketing Activations Manager UK & Ireland, Paulig says,
“As people are becoming more aware of their carbon footprint, reducing, or even cutting out meat, has gained popularity. The soaring success of Veganuary and Meat-Free Mondays are testimony to this.
Mexican is already a hit with vegetarians – the spices and sides are ideal for adding punch to plant-based proteins. With more people now seeking vegetarian alternatives, we wondered whether we could do more to inspire mealtimes. So we asked our flavour experts to create bespoke seasoning mixes with inspiring plant-forward recipes.
We’re keen not to be prescriptive about how these seasoning mixes are used. So we provided a meat alternative for our Chili & Lime Taco in case consumers want to ‘flex’. After all, all of our seasoning mixes are great for pepping up any protein: whether it’s meat, fish, pulses, legumes or plant-based meat alternatives.”
For food inspiration, research, and recipes, check out Santa Maria’s authentic range of Mexican spices, at https://www.santamariaworlddirect.co.uk/
[1] Mintel, Jan 2021 The continued rise of veganism
[2] Scorecard
[3] Delve Insights 2021
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