The brand new factory will enable the largest-scale manufacture and distribution of plant-based meat across Europe to date. Producer Plant & Bean says that an ‘ecosystem of collaborative innovation’ with industry leaders will achieve breakthroughs in cost and quality of plant-based meat. Plans for further plants in USA and Asia are also afoot.
Formerly the meat-free division of Brecks Foods, Plant & Bean has a 20-year proven track record in plantbased manufacture. Interestingly, the company received Series A investment of £9 million from NR Instant Produce PCL (NRF) last year – which as we reported is listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand and raised $51.4M in the country’s biggest IPO since the pandemic.
Site to be replicated internationally
Located in Boston, Lincolnshire, the 65 acre / 263,000 m2 site, will have a planned initial capacity of 55,000 tonnes. Furthermore, in a move to establish the world’s first global plant-based manufacturing platform, Plant & Bean will replicate the new UK site with production facilities in the USA next year, and Asia in 2022.
The company states today of the new facility: “Among Plant & Bean customers, large-scale production is acknowledged as essential to removing the cost barrier that currently prevents mainstream consumers from buying plant-based meat products. By producing at scale, locally, these brands can also significantly shorten supply chains, resulting in significant cost-savings.”
Plant & Bean today revealed new strategic partnerships with global food product development company, Griffith Foods; specialised manufacturer and ingredient supplier of premium NON-GMO soy proteins, Gushen; and world-renowned research institutions, Wageningen University & Research (The Netherlands), and the food and sustainability focused Singapore Institute of Technology.
Leveraging this network, the company is perfectly set up to partner with international brands seeking to develop and innovate their plant-based product ranges with new high-quality, low-cost options.
Progressive global manufacturing strategy
“Today’s announcement underscores our commitment to repair what is a broken food system,” says Plant & Bean CEO, Edwin Bark. “Right now, sixty-five percent of consumers do not eat plant-based meats due to price and quality. With our two-pronged approach, we believe we are best placed to make the meaningful change required to tackle these issues.
With our progressive global manufacturing strategy, brands will finally have the means to scale high-volume product ranges in order to lower the price-point for consumers. As regards product quality, we are making huge strides in improving the taste, texture and appearance of plant-based meat – bringing together the brightest minds in the food industry to reinvent the way we make plant-based meat at the ingredient and process level.”
“In the past year, I believe there has been a realization amongst the plant-based meat industry that if we’re to penetrate the mass-market, the speed of innovation needs to increase dramatically, and that no one company can do it alone,” continues Bark.
