Bangers and Cash: Meat alternatives that give the most bang for your buck
· Analysis of popular meat alternative products on sale for Veganuary reveals Quorn Sausages provide the best value for money at 58p per 100g
· This Isn’t Bacon Plant-Based Rashers will set you back £2.48 per 100g – a huge 328% more than Quorn Sausages and the most expensive item analysed per 100g
With Veganuary in full swing, new analysis reveals Quorn Sausages are the meat alternative that provides the best value for money.
Research from leading savings site, VoucherCodes.co.uk, analysed the cost and weight of popular meat-free alternatives to chicken, sausages, burgers and more sold online at four of the UK’s biggest supermarkets to find the best value item on offer.
What proved to be the best value for money?
Of the products investigated, Quorn Sausages (336g) provide the best value for money at only 58p per 100g based on an average cost of £1.95 taken across Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrison’s and ASDA. The price also varies between supermarkets: the cheapest is found in Tesco at 47p per 100g, but ASDA and Sainsbury’s will cost 26% more at 59p for the same amount.
Linda McCartney Vegetarian Mince follows close behind, weighing 500g in total. At £3.00 on average across the supermarkets analysed, the pack costs just 60p per 100g. Heck Meat Free Vegan Chipolatas, Quorn Vegetarian Mince and Quorn Meat Free Crispy Nuggets all weigh in at 300g and cost 65p, 66p and 67p per 100g respectively on average.
Vouchercodes’ Comparison of meat alternatives:
| Item | Weight | Sainsbury’s | Tesco | Morrison’s | ASDA | Average |
| Quorn Sausages x 8 | 336g | £0.59 | £0.47 | £0.65 | £0.59 | £0.58 |
| Linda McCartney Vegetarian Mince | 500g | £0.60 | £0.60 | £0.60 | NA | £0.60 |
| Heck Meat Free Vegan Chipolatas x 10 | 300g | £0.66 | £0.66 | £0.62 | £0.66 | £0.65 |
| Quorn Vegetarian Mince | 300g | £0.70 | £0.53 | £0.73 | £0.66 | £0.66 |
| Quorn Meat Free Crispy Nuggets | 300g | £0.56 | £0.54 | £0.73 | £0.83 | £0.67 |
| Richmond Meat Free Vegan Sausages x 8 | 336g | £0.67 | £0.65 | £0.74 | £0.74 | £0.70 |
| Linda McCartney Vegetarian Sausages 270g | 270g | £0.81 | £0.81 | £0.81 | £0.81 | £0.81 |
| Cauldron Vegetarian Lincolnshire Sausages x 6 | 276g | £0.90 | £0.90 | £0.90 | £0.99 | £0.92 |
| Birds Eye Green Cuisine Chicken-Free Nuggets | 250g | £1 | £1 | £0.80 | £1 | £0.95 |
| Naked Glory Meat Free Vegan Burgers | 227g | £0.88 | £0.99 | £0.99 | NA | £0.95 |
| Linda McCartney Quarter Pounder Burger x2 | 227g | £0.96 | £0.97 | £0.96 | £0.96 | £0.96 |
| Birds Eye 2 Meat Free Burgers | 200g | £1.25 | £1.25 | £1.25 | £1.25 | £1.25 |
| Vivera Plant Veggie Burgers | 200g | £1.25 | NA | £1.25 | £1.25 | £1.25 |
| Quorn Vegan Fishless Fingers x10 | 200g | £1.25 | NA | £1.25 | £1.25 | £1.25 |
| Beyond Meat Plant-Based Burger Patties x2 | 226g | £2.50 | £2.21 | NA | NA | £2.36 |
| This Isn’t Bacon Plant-Based Rashers | 120g | £2.50 | £2.45 | NA | NA | £2.48 |
Above: Costs per 100g (£)
What proved to be the least value for money?
However, at the top end of the scale, This Isn’t Bacon Plant-Based Rashers weighing only 120g provide the least value for money by a considerable amount. Priced at £2.98 on average, the cost per 100g is a whopping £2.48. Although this product contains 216g (64%) less than the Quorn Sausages, plant-based bacon could cost you 328% more per 100g than sausages.
Anita Naik, Lifestyle Editor at VoucherCodes.co.uk, commented: “Veganuary has grown in popularity every year since it began in 2014, and in that time meat alternatives have become more widely available.
“As expected not all products give the same value for money but it’s surprising to see the price per 100g varying so considerably. It’s always best to shop around and you can check prices easily online to find out if you’re getting the best deal. Check our list before you stock up at the supermarket to avoid paying over the odds.”