Sausage brand Richmond is making its debut in free-from with the launch of a pork sausage made with rice flour instead of wheat.

Like the original Richmond sausage recipe the newcomer contains no artificial colours or MSG, but aims to tap into the 10% of UK households that are already buying free-from items. The total free-from food and drink category is currently worth £22.8m, and is growing 30% year-on-year, according to Nielsen (15.08.15).

According to separate research, the category is predicted to grow by 50% to £550m by 2019 (Mintel).

“There is a huge opportunity for Richmond to tap into the white space within the gluten-free sausage category,” commented senior brand manager, Sarah Davies. “There are no gluten-free branded sausages within the standard sector of the market, despite this being a proposition which resonates with latest consumer trends. Utilising the nation’s favourite sausage brand and well-loved Irish recipe will be essential to encourage new consumers to the category and drive incremental sales.

Producer Kerry Foods launched the new Richmond variant earlier this month in a smaller pack size of six thick sausages (rrp £2.15).