The Vegetarian Butcher

Burger King UK

© Burger King UK
Marketing & Media

Over 40% of Meat Eaters Haven’t Tried Plant-Based Burgers – Burger King’s New Campaign Aims to Change That

Burger King UK has launched a campaign to encourage meat eaters to try plant-based options, supported by Pete Wicks, known for his role on the reality TV show The Only Way Is Essex. The initiative is in collaboration with The Vegetarian Butcher, and its goal is to increase awareness and trial of plant-based burgers. Wicks, who has been appointed Burger King’s first-ever “Chief Persuader,” is tasked with delivering Vegan Royale® burgers to meat-eaters, hoping to convince them to experience the taste of plant-based alternatives. The campaign is driven by research from GFI that reveals more than 40% of meat eaters have never tried a plant-based burger. Speaking on his involvement, Wicks commented, “You don’t have to go full veggie to enjoy good food. I’m proud …

more

Topics:

The Vegetarian Butcher

© The Vegetarian Butcher
Investments & Acquisitions

Unilever Completes Sale of The Vegetarian Butcher to Vivera

At the end of last year, Unilever announced plans to sell off its plant-based meat brand, The Vegetarian Butcher, as part of its efforts to slim down its portfolio and focus on its core “power brands.” Now, less than 4 months later, Unilever has found a buyer—Dutch plant-based food brand Vivera. The Vegetarian Butcher, which was acquired by Unilever in 2018, has seen substantial growth under the multinational’s ownership. Since the acquisition, the brand expanded into over 55 markets, offering both retail and foodservice products. However, Unilever noted that the brand’s unique supply chain and research and development requirements made it difficult to integrate within the broader Unilever Foods portfolio. This divergence in operational needs was a key factor in the decision to sell. The …

more

Beyond Burger

© Beyond Meat
Company News

Beyond Meat Cuts Costs and Exits China as Industry Responds to Market Challenges

Beyond Meat has reported its fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 financial results, revealing modest revenue growth in late 2024 alongside cost reductions and improved margins. However, the company continues to operate at a loss and has announced further restructuring efforts, including job cuts and the suspension of operations in China, as it targets profitability by the end of 2026. Beyond Meat generated $76.7 million in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2024, a 4% increase from the previous year. Full-year revenue declined by nearly 5% to $326.5 million. While the company reduced its net loss from $338.1 million in 2023 to $160.3 million in 2024, it remains unprofitable. CEO Ethan Brown stated that 2024 was a “pivotal year” for the company, noting improvements in cost control …

more

Marketing & Media

Webtalk Recording: 10 Years Veganuary – Lessons, Leads and Learnings

Curious how Veganuary campaigns are evolving to inspire change on an international scale? Our recent webtalk unpacked key strategies, including the role of retail in accelerating transformation, the importance of fun narratives, and how to engage both vegans and heavy meat-eaters alike. We also explored why more people are sticking to plant-based diets post-Veganuary—and what this means for the future of food. Expert panel Toni Vernelli, International Head of Policy and Communications at Veganuary Denise Schmidt, Brand Activist at The Vegetarian Butcher Nadine Filko, Moderation Watch the replay Explore the discussion in depth by viewing the entire session below. Display “10 Years Veganuary” from YouTube Click here to display content from YouTube. Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy. Always display content from YouTube Open “10 …

more

Vegetarian Butcher fish fillet

© The Vegetarian Butcher
Company News

Unilever to Sell The Vegetarian Butcher as Part of Plan to Offload Brands Worth £1Bn

Unilever has reportedly put plant-based meat brand The Vegetarian Butcher up for sale as it works to slim down its portfolio. According to Sky News, the multinational company is working with investment bank Piper Sandler to sell the brand, and many potential buyers have been approached already. At an investor event last week, CEO Hein Schumacher said he planned to focus on Unilever’s international “power brands”, such as Hellmann’s mayonnaise; Reuters reported earlier this year that these brands represent over 70% of the company’s sales. In line with Unilever’s Growth Action Plan 2030, Schumacher intends to offload smaller brands worth around £1 billion in annual sales. Dutch brands such as Unox and Conimex are rumoured to be among them, and Unilever has even attempted to …

more

sacrifice nothing add for the vegetarian butcher

© The Vegetarian Butcher
Tourism & Travel

LSG Group & The Vegetarian Butcher Partner to Bring Plant-Based Meat to Onboard Dining

The LSG Group and The Vegetarian Butcher have announced a new partnership to introduce plant-based and vegan meals in airline catering. Through the collaboration, the LSG Group will offer its customers the ability to cater to vegetarians, flexitarian, and meat-loving passengers using The Vegetarian Butcher’s broad range of plant-based products that “allow people to continue to enjoy their favorite meat dishes without giving up the taste or texture.” Growing trend of plant-based diets The LSG Group is a leading provider of end-to-end onboard products and services. Its brand, LSG Sky Chefs, a classic catering and hospitality expert serving airline and train customers, delivers an impressive 308 million meals annually in 131 locations worldwide. The Vegetarian Butcher is currently joining LSG Sky Chefs at the ongoing …

more

The Vegetarian Butcher X EVERY Company

© The Vegetarian Butcher
Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

The Vegetarian Butcher to Veganize Products With The EVERY Co.’s Animal-Free Egg Whites

The Vegetarian Butcher, part of Unilever, is partnering with The EVERY Company to enhance the texture and nutritional profile of its plant-based meat alternatives using The EVERY Company’s EVERY EggWhite. This proprietary ingredient, derived from precision fermentation, mimics the binding properties of conventional eggs without involving any animal components. Formerly known as Clara Foods, EVERY has pioneered the development of animal-free egg products through a fermentation process that utilizes yeast and sugar to produce proteins that mimic the gelation properties of hen’s eggs. This method enables the production of high-quality, functional proteins with a significantly reduced environmental footprint compared to traditional animal farming. The company’s proteins are Vegan Society certified as no animals were used or harmed to produce its egg proteins, though they still require …

more

Vegetarian Butcher fish fillet

© The Vegetarian Butcher
Products & Launches

The Vegetarian Butcher Launches its First Vegan Fish Product

The first vegan fish alternative from Unilever subsidiary The Vegetarian Butcher, the “Krosse Flosse”, is now available in Germany. The Dutch brand is following its philosophy of producing plant-based alternatives that provide the same experience as their animal-based counterparts, with the aim of sustainably removing animals from all steps of meat and fish production. According to the company, the “Krusty Fin” is very similar to the animal equivalent in texture, taste, and ingredients. The 100% plant-based fish fillets are made from rice and wheat protein and are enriched with omega-3. The Vegetarian Butcher has expanded its range to include various new vegan products in recent months. In January, the company presented its product innovations to a large audience at the Green Week in Berlin, receiving …

more

Hugo Verkuil of The Vegetarian Butcher

Hugo Verkuil. © The Vegetarian Butcher
Interviews

The Vegetarian Butcher: “Our Mission Will Not Change, We Remain Committed to Releasing Animals From the Food Chain”

Founded 13 years ago in the Netherlands, alt meat producer The Vegetarian Butcher has since expanded into an international brand, seeing huge growth since it was acquired by Unilever in 2018. The Vegetarian Butcher’s success has partially been driven by its partnerships with major food service companies; the brand is Burger King’s main plant-based supplier, and has partnered with the chain to open meat-free Burger King locations worldwide. In the past year alone, The Vegetarian Butcher has launched plant-based butcher counters at Spanish supermarkets, developed a bacon alternative featuring new patented fat technology, and collaborated with a major döner producer to offer vegan kebab meat. The brand also marked its 13th anniversary with the opening of a plant-based butchery in Rotterdam. We spoke to Hugo …

more

The Vegetarian Butcher has introduced handmade holiday specials, including stuffed vegan Christmas turkey at its newly opened plant-based butchery in Rotterdam.

© The Vegetarian Butcher
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

The Vegetarian Butcher Launches Vegan Christmas Turkey in Rotterdam’s First Plant-Based Butchery

Unilever’s The Vegetarian Butcher has introduced handmade holiday specials, including stuffed vegan Christmas turkey at its newly opened plant-based butchery in Rotterdam. The brand’s team crafted 60 vegan whole turkeys (including vegetable legs) for lovers of traditional Christmas dishes. Interested customers had to purchase the turkey in person on a pre-order basis like in traditional butcher shops (the reservations closed on the 17th of December, and the product is unavailable at supermarkets), reports RTL Nieuws. However, before Christmas Eve, customers will receive their turkeys pre-sliced into fillets stuffed with a mixture of apricots and nuts rather than obtaining the entire roasted turkey. The Vegetarian Butcher’s team also prepared other limited-edition menu items for the holiday table: a vegan meatloaf that comes with a cherry ketchup glaze …

more

Burger King has launched a plant-based restaurant in Puerto Rico.

© Burger King Puerto Rico
Fast Food

Burger King Launches 15th Plant-Based Restaurant Powered by The Vegetarian Butcher in Puerto Rico

Article update 15 Nov: The Vegetarian Butcher informs us that this location does serve a “limited amount of eggs and dairy,” and as such consumers must be conscious of this if visiting the restaurant. Burger King has launched its 15th plant-based restaurant, powered by The Vegetarian Butcher: “La Casa Veggie,” in Puerto Rico.  Using the motto, “Try the green side of flavor,” the new store in Plaza Trujillo Alto offers customers a “full veggie experience,” including plant-based versions of Burger King classics such as Whopper, Long Chicken Sandwich, Nuggets, and other options, such as salads and wraps, all made with The Vegetarian Butcher’s products.  Simultaneously, Burger King has launched its veggie options on the regular menus in all of its Puerto Rico locations. “The taste …

more

World Vegan Day

Image: vegconomist
People

Messages From Vegan Business Leaders on World Vegan Day, Part 3

In this third and final installment of our World Vegan Day special, we feature valuable insights from and words of solidarity from: CEO of The Vegetarian Butcher, Hugo Verkuil; CEO of Let’s Plant Meat, Smith Taweelerdniti; founder of Plantform and Boldy Foods, Allen Zelden; founder of Fenn Foods, Alejandro Cancino; CEO of Libre Foods, Alan Iván Ramos; and CEO of Impact Food, Kelly Pan. These messages come to us from each corner of the planet, with the founders located in Thailand; Australia; The Netherlands; Catalonia, Spain; and San Francisco, California. We asked: as we approach the end of what has been a turbulent year for many in the business, what is your message for the plant-based industry as we look ahead to 2024? Hugo Verkuil, …

more

Burger King to offer discounted Vegan Royale burgers

Image: Burger King
Marketing & Media

Burger King UK to Offer Discounted Vegan Royale Burgers Every Monday

Burger King UK is now offering its chicken-style Vegan Royale burger at a discounted price of £2.99 on Mondays, with the aim of encouraging more customers to try plant-based options. It comes after a poll commissioned by the chain in collaboration with The Vegetarian Butcher found that 73% of meat-eaters wouldn’t choose a plant-based menu option, with 48% saying they don’t believe plant-based meat tastes as good as animal meat. However, 31% said they would be more likely to choose a plant-based dish if they knew it tasted as good as the conventional option, while 38% said better value for money would make them more likely to order plant-based food. Plant-based game show To address the idea that plant-based options don’t taste as good, Burger …

more

The Vegetarian Butcher plant-based butchery

© The Vegetarian Butcher
Company News

The Vegetarian Butcher Celebrates 13th Anniversary With New Plant-Based Butchery in Rotterdam

Dutch alt meat brand The Vegetarian Butcher (owned by Unilever) is marking its 13th anniversary with the opening of a plant-based butchery in Rotterdam. The store will offer “the meatiest plant-based craftsmanship out there”, with dozens of varieties of meat alternatives available. This will include limited edition products that are exclusive to the store. The news comes after The Vegetarian Butcher opened plant-based butcher counters at 24 Carrefour stores in Spain earlier this year, along with one in France in 2022. The brand has also previously opened a pop-up restaurant in The Hague and a lunchroom at Rotterdam Central Station. From local to global Since it was founded in 2010, The Vegetarian Butcher has successfully grown from a local brand to a global one, with …

more

Topics:

The Vegetarian Butcher and Düzgün Food Group, launch plant-based kebab skewers for food service.

© Unilever
Food Service

The Vegetarian Butcher and Düzgün Group Launch Plant-Based Kebab Skewer for Food Service

Unilever’s The Vegetarian Butcher and Düzgün Food Group, a producer and wholesaler supplying skewers to döner chains, shops, and restaurants in more than 15 countries, announce the European launch of their first jointly developed product: a plant-based kebab skewer for food service. The new meat-free kebab, intended for large-scale operations, can be cooked and grilled vertically on a large skewer and shaved off as traditional animal meat. The NPD is said to offer the authentic taste and experience of the traditional kebab. It is halal-certified and lactose-free, suitable for vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians. The product is already available for distribution.  “Hacking meat icons like the döner kebab with plant-based equivalents is what it is all about for us. We are targeting meat lovers – from vegans …

more

Topics:

La Vie bacon close up

© La Vie
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

The Technology Behind the Success of Carnivore-Fooling Vegan Bacon

By channeling cutting-edge technology, food tech companies make vegan bacon that looks, tastes and feels like pork bacon, convincing flexitarians and carnivores alike. Crispiness, moisture, bite, and flavor are the top challenges R&D and scientific teams must overcome to win over consumers. According to Coherent Market Insights, vegan bacon is becoming increasingly popular because companies have developed healthier alternatives. The global vegan bacon market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.6% between 2022 and 2032, totaling around US$ 2,425.4 million by 2032. Let’s look at the technology behind some of the most popular brands of vegan bacon. Hooray Foods — emulsion tech San Francisco-based Hooray Foods launched its first plant-based bacon in 2020, claiming that it rivaled the taste and texture of pork …

more

Topics:

The Vegetarian Butcher Vegan Bacon NoBacon 2.0

Image courtesy of Unilever
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Unilever’s Vegetarian Butcher Unveils New Vegan Bacon With Patented Fat Technology

Following Unilever’s recent announcement that it aims to achieve €1.5 billion in sales from plant-based products by 2025, the multinational contacts vegconomist with news that its plant-based meat brand The Vegetarian Butcher has launched plant-based bacon, “NoBacon 2.0”, which it says features a new patented fat tissue technology that mimics the same texture, oil release and translucency of real bacon. Unilever states that its food scientists have focused on using plant oils to deliver plant-based bacon that is crispier, juicier, and has 20x more fat release meaning the product can be fried without the need for additional oil. Like the original NoBacon product, this new iteration is made from soy and wheat protein. Unilever claims that the new bacon is unique in terms of fat, …

more

Topics:

The Vegetarian Butcher at Carrefour butcher counter

© The Vegetarian Butcher
Retail & E-Commerce

The Vegetarian Butcher Launches at Butcher Counters at Spanish Carrefour Supermarkets

The Vegetarian Butcher and European hypermarket chain Carrefour strengthen ties to expand the offer of meat alternatives in some of the butcher shops in Spanish Carrefour locations. Although products from The Vegetarian Butcher were already available last year, from this month the products will be available in a total of 24 Carrefour group establishments. The products that will be available at the butcher counters are crispy burgers; breaded burgers with iron and vitamin B12 called the Kikiricrunch Burger; vegan soy and wheat-based beef burgers; the famous Burghesian Rapshody patty; and vegetable nuggets. With this new agreement, Unilever‘s plant-based meat brand reinforces its commitment to the democratization of these products through Carrefour, which has positioned itself as one of the pioneer distributors in making this type …

more

Topics:

Meat-free popup

© Burger King
Fast Food

Burger King Opens Meat-Free Popups in Three Nordic Cities

Burger King has opened three meat-free popup restaurants in the cities of Oslo, Stockholm, and Copenhagen. Customers in the Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish capitals can now choose from a range of offerings made using The Vegetarian Butcher’s plant-based meat — including meat-free versions of classic options such as the Whopper and Chicken Royale. Some sauces containing eggs and dairy are still available, but customers can ask for these to be omitted to make their orders fully vegan. “By opening a restaurant that only serves plant-based and meat-free alternatives, we get a good opportunity to test products that are not yet part of our traditional menu for our further product development and innovation within the plant-based segment,” said Carsten Lambrecht, country manager for Burger King Denmark. …

more

© La Vie

Marketing & Media

10 Times Vegan Brands Took on the Food Industry With Provocative Ad Campaigns

In a week where allplants and THIS in the UK, as well as Eat Just in the US, have challenged their counterparts with disruptive ad campaigns; we take a look at ten plant-based brands that have taken on the food industry over the past 12 months, causing the public to consider their food purchasing choices through the use of thought-provoking factual information or humor. And, in one case, nudity. 1. allplants, UK This week, vegan meal delivery service allplants has announced it is “taking a stance to break the industry free from ultra-processed foods with wholefood plant power”. The company has erected billboards in the UK comparing the ingredients in an allplants dish to those in a supermarket ready meal, after conducting a survey showing …

more

load more