VFC

VFC Believe in Chickens campaign

© VFC
Marketing & Media

VFC Condemns Hypocrisy & Cruelty Inherent in KFC Campaign: “KFC Believes in Chicken, Whereas VFC Believes in Chickens”

Activist-led UK brand VFC has accused KFC of hypocrisy after the chain launched a major ad campaign encouraging consumers to “Believe in Chicken”. According to VFC, KFC’s representation of chicken cannot be trusted. Consequently, the brand has launched a social media campaign featuring a modified version of KFC’s billboard creative, altering the message to “Believe in Chickens”. By addressing chickens in the plural, VFC aims to highlight that they are living creatures that deserve to be treated with compassion. Unlike KFC’s campaign, which features images of fried chicken, VFC’s version shows how farmed chickens are treated. This is not the first time VFC has challenged the fast food chain — in 2022, the brand condemned a “misleading” KFC campaign where an influencer was invited to …

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VFG banner logo

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Company News

VFC Foods Becomes The Vegan Food Group, a Plant-Based Powerhouse “Heralding a Transformative Era” in Plant-Based Foods

The Vegan Food Group (VFG) is unveiled today as the new entity for VFC Foods Ltd, setting out its vision as a “new plant-based powerhouse” and boldly stating its commitment to becoming a global food leader. The group as emerging this week currently entails VFC (Vegan Fried Chicken) and its acquired brands Meatless Farm and Clive’s Purely Plants, with plans for further acquisitions. The formation of the new group, according to VFC, heralds a “transformative era in the plant-based food sector”. As most of our readers will know, VFC was founded at the end of 2020 by Matthew Glover and chef Adam Lyons, with a mission to “take on the chicken industry and ultimately save chickens from the cruelty of factory farming”. Following three years …

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Vegan fried chicken brand VFC and the plant-based recipe kit startup Grubby, have partnered to offer exclusive chicken dishes for Veganuary.

© Image courtesy of VFC
Delivery Services

VFC and Grubby Join Forces for Exclusive Vegan Fried Chick*n Menu for Veganuary

Two leading UK vegan food companies, the famous fried chick*n brand VFC and Grubby, a recipe kit startup, have partnered to offer exclusive high-protein dishes for Veganuary. VFC will be Grubby’s “breaded chick*n partner,” adding three new recipes: Crispy Chicken Burger, Korean Fried Chicken, and Chicken Katsu Curry. The brand’s popular range of fried chicken alternative products will add a protein-rich alternative to Grubby’s healthy fakeaway and street food 2024 menu. The collaboration will expand to provide five new recipes during the year. Alison Reilly, Head of Marketing for VFC, said: “As the leading plant-based meal kit in the market, partnering with Grubby is a fantastic way to convert new consumers to the incredible taste of VFC and realise our mission to spare as many chickens’ lives as …

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VFC fakeaway ready meals

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Meat- and Fish Alternatives

VFC Launches Fakeaway Ready Meals and “Market First” Chick*n Sausages

Vegan food activist leader VFC is celebrating Veganuary with the launch of several new products in the UK, including a range of fakeaway ready meals, plant-based chicken sausages that are claimed to be a market first, and a chilled version of the brand’s chicken-style mince. The frozen ready meals debut with two products — Chick*n Fried Rice and Chick*n Curry. The single-serving bags can be pan-fried in eight minutes, and aim to offer a healthier, meat-free version of takeaway favourites. They are gluten-free, high in protein, and provide one of the five recommended daily servings of fruit and vegetables. The chick*n sausages and mince are sold chilled, and are described as “flavour-packed”. Both are high-protein, gluten-free, and low in salt and saturated fat. The sausages …

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VFC unbreaded vegan chicken

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Meat- and Fish Alternatives

VFC Launches Vegan Chick*n Breasts & “First-to-Market” Chick*n Mince

UK-based brand VFC has launched a new range of “naked” unbreaded vegan chicken, with two products — Chick*n Mince and Chick*n Breasts — rolling out in the frozen aisle at supermarket chain Morrisons. The launch marks an expansion beyond VFC’s core range of southern-fried coated vegan chick*n. The brand hopes the products will reach a wider range of consumers, as they are suitable for multiple usage occasions. The new plant-based mince is claimed to be a first-to-market product, with 31g of protein per 100g and 65% less saturated fat than conventional chicken mince. It is also gluten-free. The chicken-style breasts are said to “replicate the shape, juicy texture, and taste of real chicken breasts”, making the swap to plant-based as easy as possible. “Our vegan …

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World Vegan Day Collage

Image: vegconomist
People

Messages From Vegan Business Leaders on World Vegan Day, Part 1

On this World Vegan Day, we at vegconomist felt that this year it was especially important to boost morale in the industry and share insights and advice amongst the community. We asked business leaders: 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? Here we share messages from figures in the UK vegan business scene: CEO of VFC and Meatless Farm, Dave Sparrow; Senior Brand Manager at OGGS, Joe Farrar; Co-Founder & CMO at Better Nature Tempeh, Elin Roberts; CEO of Citizen Kind, Emma Osborne;  and CEO of Miami Foods, Loui Blake. Dave Sparrow, VFC: “Clear strategy” Firstly, happy World Vegan Day to …

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VFC Foods has agreed to acquire Clive's Purely Plants, a UK plant-based manufacturer of pies, quiches, rolls, and nut roasts.

Image courtesy of VFC
Investments & Acquisitions

VFC Foods Acquires Clive’s Purely Plants, Set to Increase Annual Sales by 30%

Vegan fried chicken company VFC Foods acquires Clive’s Purely Plants, a UK plant-based manufacturer of pies, quiches, rolls, and nut roasts.  Clive’s Purely Plants is the second brand to join the VFC Foods family this year, less than four months after the successful acquisition of Meatless Farm in June. VFC states that this strategic move marks a substantial expansion that promises to increase the group’s annual sales by an “impressive” 30%.  In 2021, Veg Capital, the UK vegan investment fund launched by Veganuary and VFC founder Matthew Glover, acquired a majority share in the plant-based pies producer that aimed to reach £10 million in sales. “Clive’s perfectly complements our portfolio and enhances our ability to meet this growing demand,” says Dave Sparrow, CEO of VFC Foods. Expansion into the UK …

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Brand remain committed to UK plant-based category

© Happy Vegi Butcher
Market & Trends

Resilience in the UK: Brands Remaining Committed to the Plant-Based Category

Several alt protein brands have said they are still committed to the plant-based category in the UK in spite of challenging market conditions. Discussing its first-half results, Swiss food group Orior — owner of the plant-based Happy Vegi Butcher brand — said that while sales in Switzerland had remained stable, those in the UK were “inadequate, with only minimal signs of recovery”. Despite this, the company insisted it was “fully convinced of the future viability and growth potential” of the plant-based category, seeing the current situation as a “temporary bear market”. Orior said that the increasing adoption of flexitarian diets provided assurance that the plant-based market would see further growth. This sentiment has been echoed by Dutch dairy giant FrieslandCampina, which is about to launch …

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MF No duja

@ Meatless Farm
Company News

Meatless Farm Back on Shelves Less Than a Month After Facing Administration

Best-selling products from UK alt meat brand Meatless Farm are back on supermarket shelves, along with a new product development said to be the first-to-market, just weeks after famously being acquired by industry peer VFC. Speaking to vegconomist on the acquisition of the brand, VFC Co-founder Matthew Glover said that the acquisition, financed from the company’s cash reserves, marks a crucial milestone for the company and its mission to remove animals from the food chain. A major step for plant-based “Those claiming the plant-based food movement has peaked are mistaken. The consumer appetite for plant-based is still there and at a total EU level, the category is in growth, with unit sales growth of the plant-based milk, meat and cheese categories outpacing that of animal-based …

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Dave Sparrow, CEO of VFC

Dave Sparrow © VFC
Interviews

VFC: “Consumer-Led Brands That Stay True to Their Core Values Will Weather the Storm”

Chicken industry disruptor brand VFC, still on an unrelenting mission to remove animals from the food chain, believes in the continued growth of the plant-based food movement.  Last month VFC famously acquired fellow UK plant meat producer Meatless Farm, a brand known for its vegan mince product, which was close to bankruptcy. The acquisition worth £12 million in sales will allow VFC to diversify its plant-based chickn portfolio. It was high time to meet CEO Dave Sparrow who stepped up into the role in the place of Matthew Glover in April of last year, and who led the acquisition of Meatless Farm, to get the full story. Please remind our readers about the core mission behind VFC. Our mission is an act of positive rebellion …

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VFC enters chilled category

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Meat- and Fish Alternatives

VFC Enters Chilled Category in “First Phase of an Exciting Pipeline” of Game-Changing NPDs

UK plant-based chicken brand VFC has made its debut in the chilled category as it continues on its mission to remove animals from the food chain. The new range includes a chilled version of the brand’s popular Crispy Chick*n Fillets, along with a brand new product — Piri Piri Chick*n Wings. The wings are said to be “perfect for sharing”, and come with a separate sachet of Piri Piri sauce. According to VFC, the launches are “the first phase of an exciting pipeline of NPD” and are part of a global growth strategy. The brand says it is hoping to bring incremental consumers to its products and to the plant-based category as a whole. “Natural next step” The new products follow a highly successful twelve …

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Meatless Farm VFC

Meatless Farm X VFC
Investments & Acquisitions

VFC Saves Meatless Farm From Administration

In a much-needed injection of good news for plant-based business, especially in the UK, fried chicken challenger brand VFC today officially confirms the acquisition of Meatless Farm, which was on the brink of bankruptcy, as many of our readers will be well aware. In a deal worth £12m in sales, VFC has stepped in to save the British brand known in particular for its vegan mince product. The Meatless Farm brand will be retained, with the product range diversifying VFC Foods’ existing plant-based chick*n portfolio.  Speaking to vegconomist this morning, Co-founder Matthew Glover states: “Those claiming the plant-based food movement has peaked are mistaken. The consumer appetite for plant-based is still there and at a total EU level, the category is in growth, with unit …

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Vegan fried chicken

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Investments & Acquisitions

VFC Receives £6M for “Next Level” Expansion Plans and Ambitious NPD Pipeline

Vegan fried chicken brand VFC announces it has received a £6M ($7.4M) investment to further drive expansion in the UK and international markets. Led by Veg Capital, the funding will be used to grow VFC across multiple channels and introduce “game-changing” innovation in adjacent categories, such as chilled products, later this year.  Launched in 2020 by Adam Lyons and Veganuary founder Matthew Glover, VFC has since expanded throughout the UK and reached multiple global markets. According to the company, the past six months have seen especially strong growth, with brand coverage increasing tenfold. Exponential growth VFC reports its latest product innovations, including a “more meat-like” recipe, a new Spicy variety, and its first kids’ product, Stompers, has helped increase distribution at Sainsbury’s, as well as …

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Chick*n tenders

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Food Service

VFC Chick*n Tenders Launch at 600 Marston’s Pubs Across the UK

Vegan fried chicken brand VFC has launched its crispy chick*n tenders at 600 pubs owned by UK company Marston’s. Said to be ideal for dunking and dipping, the tenders feature wheat-based vegan chicken in a southern-fried cornflake coating. Marston’s is one of the UK’s biggest pub chains, with over 1,500 locations across the country. The company first began offering plant-based options in 2018, with the introduction of a new menu featuring the Moving Mountains burger. Later that year, Marston’s won a PETA award for the menu, which also included jackfruit wedges, cauliflower wings, and vegan cheesecake. Other food service outlets serving VFC include vegan kebab chain What the Pitta, Bromsgrove fish and chip shop Gold’s, and plant-based street food kitchen VetoMeato. Making vegan food more …

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VFC Vegan Chicken

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Products & Launches

VFC Expands US Retail Presence to Over 100 Raley’s Stores, Adds Fried Chick*n Tenders to Line

Vegan fried chick*n brand VFC announces it is expanding its US retail presence by launching into over 100 Raley’s grocery stores. Described as an “exciting milestone” for VFC, Raley’s markets on the US West Coast will carry several of the brand’s plant-based products, including Chick*n Filets, Tenders and Popcorn Chick*n. Founded in the UK, VFC aims to revolutionize the plant-based food market with fried vegan chick*n offerings it says don’t sacrifice on flavor. The brand’s products, which are high in protein and feature a crunchy cornflake coating, include: Chick*n Filets – For burgers, sandwiches and more Chick*n Tenders – For dipping and dunking Popcorn Chick*n – For a light, sharable snack Phenomenal success Following tremendous success in the UK and Europe, VFC entered the US …

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Fillets_Spicy_VFC

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Products & Launches

VFC Launches New Spicy Tenders and Fillets, Announces Ocado Listing

Vegan fried chick*n brand VFC has kickstarted 2023 with the launch of Spicy Tenders and Fillets, into Asda, the UK’s 4th biggest supermarket, a month after the Fillets rolled out into Sainsbury’s. Concurrently, the food activists announce a new listing with Ocado where consumers can now purchase VFC Fillets, Tenders and Popcorn Chick*n. Back by consumer demand The new spicy products feature VFC’s soy and wheat-based fried chicken alternative wrapped in a spicy and crispy cornflake coating. The fillets were previously on sale for a short time last year and have now been relaunched in response to requests from customers. Both products are now available at Asda stores across the UK. The news comes just two months after VFC updated its recipe to a new …

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VFC Kids Chick-n_Stompers

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Company News

VFC Announces “More Meat-Like” Recipe, New SKUs, and First Product For Kids

UK vegan chick*n / food activism brand VFC announces a new, “more meat-like” recipe, new Chick*n Tenders and Spicy Fillets, and its very first product for children, which rolled out into Sainsbury’s 6th Nov. The new core recipe — offering a crispier, crunchier southern-fried cornflake coating, higher protein and less salt — will be applied to the full VFC range, which will now include Original Recipe Crispy Chick*n Tenders and Spicy Fillets. VFC states that its proprietary cutting-edge extrusion technology successfully mimics the juiciness, texture and flavour of animal chicken. Concurrently, VFC announces it will see brand coverage increase tenfold throughout 2023, with new listings in Ocado and increased distribution across Sainsbury’s, surpassing 3,200 distribution points in total. The products, recently voted Best New Vegan …

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Peeled vegan cooking competition show

© Peeled
Marketing & Media

VFC to Sponsor Peeled, the “World’s First” Vegan Cooking Competition Show

Vegan fried chicken brand VFC has announced its sponsorship of Peeled, which is said to be the world’s first fully vegan cooking competition show. VFC will be present at Peeled’s red carpet premiere, which will take place on September 24 at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) in Los Angeles. Doors will open at 4 pm, with guests enjoying beer, wine, spirits, and hors d’oeuvres created by PEELED’s contestants. They will also have the opportunity to meet the cast. The show’s first episode will be aired at 6 pm, and will simultaneously be streamed worldwide across multiple platforms including Apple TV, Amazon, and YouTube. Fully vegan show Created by the founders of vegan online resource and mobile listing app VKind, Peeled commenced development around a …

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VFC Chick n meal

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Meat- and Fish Alternatives

VFC to Showcase New Chick*n Tenders at Two US Expos

Vegan fried chicken brand VFC is set to showcase its new Chick*n Tenders at two upcoming events — Plant Based World Expo in New York City and Natural Products Expo East 2022 in Philadelphia. At the Natural Products expo, VFC will serve dishes featuring the Chick*n tenders, which are said to be ideal for dipping and dunking. The brand will also exhibit at Plant Based World Expo, hosting one of the biggest stands at the event. Previously, VFC attended last year’s Plant Based World Expo, where interest was so high that the company decided to dramatically accelerate its US expansion plans. The brand launched in the US last September after raising $10.3 million in funding. Global expansion VFC was founded in the UK, where it …

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Company News

VFC Gives Away Free Vegan Fried Chick*n to the UK

Fast-growing food activist brand VFC has set up a dedicated microsite where customers in the UK can be reimbursed for the price of any VFC product for a whole three month period. Breaking down barriers The campaign is sure to please vegans in the UK, and perhaps persuade its rather outspoken anti-vegan followers to try the products too. Since its launch at the end of 2020 VFC has steadily grown a cult social media following with its humorous approach to meat-eating trolls which has now gathered over 51 thousand followers on Facebook and more than 36 thousand on Instagram. Alison Reilly, Marketing Director for VFC, explains: “Our mission is to spare the lives of chickens, and to do that we need to break down some …

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