Asda has launched its first vegan butcher's counter, offering a range of plant-based alternatives in one place for those following a vegan lifestyle. 

The move coincides with many people adopting a vegan lifestyle for Veganuary, which takes place throughout the month of January encouraging people to try a vegan diet for one month. 

The counter features a wide range of products, including vegan alternatives to meat, cheeses, cooking sauces and ready-to-eat meal kits.

The first counter - which is part of a trial with Kbox Global - is located at Asda’s Watford store and prices for the products begin at 75p.

Named ‘Veelicious’, the counter will be initially trialled for a six month period before Asda then decides whether or not to roll it out across other stores.

The news comes after Blackburn billionaires Mohsin and Zuber Issa clinched their deal to buy Asda in October. 

US owners Walmart agreed to sell the supermarket giant to a group led by the EG Group petrol station tycoons in a £6.8 billion deal.

Other new plans include trialling plastic free stores and opening ‘Asda on the Move’ branches in transport hubs, the first of which opened at Primley Service Station on the A454 in Walsall.

With more and more people now turning to plant-based alternatives, supermarkets across the UK are now offering more options for vegans, but this is the first vegan butcher counter to be trialled inside a supermarket.

Asda’s Chief Strategy Officer, Preyash Thakrar, said that the Veelicious counter will allow the supermarket chain to understand what customers want in order to be able to enhance its plant-based offering.

Mr Thakrar 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.

“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.”