Linda McCartney Foods has launched Chicken Style Dippers, a protein-packed addition to its range of frozen vegan products designed to bring familiar, child-friendly formats to school catering. The new dippers offer an easy-to-serve, vegan meat-free option that supports inclusive menus without compromising on quality, taste or nutrition.
Recent research from Censuswide commissioned by Linda McCartney Foods found that four in five parents in the United Kingdom say it is important that vegetarian meals on school menus are offered in familiar formats children already enjoy, such as dippers, nuggets and bites. This plays a key role in encouraging consumption of meat-free food by students.
The Chicken Style Dippers are exceptionally high in protein, containing 29 grams per recommended school serving compared to 21 grams in comparable products. The product is dairy-free, allowing meal planners to cater for a range of allergen requirements and intolerances. This makes them an alternative that helps menu makers meet Government School Food Standards in England, which require a non-dairy protein option on three or more days each week.
“The research has shown that children are more likely to choose vegan or vegetarian options when they’re served in familiar formats they already enjoy,” said Rebecca Fairbairn, marketing and strategy director at Linda McCartney Foods. “Our Chicken Style Dippers deliver exactly that – a high-protein product that’s been developed specifically to appeal to children’s tastes. We’ve created a dipper that kids will actually want to eat, which means better uptake for caterers, less waste, and more children benefiting from nutritious meat-free meals.”
The product is available in 8 x 200-gram foodservice packs nationwide via catering wholesalers. It joins the existing line of frozen products under the Linda McCartney line, including the newly launched Gluten Free Vegemince, produced under license by Thorpe Park, Leeds-based Hain Celestial UK.
Founded in 1991 by Linda McCartney, a musician, photographer, cookbook author and the first wife of Beatle Paul McCartney, the celebrity brand was acquired by the Hain Celestial Group in 2006. Its initial product range of retail products included vegetarian ploughman’s pie and pasties, golden nuggets, lasagna, Italian-style toppers and beefless burgers, featuring recipes based on dehydrated textured vegetable protein.
