Peperami launches vegetarian version of popular snack

Peperami has launched a vegetarian version of the nostalgic meaty stick snacks after “years” of development.

The new Vegerami sticks are made from a blend of pea and wheat protein and are flavoured with “peppery herbs and spices” to recreate the distinct Peperami flavour in a plant-based snack.

The brand introduced the new offering to Tesco customers in its initial launch on 9 May, before rolling out to other supermarkets.

Pork and beef Peperami sticks, which have been in the UK since 1979, are a childhood staple for many Britons and is largely considered a nostalgic snack.

The vegetarian version is “perfect for snackers wanting to cut down on their meat intake”, Peperami says.

Each plant-based stick contains 64 calories per serving and are high in plant protein, which the brand says make them a “fantastic on-the-go snack to conquer the mid-afternoon energy dip”.

In comparison, one stick of the original pork-based version contains 113 calories.

The snacks are sold in packs of three for £1.50 in Tesco and can be found in the chilled plant-based section of the supermarket.

It comes after the brand recently launched Vegerami Chick’nless Bites, which are meat-free nuggets also made from pea and wheat protein and flavoured with a smoky glaze.

This year, more than 600,000 people officially took part in Veganuary, a campaign that encourages people to try a vegan or meat-free diet in January of each year in hopes of cutting down meat consumption in the long run.

As a result of growing participation in Veganuary, spurred by the climate crisis, numerous brands have launched vegan versions of popular food items.

Philadelphia launched a plant-based version of their cream cheese product that uses oats and almonds.

Boursin also launched its vegan Garlic and Herbs cheese spread in the UK recently, exclusively available at Sainsbury’s, and Babybel released a vegan version of the classic round cheese snack wrapped in green wax instead of red.