H&B goes head-to-head with Boots in healthy ‘meal deal’ launch

Meal deal
Meal deal

Holland & Barrett (H&B) is going head-to-head with Boots and other high street rivals with the launch of its own ‘meal deal’ offer – but in H&B’S case, with a healthy twist.

The retailer has launched an extensive Food to Go range in six of its London stores to meet growing demand in the capital for affordable vegan and vegetarian lunches.

With meal combinations priced at less than £4 for a main, snack and drink, the range comes in cheaper than many high-street competitors and includes plant-based options from popular innovative health brands including Deliciously Ella, Vita Coco, Hippeas and Captain Kombucha.

The launch will see Holland & Barrett sell fresh foods, including: wholesome veggie sandwiches, wraps and salads; probiotic yoghurts; and a selection of nutritious ‘health pots’ (such as the bulgur wheat and kale tabbouleh bowl) – all of which are intended to cater to the ‘on-the-go, health conscious professionals working in the capital’.

With professional Londoners spending on average £6-7 on lunch each day, we wanted to price our meal deal at a modest £3.99 to become the destination retailer for affordable plant-based lunches

The Food to Go launch is initially rolling out to six London H&B stores: Covent Garden, High Holborn, Cheapside, Leadenhall, Victoria Gate and Canary Wharf. Depending on take up, the range could be extended to other stores later in the year.

Ian Chant, head of food at H&B, says: “As a trusted health food retailer, there has been a mounting demand from our customers for vegan and veggie lunch-to-go options and we are excited to be able to launch into this category with six of our stores now selling a wide variety of fresh lunch foods.

“With professional Londoners spending on average £6-7 on lunch each day, we wanted to price our meal deal at a modest £3.99 to become the destination retailer for affordable plant-based lunches – where everything is always 100% vegetarian or vegan. We’re delighted by the mix of exciting, innovative food and drinks brands available as part of the deal – with everything from M+LKPLUS’s strawberry cheesecake cashew ‘mylk’ to NOMO’s fantastic vegan chocolate bars – and hope our customers will be too!”