vegconomist - the vegan business magazine

Edinburgh based chocolate producer Fellow Creatures has secured a £450,000 investment for expansion of its palm oil-free products which are now listed with WH Smith and Sainsbury’s across the UK. The progressive and ethically-driven brand was one of six graduates of the ProVeg incubator last year. Founder Zsolt Stefkovics, who originally hails from a dairy farming family, says: “Growing up in a family of dairy farmers, I have always loved chocolate. Upon leaving my homeland Hungary at age 18, I became a vegan. Realising a real lack of indulgent, creamy chocolate choices in the free-from aisles, I decided to create my own with all the fun and creaminess we all remember from our childhood. “Having been picked on at primary school, I learned that inclusivity and unconditional kindness is the easiest and biggest difference one can make. Not only to our human fellows but to all of our animal Earth-mates. By now, you may be realising that the production of dairy, and therefore chocolate, involves the exploitation of mother cows for their milk. “Sometimes the old ways of doing things need revisited and revised.” Speaking about the recent funding, Stefkovics stated, “This investment will help us strengthen our position as a leading plant-based chocolate brand and drive growth by expanding our retail presence and online distribution.” Veganuary founder Matthew Glover, one of the lead investors in the new funding, says: “We have seen a boom in the plant-based market over the last few years, particularly in food and drink products ...

Violife – North America’s fastest-growing plant-based cheese brand, announces a new partnership with Papa Murphy’s, for the creation of vegan pizzas topped with Violife’s Just Like Mozzarella Shreds – the Garden Veggie and Create Your Own.  The vegan cheeses are free from dairy, soy, nuts, gluten, preservatives and lactose and are non-GMO. Current locations offering the vegan options include: Fargo, ND Phoenix, AZ Bakersfield, CA Minneapolis, MN Mankato, MN Davenport, IA Portland, OR Sioux Falls, SD Violife launched in Canada last October and is already widely available throughout Europe. Speaking to vegconomist this January, Violife’s Simon Orchard also revealed, “This year will see Violife expand further across even more countries all around the world including India, Japan, Latin America and the rest of the European countries.” He added, “We believe that in 2025 veganism and flexitarianism will be the new normal, with consumers more conscious of their impact on the planet and aware of how the foods we eat play an important part in this.” ...

The Very Good Butchers, the leading brand of The Very Good Food Company, announces the opening of a new retail location in downtown Victoria, which will offer brunch, lunch, dinner, bar, and bakery menus. The new location is set to open on 6th October. In addition to its famous vegan meats, the range of specialty dishes created by Co-founder James Davison will include vegan fish and chips, toad in a hole, several charcuterie board styles, delicious bakery options, and a bar menu with beer and wine. The company’s full product portfolio will also be available from the deli counter, including its newest gluten-free Butcher’s Select line, such as MMM…Meatballs, Flippin’ Good Burger, Cajun Sausage, Bratwurst Sausage and Breakfast Sausage. “We are thrilled to announce the grand opening of our Butcher Shop and offer a new restaurant and retail outlet,” said Mitchell Scott, co-founder and CEO of The Very Good Food Company. “Our goal has always been to make plant-based eating as easy and accessible as possible, and we realized the need for a sit-down restaurant with delicious vegan dishes. As more and more people are turning to plant-based foods, we’re excited to continue growing and opening more Butcher Shops and restaurants across North America. With our outdoor patio and the ability to serve an extended beverage menu including beer and wine, we’re hopeful our new Butcher Shop will become a local favorite.” ...

Veggie burgers, meatballs and sausages can be called burgers, meatballs and sausages, even if they do not contain meat. This was pointed out earlier this week by the food awareness organisation ProVeg, in response to the non-legislative proposal presented by far-right political party Vox, in an attempt to go against European regulations governing meat-alternative plant-based products. ProVeg España recalls that this is a terminology endorsed by the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission, which in recent months rejected two amendments (165 and 171) that sought to restrict the designation of plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy products. “Once again we see how consumers are being used as an excuse to slow down the progress of the plant-based sector, which is booming because of its environmental and health benefits. The evidence is clear: 93% of consumers can perfectly distinguish a plant-based product from an animal-based product and, on the other hand, 9 out of 10 say they don’t know what they would be buying if they used terms such as ‘vegetable disc’ instead of ‘veggie burger’, according to the study on perception of plant-based food nomenclature,” says ProVeg España. Meat as a political debate in Spain In July this year, Alberto Garzón, Spain’s consumer affairs minister, posted a video on his Twitter account in which he called on Spaniards to eat less meat. He also called for awareness of the negative effects of the livestock industry on health and the environment, given its contribution to climate change. Garzón’s ...

Perfect Day, Inc., the California producer of animal-free dairy protein and the most-funded company in fermentation, this week secured $350 million in a Series D round led by Temasek and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments), bringing its total funding to $750 million. Perfect Day’s founders entered into consumer products through The Urgent Company (TUC).  TUC’s first brand, Brave Robot, recently announced it is now the leading growth driver for plant-based ice cream, available in over 5,000 grocery stores, including Kroger, Sprouts, and Stop & Shop. The company now reveals it is further investing in TUC with the launch of plant-based dairy brand, Modern Kitchen, which will soon debut animal-free cream cheese. Perfect Day also onboarded food industry executives over the past quarter including Chuck Thorn as Vice President, Finance, from Cargill, and Alex Brittain, Senior Vice President, International, from PepsiCo. “When we first started this almost eight years ago, we had the simple goal of creating a way to make dairy without animals,” explained Ryan Pandya, co-founder and CEO. “We quickly realized that we could maximize our positive impact for the planet and the global food system by applying our technology and know-how across the supply chain.” “We first got into the ingredient business because food companies, big and small, were eager to work with the ingredients we had successfully scaled,” said Perumal Gandhi, Perfect Day co-founder. “Today, something analogous is happening on the technology side. There are innovators all over the world with ideas and ambitions similar ...

DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The “Vegan Supplements Market by Product Type, Form and Distribution Channel: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2028” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering. The global vegan supplements market size was valued at $ 6,309.1 million in 2019, and is projected to reach $ 13,598.7 billion by 2028, registering a CAGR of 6.9% from 2021 to 2028. In past few years, many countries have recognized lifestyle-related diseases to be a main problem, which has led to rise in health consciousness among consumers. Rise in consumer awareness regarding health benefits associated with vegan supplements such as benefits against chronic diseases to promote optimal health, longevity, and quality of life fuels the demand for vegan supplements. Rise in aging population, increase in life expectancy rates, and growth in instances of chronic diseases have changed eating patterns of consumers. In addition, owing to busy lifestyles, consumers now look for vegan supplements, which directly provide them with essential nutrition and help them enhance their physical and mental wellness. All the aforementioned factors are expected to boost the market growth. In the past few years, there has been an increase in the use of vegan supplements powder among consumers across the globe. Powders are highly soluble in nature, easier to handle, less bulky, and less prone to spoilage in long term storage. Thus, vegan supplement manufacturers are strategizing on extending production in powder form. Moreover, this powder is highly nutritious and free from artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners. In addition, vegan supplement powder ...

The Vegan Kind, which is the UK’s biggest vegan online store and most popular vegan subscription boxes service, has announced a rebrand. It developed the new look in collaboration with London-based B&B studio. The retailer says the new branding better reflects its identity as a “shop of tomorrow”, adding that the more modern look will help it reach a broader audience. It is targeting a range of consumers, from vegans and vegetarians to flexitarians and eco-conscious shoppers. “As a brand, The Vegan Kind has always been ahead of its time in terms of its commitment to plant-based living, community-building, and carbon offsetting,” said Lisa Desforges, Head of Strategy at B&B studio. “It was such a pleasure to help ensure the brand remains on course for an incredibly bright future as we all catch up with their vision.” The Vegan Kind announced earlier this year that it would plant a tree for each order made, along with other environmental initiatives such as carbon-neutral deliveries and recyclable packaging. In April, it raised £3.5 million in the largest ever funding round for a UK vegan retailer, and it has also been responsible for helping several other vegan and plant-based companies to succeed. “We want to make it as easy as possible for people to make plant-based choices,” said Scott McCullouch, Co-Founder of The Vegan Kind. “The new brand really delivers on our need to feel welcoming and inclusive, but also inspiring and informative. Our mission is to make plant-based living effortless, and our ...

British company HOWND, which produces ethical pet products, has introduced a new type of dog food — ready-made porridge. It will launch in time for World Porridge Day, which is on October 10. The new product, Fresh Blueberry & Coconut Porridge with Chia & Oats, is part of HOWND’s Plant Powered Superfood range, which launched earlier this year. Another new addition to the range is Fragrant Papaya Chia & Lentil Dahl with Coconut & Moringa. HOWND will also be introducing its first dry food recipe this autumn — Plant Powered Superfood with Hemp Protein and Moringa. Its products are all vet-approved, and the company aims to shatter the myth that dogs are obligate carnivores — in reality, they are omnivores and can thrive on an entirely plant-based diet. HOWND’s foods are available from its website and at select retailers. Ethical pet food Animal-free pet food is a growing area, with various companies working to meet demand. In the US, Wild Earth is producing highly successful plant-based pet food and is working on cell-cultured alternatives. Bond Pet Foods makes its plant-based products using fermentation, while Because, Animals is also developing cultured pet food. “HOWND is completely focussed on maintaining optimal health and wellbeing in dogs while avoiding harm to other animals and the planet, and our customers share this passion,” said HOWND Co-Founder Jo Amit. “Since the launch of our plant-powered dog food in February, we’ve built up a loyal pack of dogs who are thriving on our first Pumpkin Casserole ...

What is cultured meat and who is it for? ProVeg’s New Food Conference, which will be held at the Anuga trade fair on October 10 and 11, aims to answer these and other questions. In this interview, Katleen Haefele, Head of Food Services and Events at ProVeg, provides insights into Europe’s first and largest conference on alternative proteins, and reveals a very exciting food sampling that will be available at the event. Why is the New Food Conference being held in collaboration with Anuga this time? Anuga is the world’s largest trade fair for food and beverages, and is an important barometer of the industry and its future. Plant-based foods and alternative proteins have experienced a real boom in recent years and the segment continues to grow, as evidenced by the plant-based presence at Anuga. Together with Anuga, we want to further advance innovation in the sector and continue to bring alternative proteins to the attention of the industry. The event takes place both on-site and digitally. What are the differences? The on-site event will take place on October 10 and 11 at the Congress Centrum Nord, as part of Anuga. Unfortunately, we are limited to around 110 participants on-site due to Corona protection measures. As we will soon be fully booked, we recommend securing on-site tickets while there are still some available. At the same time, we will also broadcast the programme digitally and make it available on demand afterwards, in order to give people around the world the ...

Mycoprotein: what is it and why? I chat with Paul Shapiro AND take a tour of the new mycoprotein plant recently opened by The Better Meat Co. We’ll learn how the superfood fungi Rhiza is changing the alt protein landscape on The Plantbased Business Hour.  Specifically, Paul and Elysabeth discuss, Microbes, fungi and microproteins. The benefits of fungi and biomass fermentation. The impact of microbial fermentation and mycoprotein, Rhiza. How meat companies are reacting to Rhiza mycoprotein and similar microbes. A clip and transcript from their long-form conversation is below.  The podcast is here.  Click here to display content from YouTube.Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy. Always display content from YouTube Elysabeth: Paul, thanks for being here and talking about mycoproteins. Paul Shapiro: Let me just talk briefly, Elysabeth, if you don’t mind, about how we make plant-based meat today because right now, nearly all the meat that is sold in the plant-based world is coming from one of three crops. It’s either coming from soy, coming from wheat, or it’s coming from peas. Or it’s coming from some combination thereof. Now if you notice, all of those have one thing in common. They are all plants and plants are very far evolutionarily speaking away from animals. So it takes a lot, for example, to get a pea to have the texture and taste of an animal. So what you do is you have to grow a field of peas, let’s say, mill it into a flour. Now you have a pea flower ...