CHERRIES fans will have an alternative to the traditional meat pie or burger when local brand Mr Lee’s offers free cups of its healthy noodles at the home ground this Saturday.

Bournemouth-based Mr Lee’s Pure Foods said the club had decided to offer a more diverse set of healthier options on its concourse for the home game against Bristol City.

AFC Bournemouth’s head of catering operations, Paul Fudge, approached Mr Lee’s to test the idea by providing a selection of its instant noodles this weekend, including its new ramen range and a vegan rice noodle option.

The idea extends the vegan and vegetarian options at the Vitality Stadium, adding gluten-free options and introducing a product which complies with forthcoming regulations on the promotion of HFSS (high in fats, salt and sugar) foods.

Mr Fudge said: “With the world going towards making healthier choices and demanding more food inclusivity, we’ve noticed that more and more fans are asking for a wider variety of options and looking for ‘better for you’ foods.

“Expanding our choices to include healthier foods with more dietary options to address this new need is the first step towards change, and we believe Mr Lee’s products will help us to fulfill that.”

Kasia Bigda, marketing and communications director at Mr Lee’s, said: “Our mission from the beginning was to provide healthier instant food options to people, within the niche known for its ‘guilty pleasures’, by offering premium ‘no nasties’ foods, like our delicious noodles, congees and porridges, made with 100 er cent real chunks of meats and veggies and addressing various diets: from dairy free, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free to low sugar or saturated fats.

“Bournemouth is our hometown and a brand partnership with another local company makes it even more special – some may say it’s a perfect match.”

Fans who arrive early to Saturday’s match will be able to pick up a free cup of Mr Lee’s Noodles from 12noon while stocks last.

They will also have a chance to win a signed AFC Bournemouth matchball and a box of Mr Lee’s products.

Mr Lee’s Noodles was founded in 2016 by Damien Lee, who died last year.

It sought to offer healthier, high-quality alternatives to the products which dominate the instant noodle market, which sells 100billion meals a year.