More and more surveys are being published recently which reveal that the term “plant-based” is preferred over “vegan” and “vegetarian” in terms of food labelling, with the v-words increasingly being associated with unappetising connotations or seen as alienating to those who do not adhere strictly to a meat-free diet, or who perceive vegetarian and vegan food to be bland.
Beyond Meat
US plant-based company Beyond Meat has been at the forefront of the alt-meat industry since its debut in 2009. Backed by prominent investors and climate activists including Leonardo DiCaprio and Bill Gates, Beyond Meat is laser-focused on driving innovation in the food sector by using its proprietary technology and process to replicate animal meat’s principal components from plant proteins.
Founded by environmentalist and vegan Ethan Brown, the Los Angeles-based manufacturer debuted its initial products on the North American market in 2012. Beyond Meat’s range now includes a wide selection of plant-based meat alternatives, with its best-known product being the Beyond Burger, which was first launched in 2015. Other products include plant-based sausages, beef crumbles, ground beef meatballs, and chicken.
To achieve parity with its animal meat counterparts in terms of texture and taste, Beyond Meat uses a wide array of raw and processed ingredients, such as rice protein, apple extract, salt, and different fats.
Beyond Meat investors & revenues
Following an ongoing shift in consumer demand for plant-based meat, Beyond Meat attracted huge investor interest when it became the first plant-based meat company to go public in 2019. According to Dealogic data, Beyond Meat’s IPO was the best performing for a US company with a market cap of at least $200 million since 2000, with shares skyrocketing more than 160% at close of first day of trade.
Markets & Distribution
As of November 2021, Beyond Meat’s products are available in around 118,000 outlets and grocery stores in over 80 countries worldwide, with plans to expand future retail and food service presence in Europe and China for continued growth.
© Beyond Meat
About the company Beyond Meat
Beyond Meat achieved its status as a global company in 2020, when the plant-based meat pioneer entered the Chinese market through a partnership with Starbucks. Since then, Beyond Meat has been stepping up efforts to strengthen its presence in China, most recently by launching its first DTC e-commerce site for the Chinese market. As of today, Beyond Meat is the only multinational company focused solely on plant-based meat production to open its own production facility in China.
Beyond Meat began distributing its products across Europe into retail, grocery stores and food service in 2018 to extraordinary response. Following the company’s mission to broaden its international reach, the plant-based company acquired a Netherlands production plant, this first European factory allowing to increase speed, scale, and efficiency for its retail and foodservice customers across EMEA.
Consequently, Beyond Meat massively expanded the availability of its plant-based meat products (such as the beef burger and sausages) in 2021, strengthening its retail presence in North America and Europe, with the largest European expansions throughout the UK, Germany, and Austria.
Beyond Meat’s Business Strategy
An integral part of Beyond Meat’s business strategy is numerous partnerships with traditional food industry giants as the company believes it is the route to bringing costs down and scaling. Among these partners are big players like McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Subway, KFC, Pepsi Co. and more. In addition to partnerships that primarily pursue business interests, Beyond Meat is also known for its social partnerships, as it addressed critical issues impacting the black community and partnered with Michelle Obama’s initiative for a Healthier America (PHA) in the past.
As reported in August 2021, the plant-based pioneer also has aspirations beyond meat, as it filed for 109 trademark applications, including Beyond Eggs, Beyond Crab, Beyond Fish, Beyond Ham, Beyond Lamb, Beyond Shrimp, Beyond Cheese and Beyond Milk. The potential for its massive product range expansion plans is key for the R&D-intense plant-based food sector, with Beyond Meat investing about 7.8% of its annual net revenues in R&D.
Even though Beyond Meat faces massive competition from local producers offering products up to 60% cheaper, such as in Russia or Thailand, Beyond Meat is considered the market leader and innovation driver in plant-based meat. According to founder and CEO Ethan Brown, Beyond Meat’s goal is to always stay one step ahead of the competition, saying that by the time other companies succeeded in developing similar products, Beyond Meat is already moving onto something “bigger and better.”
Company mission
In the long run, Beyond Meat plans to make its products indistinguishable from animal protein products, as well as underpricing animal protein in at least one category by 2024 to allow for future growth. Naming the ultimate goal of becoming a “global protein company,” CEO Ethan Brown is targeting parity with the larger protein companies, which are generating upwards of $40 billion in revenues.
Current situation
Just recently, Beyond Meat suffered a sales slowdown. Critics are also pointing out that, compared to other publicly traded counterparts in this field, Beyond Meat is still losing money every year and is not yet profitable. Beyond Meat currently generates 406.8 million USD (in 2020).
Market Report: Rising Demand for Meat Substitutes
According to a new report by Market Research Hub (MRH), the global meat replacements market will grow rapidly in the period 2017-2026, with an annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8%. In addition to the main players in the meat substitutes industry, the report also includes all the indicators and trend data that are responsible for the increasing growth of meat substitutes. Discussion of diseases linked to high meat consumption is increasing the health awareness of many consumers with regards to nutrition. Heightened awareness of the risks of meat and consumers’ growing preferences for healthier living are driving the market for meat substitutes. As a result of this dietary and health trend, the report makes it clear that younger generations and athletes in particular are especially …
Tyson Foods Considers Itself a Protein Producer and Investor for Vegan Companies
In an interview with Feedstuffs, Tom Hayes, the new managing director of meat giant Tyson Foods, spoke about his past investments in plant-based companies and provided insights into the company’s expected future development. He explained why it is so important for Tyson Foods to change public perception of the company, becoming known as a protein producer rather than a meat producer. A sustainable corporate mission statement, the well-being of employees and improved conditions in animal agriculture are issues with which the company’s management will be increasingly concerned in the future.
Beyond Meat to be introduced at Freebirds World Burritos
Beyond Meat doesn’t just sell its products in supermarkets – it also delivers to restaurants. The American company Freebirds World Burrito will now be offering the vegan alternative in its 73 stores. The vegan meat, made from pea protein, is to be used in burritos, tacos, nachos, quesadillas, bowls and salads, and has be launched on the 16th of July. “The partnership with Beyond Meat is the result of growing consumer demand for plant protein alternatives,” said Freebirds. Beyond Meat has already been successfully introduced in restaurants. For example, in Canada it is offered in 1000 “A&W” restaurants and is also included in a sandwich served by “Veggie Grill”. Beyond Meat is growing continuously and is now present in 50 countries. To meet this growing …
Beyond Burger’s UK Launch Delayed Due to Shortages
The Beyond Burger’s imminent UK launch has been postponed indefinitely due to product shortages. The much-publicised Beyond Meat patty had been expected to arrive in Tesco this month.
Beyond Meat Announce “Innovation Centre” in LA
Clean meat pioneers Beyond Meat announced plans for expansion in a press release on 19th July titled “Beyond Meat Opens Doors of New State-of-the-Art Innovation Center in Los Angeles, Expanding Research Footprint and Fueling Progress Toward a Perfect Build of Meat Directly from Plants.”
PHW Group: “We Have Always Taken Unconventional Paths.”
Many milk and meat producers are aware of the growth of vegan products in the market and are adapting their ranges accordingly. The PHW Group has gone one step further and established a new business area called “alternative protein sources”, which includes involvement with SuperMeat and the distribution for Beyond Meat. We asked Marcus Keitzer – the new board member for alternative protein sources – about vegan developments within the PHW Group.
New Research Describes Market for “Bleeding Burgers”
A brand new piece of research based on the emergence of “bleeding burgers” has been released by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company based in London. According to the analysis, people on a low-meat diet, or those reducing their intake of meat, are a fast-growing group far outweighing vegans and vegetarians, and the growth of this segment is expected to continue to rise faster than that of people who follow an entirely plant-based diet. GlobalData’s Lewis Towell, says the current emergence of plant-based burgers produced to give an extremely realistic meat-like appearance, with some recently developing a juice which gives the illusion of animal blood, should aim to target this rapidly growing group, due to the fact that they crave authenticity in their meat substitutes.
Vegan burgers successful in “The Butcher’s Club” restaurant
Nowadays, vegan products are an integral part of the product range at many supermarkets. Many restaurants and fast-food chains are also aware of the increasing popularity of plant-based products, and are offering alternatives. But how can vegan products make it into restaurants which have previously focused entirely on meat?
Great Britain: Sainsbury’s launches vegan product range
The British retail chain Sainsbury’s has announced that it will add an own-brand vegan range to its existing product range this month. In over 400 of the country’s largest stores, the retail group will soon be meeting the growing demand for vegan food and catching up with its competitors.
Beyond Burger in Canadian A&W Restaurants
There has been no official announcement yet, but a publicly posted photo suggests that on July 9th, the Beyond Burger will be introduced in nearly 1,000 Canadian A&W restaurants.
“Lord of the Fries” to operate 100 franchises in India from 2019
Lord of the Fries is one of the most popular destinations for vegan fast food lovers in Australia. The founders of the chain have now announced that they will open 100 franchise stores in India in the coming years.
Beyond Meat Plans to Expand into the UK
The company “Beyond Meat” is set to have a presence in the UK. The now well-known brand, which has made it into numerous American supermarkets with its vegan burgers, is pursuing its plan to establish itself worldwide. The burgers will now be available in Great Britain, where there are many vegans. The manufacturer expects the market launch to be a great success.
Brits are Eating Ever More Vegan Sausage Alternatives, Study Says
The British frozen food distributor “Central Foods” has conducted a market study showing that the demand for vegan and vegetarian sausage alternatives is steadily increasing.
Beyond Meat Presents New Breakfast Sausage Patty
The American company “Beyond Meat” recently announced the forthcoming market launch of its new Breakfast Sausage Patty. The popular brand’s latest vegan meat creation will be available in stores from this autumn.
Beyond Meat®: Present in 50 Countries by the Summer
Beyond Meat®, the current market leader for plant-based meat alternatives, has announced comprehensive global expansion plans. Following its conquest of the American market, the plant-based protein specialist now intends to continue its resounding success worldwide and rapidly expand its global presence.
Netherlands: New Collaboration Between Zandbergen and Beyond Meat
Dutch-based international meat dealer Zandbergen World’s Finest Meat has recently confirmed its cooperation with the well-known American start-up, Beyond Meat®. Zandbergen will in future distribute the popular ‘Beyond Burger®’ and other branded products exclusively for the European market.