In 2017 with veganism and flexitarianism on the rise, most of the supermarkets had pockets of vegan and vegetarian products in store. But there weren’t any dedicated plant-based ranges.
Tesco wanted to be first to market with an exclusively plant-based, own-label range. Created in partnership with chefs Derek and Chad Sarno, the range aimed to make plant-based food more accessible to the everyday consumer; its brand and packaging design would need to appeal to a wide target audience – not just vegans.
Launched in January 2018, the Wicked Kitchen’s design has bags of attitude, capturing the spirit of the Sarno brothers. The chef’s knife in the brand marque draws on their skill and precision, whilst the packaging celebrates plant-power, with vegetables taking centre stage.
Wicked Kitchen was the first exclusively plant-based own-label offer launched in UK supermarkets, selling 2.5 million units in its first 20 weeks. After six months, it achieved 152% of its sales value target and was responsible for more than 20% of the additional meat-free take home sales. Based on its success, Tesco is more than doubling the range from 20 to 44 lines.
