Amsterdam-based plant-based cheese company Willicroft has officially announced its closure following difficulties in meeting fundraising targets in 2024. The company, founded in 2018 by Brad Vanstone, created sustainable alternatives to dairy inspired by traditional cheese-making techniques, but ultimately could not achieve the financial viability required to continue operations.
“After failing to meet our fundraising goals, we made the difficult decision to sell the company”
In a public statement on Linkedin, Vanstone described the decision to close as a difficult one. “2024 was a tough year for Willicroft. After failing to meet our fundraising goals, we made the difficult decision to sell the company,” he wrote. Reflecting on the company’s trajectory, he acknowledged its contributions to the plant-based sector while also noting the challenges it faced in scaling.
Willicroft began as a small operation in Vanstone’s kitchen in Amsterdam, drawing inspiration from his family’s farming history. The brand was named after his grandparents’ dairy farm in Devon, UK, which dates back to 1957. A former dairy cheese enthusiast, Vanstone transitioned to a plant-based diet for environmental reasons and sought to merge his appreciation for traditional cheesemaking with a more sustainable approach.
The company launched its first range of plant-based cheeses in 2019, including a fondue alternative, and soon expanded its retail presence to include partnerships with major Dutch supermarkets such as Albert Heijn and Jumbo. By 2021, Willicroft had reformulated its products, replacing nuts with beans to enhance scalability and sustainability. In 2023, the company launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund the development of its vegan butter, though the effort was ultimately not enough to sustain the business.
Successes and challenges
Willicroft was a certified B Corp and one of the highest-scoring company in its category for plant-based cheese and butter, however the business faced significant obstacles in competing with the established dairy industry. Vanstone drew attention to the disparity in production outputs, comparing the lifetime yield of a single Holstein Friesian cow (100 tonnes of milk) to Willicroft’s total production of just under 100 tonnes over six years.
In his announcement, Vanstone acknowledged the broader challenges of the plant-based food industry, stating, “It remains far too difficult for companies driving positive change in the food industry to thrive.”
Vanstone expressed gratitude to those who supported the company and noted, “Willicroft, in its current form, was meant to last far longer. Nonetheless, it has been an experience I will never forget—one I feel privileged to have lived and one that has filled me with tremendous energy to build upon.”
