vegconomist - the vegan business magazine

Subway Plants in Blanket vegan sandwich (P.I.B. Sub) has been launched at select stores in the UK. The festive sub is a totally plant-based version of the global sandwich chain’s “pigs in blankets” option. After being in development for several months, the P.I.B. Sub features vegan sausages wrapped in smoky plant-based bacon with a maple syrup glaze and is available as a 6-inch sub, footlong, salad, or wrap. Unfortunately, the P.I.B. Sub will not receive a national rollout, and will only be available at stores across the West Midlands, including Birmingham, Coventry, and Wolverhampton. Availability is exclusively in-store and for a limited time while stocks last. Subway has been steadily expanding its plant-based options as they have grown in popularity, with its Plant Patty and T.L.C. (Tastes Like Chicken) top sellers, as well as its Meatless Meatball Marinara, made with Nestlé’s Garden Gourmet vegan meatballs. In Germany, the vegan Subway options have proven so successful that Vegan Wednesday was launched, featuring a vegan sandwich as Subway‘s Sub of the Day offer for the first time. ...

Plant will help meet growing consumer demand for healthier and more sustainable food choices ST. LOUIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ICL (NYSE: ICL) (TASE: ICL), a leading global specialty-minerals company, today opened its latest production facility in St. Louis. The company’s new alternative-protein facility will produce a plant-based meat substitute for use by food companies, food-service distributors, restaurants and grocery chains. The significant investment represents an expansion of ICL’s global Food Specialties portfolio and the company’s focus on developing healthier and more sustainable food products. The new 10,000-square-foot facility was constructed on ICL’s 19-acre production campus in St. Louis. At full capacity the plant is expected to produce more than 15 million pounds of product each year. “This new facility will help meet the growing demand for innovative plant-based foods and meat alternatives – especially ones that deliver an eating experience similar to that of conventional meat products,” said Chris Millington, EVP of Food and Phosphate Specialty Products for ICL. “Food manufacturers are looking for meatless options that will offer sustainable, functional and nutritional value in the meat-alternative category, and we’re proud to provide them with a solution.” The new ICL facility will transform plant protein into fibers that have a meat-like texture and can be used in a wide variety of food applications to replace meat, poultry or seafood. The fibers are notable for their clean flavor, natural texture and formulation versatility. The resulting finished product is all-vegan, allergen-free, kosher- and halal-certified, and non-GMO. “From health issues to environmental and sustainability concerns, there ...

Violife vegan halloumi is part of the alt dairy leader’s latest product range expansion in multiple retailers across the US. New plant-based cheese offerings will hit the shelves over the rest of 2021 and into 2022.  The Violife “Grill Me” Halloumi style cheese will be rolling out in Sprouts locations over November and December, as well as Smoked Gouda Slices which boast a “mellow and nostalgic” smoky flavor. Also available is the Violife EPIC Dairy-Free Festive Platter, including three blocks and to be available over the holiday period. Other new products in the expanded lineup include Mozzarella Minis, Cheddar Minis, Singles, Mexican Shreds, and Chive Cream Cheese. Violife is also expanding its distribution into other grocery stores including national distribution at Albertsons and Lidl.  Violife – North America’s fastest-growing plant-based cheese brand – recently teamed up with pizza brand Papa Murphy’s for the creation of vegan pizzas at select restaurants across the US. In the UK, the brand also added Le Rond Camembert Flavour to its range, though it has not been announced whether a US launch is imminent.  ...

Amy’s Drive-Thru opens 4th Fast Food Outlet with eco-friendly design as part of plan to bring 25-30 new restaurants to the West Coast  Amy’s Drive Thru announced today it has opened a new location in Roseville, California. The all-vegetarian mini-chain now has four restaurants across Northern California, including Rohnert Park, Corte Madera and San Francisco International Airport locations. Amy’s Drive Thru offers customers a 100% plant-based take on classic American burgers, fries, and milkshakes. Though it serves dairy, all of its menu items can be made fully vegan upon request. Amy’s latest opening is part of a plan to bring 25-30 new restaurants to the West Coast over the next five years, including in Thousand Oaks and Aliso Viejo in 2022. Amy’s Drive Thru was founded in 2015 by the makers of Amy’s Kitchen, the notable vegetarian packaged food company. Established to be a healthier, more eco-conscious version of fast food, its menu is largely organic and highly customizable for gluten-free guests. Favorite menu items include “The Amy”, a double burger patty topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and a secret sauce. Customers also enjoy the popular chili, handmade milkshakes, and fresh organic salads.  In 2020, Amy’s Drive-Thru became one of the first B Corp Certified fast-food restaurants, and the Roseville location will be its most sustainable effort yet. New environmental features include solar shading, an insulation roof filled with living plants, low-emission parking and electric vehicle charging stations. Furthermore, it plans to operate as a zero-waste and zero-impact ...

Tate’s Bake Shop debuts vegan cookies for the first time, the popular NY based treat brand states it is one of the best decisions the company has ever made. Tate’s Bake Shop, a cookie brand known for its thin-baked and crispy treats, has released its first-ever line of vegan cookies. The new products, available in Chocolate Chip and Vanilla Maple, are made with plant-based butter to recreate the rich and buttery flavor Tate’s has become famous for. Founded as a small business in Long Island, New York, Tate’s was purchased by food conglomerate Mondelez International in 2018 for $500 million. The company’s vegan launch comes a decade after it first introduced gluten-free options to its cookie offerings. Lauren Sella, Tate’s chief marketing officer told The East Hampton Star the move “was one of the best decisions we have made as a company,” and added that a vegan cookie was “an obvious next step.” Sella says the recipe was carefully tested and refined until it met Tate’s specific standards, and that the cookies are vegan and kosher certified. The new cookies can be purchased online through Tate’s website or Amazon, and can also be found in select regional grocery stores. It’s planning a Whole Foods Market release at the end of December. “As a brand that is committed to delighting its consumers with delicious new treats, we are very excited to be launching a vegan variety of our cookies,” Sella said in a press release. “Tate’s remains committed to providing uncompromising ...

Agronomics plans additional £25M raise for its fast-expanding portfolio of cell ag and cultivated meat companies, is in “advanced discussions” to make investments of up to US$52 million in six new and existing companies  Agronomics, the leading British VC firm focused on cellular agriculture and cultivated meat, announces it is proposing a £25m raise through the placing of shares, to further invest in its portfolio companies in the sector. The company’s co-founder is Jim Mellon, investor and writer of the book Moo’s Law. Increasingly prolific in the field over the past two years, Agronomics declared in January 2020 that that further to its investments in LegendDairy Foods, Meatable, Oritain and BlueNalu, it had completed a fundraise of £5.5 million. In April of 2020, the company invested in Rebellyous Foods of Seattle and the following November another $5million in BlueNalu. This May Argonomics announced a planned raise of £50 million for cultured meat, and just this month it has further invested in The Every Company and led a pre-seed round for Ohayo Valley, a producer of plant-based wagyu steak. The company states in its proposal: “The net proceeds of the Fundraise and Open Offer after expenses will principally be used by the Company to finance further investment into current portfolio companies and projects and investment in new opportunities within the cellular agriculture sector (and other related sectors).  “The Company currently is in advanced discussions to make investments of up to US$52 million in 6 new and existing portfolio companies covering category ...

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM), the multinational food processing corporation founded in 1902, holds the original 1965 patent for textured vegetable protein (TVP), and the company states that alternative proteins continue as one of its core growth platforms. Headquartered in Chicago and operating globally, ADM runs an innovation lab in Singapore creating tailor-made plant-based meat alternatives, featuring a food and flavor analytics lab, a meat and savory lab, and sensory evaluation facilities. We spoke with Petra van Egmond, ADM Product Marketing Manager – Protein, EMEA, about ADM’s background in plant proteins. What alternative proteins does ADM offer?   ADM offers plant proteins and wholesome ingredients from over 35 diverse sources across our soy, pea, wheat, beans, pulses, ancient grains, seeds and nuts portfolios. Our full pantry of ingredients helps to deliver a quality sensorial experience for a wide variety of applications by integrating great taste, texture and color through our deep knowledge of protein functionality. Our breadth of offerings coupled with our technical formulation expertise gives us the flexibility to innovate in and deliver on major trends in the market. For example, our MaxFlex™ pea protein blends can give both a sensory and functionality to a variety of protein-enhanced offerings. Snacks, baked goods, powdered beverages and protein bars can all benefit from the nutritional and sensory benefits that these blends offer, helping grab the attention of shoppers perusing the aisles of grocery stores. Grabbing attention is only half the battle, though. According to our research, half of flexitarian consumers agree that plant-based alternatives ...

The Top 5 Year End Must Do’s for Plant-Based and Vegan Small Businesses are here compiled by Bonnie Brown, Co-Founder of Passion Placement and New Earth Partners, to help you reflect on the past year as year-end approaches. What were the wins and losses? What worked well or didn’t? Strategic Planning & Know Your Numbers Start with a personal review. You need to be in the right place and have the key events analyzed from your perspective before you gather your leadership team, stakeholders and perhaps consulting experts. Strategizing begins with planning. Assess the goals set at the beginning of the year and determine if those goals have been met. If not, why not? Should they be on next year’s goal list? Is there a better approach? Layout the facts, brainstorm with your team and boil down a plan with clear goals for the New Year. Of course, all companies want to increase revenue, but strategic planning needs to be more specific. Goals can be defined through metrics, such as increasing revenue by X% each year for three to five years and maybe beyond. Clearly establish and write out how you measure these metrics and what success will look like month by month.  Know your cost per customer. Track your metrics monthly.  These key numbers need to always be forefront of your mind. Then ask what could be done to turn up the volume in any of these areas when needed?  This will help you to be prepared to move quickly ...

Blue Horizon announced yesterday the onboarding of Manu Gupta, a leader in US and European venture capital, to its Board of Directors, as part of the company’s mission to accelerate the global transition to a new sustainable food system.  “Manu brings an invaluable perspective grounded in more than a decade of personal experience” Previously an Executive Director at Goldman Sachs, Manu has been investing in tech for more than 12 years across the US, Europe, and Asia. He founded Blue Lion, a venture capital firm that invests in multi-stage technology companies, and is also a founding member and ex-Partner of Lakestar, one of Europe’s largest tech venture funds.  The news follows Blue Horizon’s recent appointment of a General Counsel, a new Partner as well as two Directors to the investment team, which now consists of nine members of which six are female. The company reports that Manu brings a “wealth of experience and knowledge to the Board of Directors at an inflection point of new investment opportunities in sustainable food and agriculture innovation”. Bjoern Witte, Managing Partner & CEO of Blue Horizon, said: “We are very excited to announce that Manu has joined the Board of Directors as we continue to grow Blue Horizon’s deep bench of talent, drawing expertise from across disciplines that include venture capital, technology, and scientific research to cement our position as the leader in the transition to a new Sustainable Food System. As a well-renowned venture capitalist, Manu brings an invaluable perspective grounded in more ...

The No Catch Co was unveiled to great excitement in the UK last month by founders Earthling Ed and partner Kevyn Bourke, who also run London’s biggest vegan restaurant Unity Diner, state: “We believe that enough is enough, and that it’s time for a revolution within the seafood industry.” It’s a worthy and imperative mission; a cause that is increasingly becoming part of consumer consciousness especially in the wake of Seaspiracy. “The British public is absolutely ready for vegan fish and chips” Ed and Kevyn took a quick moment out of their extremely busy schedules to brief us on the UK’s brand new vegan fish and chip shop chain which has debuted in Brighton and has ambitions to expand nationally. Tell us about the decision to launch a chain of vegan fish & chip shops – why now? As many as 2.3 trillion fish are pulled from the ocean and killed every single year for food. But as well as being a moral issue, the fishing industry is devastating for the environment as well. The fishing method of bottom trawling alone produces more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire aviation industry and the destabilisation of fish populations affects the entire planet. We’re running out of time to save our oceans and thus need a revolution within the seafood industry. How many outlets do you foresee – how big will you go with The No Catch Co? We cannot say anything yet, but we certainly hope to grow to expand our ...