Finnebrogue Artisan taps into healthy market

Northern Irish-based Finnebrogue Artisan is reaching out to a health-conscious audience by developing special sausages for Marks & Spencer (M&S).

The first product - M&S Butternut and Smoked Paprika Bangers - is produced using 40% less meat than the standard sausage, with the rest of the content made up from beans, which give an added protein boost.

"It has been an exciting year for us," said Jo Discombe, Finnebrogue business development director.

"Trends in diets very much determine where we go in terms of our new product development. Right now people want to eat a much more balanced diet and add other sources of protein and some extra vegetables to their diet, so just in time for summer, we have brought out to new delicious new M&S sausages.

"The M&S Reduced Fat High Fibre Super Sausage is high in fibre and low in fat - it is the lowest-fat sausage available on the high street. It is packed full of flavour and perfect for the BBQ, served in a floury bap with a good drizzle of any of the M&S Spirit of Summer sauces. It also makes the ideal breakfast sausage as it is based on a Cumberland-style sausage recipe with plenty of pepper."

Steve McLean, M&S head of agriculture and fisheries praised Finnebrogue for continuously making changes to its products to adapt to consumer demands. "By implementing a world-class approach to new product development and originality, it has successfully maintained its name for good quality and pioneering products.

"We are delighted to be expanding our relationship with Finnebrogue and will continue to show our commitment to making sure our suppliers receive all the support they need to craft superior products."