UK alt meat manufacturer Plant & Bean (P&B) has been saved at the eleventh hour after it was bought from administration by plant-based entrepreneur Heather Mills.
“I am delighted to acquire the P&B facilities and to keep it as a non-meat factory”
Plant & Bean operates a 125,000-square-foot site in Boston, Lincolnshire, which was described as “Europe’s largest” alt meat facility when it first opened in 2020. The site produces meat alternatives for brands such as Quorn and Wicked Kitchen. However, P&B ran into difficulties earlier this year due to increases in food and energy prices, along with a lack of investment. The manufacturer appointed administrators on May 31.
Mills, who is the founder of plant-based group VBites, has now acquired the facility and equipment for an undisclosed sum. According to Business Live, two companies operated by Heather Mills — Vegan Solo Consulting and Duo Renovations — have purchased the manufacturing facilities and equipment at P&B.
Driving positive change
This surprise development comes just two weeks after Meatless Farm was saved from administration when its facility and assets were acquired by plant-based chicken producer VFC. Notably, both Heather Mills and VFC co-founder Matthew Glover hail proudly from the north of England, and the acquisitions of Plant & Bean and Meatless Farm will help to preserve the plant-based industry in the region.
Mills has publicly proclaimed since back in 2018 her desire to resurrect local manufacturing in her home region. The VBites manufacturing plant in Peterlee, UK, created hundreds of jobs in late 2021 following a strategic partnership with German food giant Pfeifer & Langen. Upon the purchasing of the Walkers crisps factory, Vbites said, “Peterlee was bought and heavily invested in to bring employment to the North East to scale for the vegan plant-based food industry,” adding in response to rumours that the plant would close during Covid, that “We still wish to scale up in the North East and do everything we can”.
“I am delighted to acquire the P&B facilities and to keep it as a non-meat factory,” said Mills. “I am also pleased to try and help the founder of P&B, who has worked in a similar vein to myself for many decades to drive positive change for the environment, the animals, and for the health of the global population.”
