Scotland

Fetcha Chocolates to be included in Oscars gift bags

© Fetcha Chocolates
Sweets & Snacks

Luxury Vegan Chocolates Made by Scottish Brand to Be Included in Oscars Gift Bags

Luxury vegan chocolates made by Scottish company Fetcha Chocolates will be included in this year’s famous “Everyone Wins” Oscars gift bags. Founder Fiona MacArthur has prepared a limited-edition selection box for the event, with flavours inspired by the Oscar-nominated films Oppenheimer, Barbie, Poor Things, The Holdovers, Maestro, and Killers of the Flower Moon. The selection box will also be available from the Fetcha Chocolates website from February 10. All the chocolates are free of gluten, palm oil, and alcohol. The gift bags are given to all Academy Awards nominees, and are created by luxury LA marketing company Distinctive Assets. They have a value of approximately $125,000 and feature over 60 gifts, including a luxury holiday. “Creating chocolates for this gift bag is a dream come …

more

Organisations and brands:

Benjamin Armenjon appointed as MD of OCEANIUM

© OCEANIUM
People

OCEANIUM Appoints Benjamin Armenjon of Ÿnsect to Scale and Commercialise Innovative Seaweed Products

OCEANIUM, a Scottish seaweed specialist, announces it has hired Benjamin Armenjon as Managing Director. He will be tasked with driving the commercialisation of innovative seaweed ingredients and the scaling of its proprietary seaweed biorefinery. Armenjon previously served at France’s Ÿnsect, which describes itself as the world leader in insect protein, where he led sales and commercialisation for the company and was integral to its growth, assisting its expansion to over 300 staff with locations across Europe and the US, says the company. Prior to joining Ÿnsect, he held various R&D, production, quality, and sales positions in companies such as Symrise Pet Food and Kemin Nutrisurance. Last September, the company secured $2.6 million with the funds allocated to begin scale-up and to accelerate the commercialisation of …

more

Organisations and brands:

Plant-based roasts by Sgaia

© Sgaia
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Scotland’s Sgaia Launches Plant-Based Roasts Made From Seitan & Pea Protein

Scottish meat alternatives producer Sgaia has launched two new plant-based roasts for the festive season. Available in the flavours Apple & Cranberry and Sage & Onion, the roasts feature a chicken-style outer layer filled with homemade sausage stuffing. They are made using a base of seitan and pea protein, combined with spices and seasonings. The roasts are available in two sizes — 500g and 1kg — and are pre-cooked, meaning they can be prepared in just a few minutes. Despite not containing any preservatives, they have a long shelf life, lasting for six months in the fridge and even longer in the freezer. The new products join Sgaia’s previously launched Garlic & Rosemary roast, which has proven to be extremely popular. Handmade meat alternatives Sgaia …

more

Organisations and brands:

Oatly's call for Big Dairy execs to join debate receives just one response

© Mossgiel Organic Farm
Sustainability / Environment

Oatly’s Call for Big Dairy Execs to Join Climate Labelling Debate Receives Just One Response

As part of its campaign calling for climate labelling on all food and drink products in the UK, Oatly recently hosted a debate where it invited a “Big Dairy Executive” to explain their stance on the subject. Despite the spot being open to dairy executives from across the EU, and the 26 million views received by Oatly’s campaign launch video on social media, the company received just one response from the dairy industry — and it wasn’t from an executive. Bryce Cunningham is a farmer from Mossgiel Organic Farm in Ayrshire, Scotland, who told the Daily Record that he “felt that Oatly’s claims were unjustified”. Mossgiel is working to reduce its carbon emissions, with the aim of reaching net zero by December 2025. The farm …

more

Organisations and brands:

Queen Margaret University develops alternative to palm oil

© Queen Margaret University
Ingredients

Scottish University Develops Sustainable & Clean Label Alternative to Palm Oil

Scientists at Scotland’s Queen Margaret University have developed a healthier and more sustainable alternative to palm oil. Called PALM-ALT, the ingredient is fully plant-based, made from a byproduct of the linseed industry along with fibre and rapeseed oil. Palm oil is considered problematic due to its environmental impact, with palm plantations a key driver of deforestation and habitat destruction in Malaysia and Indonesia. Despite this, the ingredient is still widely used in the food industry and elsewhere, as a replacement with the same properties is currently not available at a competitive cost. The development of a more sustainable alternative has the potential to reduce transport emissions as well as deforestation; PALM-ALT can be made exclusively with ingredients sourced from within the UK and the EU, …

more

Organisations and brands:

OCEANIUM announces a $2.6 million raise to scale its proprietary seaweed biorefinery technology

© OCEANIUM
Investments & Finance

OCEANIUM Secures $2.6M to Meet Growing Demand for Sustainable Seaweed Products

OCEANIUM, a Scottish company specializing in cultivating and processing seaweed, announces a $2.6 million raise to scale its proprietary biorefinery technology. Additionally, the capital will help the Scottish company accelerate the commercialization of its seaweed-derived ingredients and materials to meet market demand for sustainable products.  Impact platform Builders Vision led the round with additional participation from new investors, including BDT & MSD Partners and two family office members of the Hong Kong-based Sustainable Finance Initiative — OCEANIUM’s first investment from Asia. Previous investors, The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Green Angel Ventures, backed the company again in this round. Karen Scofield Seal, CEO and co-founder of OCEANIUM, said: “This investment led by Builders Vision will allow OCEANIUM to scale its proprietary technology to meet the growing demand …

more

Organisations and brands:

vegan pizza range

© Nonna Said
Food Service

Glasgow Pizzeria Launches Extensive Menu of the “Best Vegan Pizza in the Country”

Nonna Said, a popular Napoli-style pizzeria with “toppings that you have never seen,” recently launched a vegan version of its entire menu, offering meat and dairy-free versions of its starters, sides, pizzas, and desserts. Known for its wood-fire oven pizzas with a creative twist, Nonna’s new vegan pizzas include toppings such as fried chicken, ham and pineapple, homemade vegan pepperoni, Jamaican jerk chicken, vegan mozzarella, slow-cooked beef with liquid cheese, and its popular Happy Highlander with haggis and potato smiley faces. Nonna Said opened in 2021 in Merchant City, one of Glasgow’s oldest quarters, with a menu full of fusion street food, low-gluten pizza crusts, as well as a range of cocktails and dog treats. The Glasgow vegan scene The Scottish capital is said to enjoy an …

more

Organisations and brands:

Cow in the Deck chair PlantBased Treaty

© The Plant Based Treaty
Charity & Campaigns

Edinburgh Becomes First European Capital to Join the Plant Based Treaty in Response to the Climate Emergency

Edinburgh becomes the first Scottish city and the first European capital to join the Plant Based Treaty initiative in response to the climate emergency. Haywards Heath in the UK, Boynton Beach in Florida, Los Angeles, Rosario in Argentina, one city in Turkey, and fourteen cities in India have joined The Plant Based Treaty. Since its launch in August 2021, the initiative has received support from 70,000 individual endorsers, 5 Nobel laureates, IPCC scientists, more than 1000 NGOs, and 1000 businesses. Green Councillor Steve Burgess presented the Plant Based Treaty to The City Council of Edinburgh, which voted unanimously to produce an impact assessment on the implications of endorsing The Treaty. The finalized report shows that “meat and dairy consumption must reduce to achieve climate targets” because food-related emissions and …

more

Organisations and brands:

Stirling University student's union goes plant-based

© Animal Rebellion
Society

Scotland’s Stirling University Votes to Make Students’ Union 100% Plant-Based

Students at Scotland’s Stirling University have voted to make all the meals offered at their Students’ Union (SU) plant-based by 2025. The vote was inspired by the Plant Based Universities campaign, which calls for higher education institutes to remove animal products from their menus to improve sustainability. The campaign is supported by Animal Rebellion, an Extinction Rebellion offshoot with a focus on ending animal agriculture. By the next academic year, 50% of options at Stirling’s three SU food outlets will be plant-based, with this figure rising to 100% by 2025. According to the SU website, moving towards plant-based diets is a “necessary step” in improving the sustainability of the food system. University food outlets outside the SU will not be affected. Universities go plant-based While …

more

Organisations and brands:

seaweed-based snacks

© New Wave Foods/SHORE
Algae, Microalgae & Seaweed

Scotland’s SHORE Raises Six Figures for Seaweed-Based Snacks & Ramen Broths

Scottish seaweed producer New Wave Foods has raised a six-figure sum from its biggest shareholders. The funding will be used to increase production and expand the company’s SHORE range of seaweed-based products. SHORE will begin by introducing two new ramen broths made with seaweed. Sold ready to heat in the flavours Miso and Chilli, the broths are said to be better quality than powdered or concentrated varieties. They will launch later this month via Amazon and some independent stores. New Wave will also use some of the new funding to increase its production of Scottish seaweed, including at the company’s farm in Oban. Seaweed chips SHORE initially introduced its super-grain seaweed chips about a year ago. Currently available in the flavours Lightly Salted, Asian Peking, …

more

Roslin - Ernst van Orsouw

© Roslin Technologies - Ernst van Orsouw
Investments & Acquisitions

Roslin Tech Raises £11M, Aims to Be Leading Animal Cell Line Provider for Cultivated Meat

Scotland’s Roslin Technologies has raised £11 million in a Series A funding round, fuelling its mission to become the leading provider of animal cell lines for use in cultivated meat. The round was led by life sciences investor Novo Holdings. Roslin is notable for being the only commercial supplier of pluripotent stem cells, which can self-renew infinitely and grow into numerous types of animal tissue. The company already supplies customers in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. With the help of the funding, Roslin will expand its cell line portfolio and further develop protocols to scale up its cells into cost-competitive biomass for meat production. Accelerating development In the summer of 2021, Roslin appointed new CEO Ernst van Orsouw in order to begin …

more

Organisations and brands:

Haggis

©exclusive-design - stock.adobe.com

Cultivated Meat

Scotland’s Roslin Technologies Reveals Breakthrough Tech, Plans Cultivated Haggis

Roslin Technologies has made a breakthrough in scaling up the production of cultivated pork. Roslin’s CEO has also announced a personal ambition to develop cultivated haggis by Burns Night next year. In collaboration with the University of Edinburgh and the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre, Roslin has found a new method that removes variations between batches when generating cells. The method, which could be used on an industrial scale, should reduce the cost of cell culture media by 61%, according to Insider. Pluripotent stem cells Roslin produces pluripotent stem cells, which can be used to grow various different types of animal tissue. The company is currently the only commercial provider of these cells, supplying them to cultivated meat producers worldwide. Cultivated pork is not Roslin’s only …

more

Organisations and brands:

plant-based taco sauce

© Macphie
Ingredients

Macphie Launches Plant-Based Taco Sauce for Foodservice

Scotland-based global ingredients manufacturer Macphie has added to its vegan range with a plant-based taco sauce. The sauce is said to be “smooth, smoky and mildly spicy”, and has a range of potential applications including dips, nachos, hot dogs, and pasta sauces. It is free of hydrogenated oils and artificial colours. Foodservice clients can now preorder the sauce, which has been certified as vegan by The Vegetarian Society. The launch is timely, as the market for vegan sauces and dressings is growing rapidly — it is expected to be worth $327 million by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 7%. About Macphie Founded in 1928, Macphie started out as a craft baker and developed into an ingredients producer. The company says its aim is to …

more

Sen Viet

©Sen Viet

Gastronomy & Food Service

“London’s First” Vegan Vietnamese Restaurant Sen Viet Opens New Edinburgh Location

London’s vegan Vietnamese restaurant Sen Viet has opened a new location in Edinburgh, Scotland. Claiming to be the first 100% vegan Vietnamese restaurant in London, Sen Viet has now opened a second spot in the Scottish capital.  Based at 23 Brougham Place, The Meadows, the new restaurant is already proving popular with Edinburgh’s foodies. Sen Viet serves traditional plant-based Vietnamese dishes like Phở, Bún Huế, and even vegan pancakes. “The staff are friendly and it’s the best Vietnamese food I’ve had outside of Vietnam,” one customer told Edinburgh Live.  Plant-based in Scotland Edinburgh was voted the third best city in the world for veganism in 2020 and continues to be a hot spot for plant-based eating. A recent survey from the Vegan Society found support …

more

Three Robins oat milk

© Three Robins
Milk- and Dairy Alternatives

Three Robins: Fortified Scottish Oat Milk for Growing Families

Three Robins is a Scottish company producing oat milk that is equally suitable for children and their parents. The brand was founded by Edinburgh-based Karen Robinson, who had discovered that one of her three sons was lactose-intolerant. After struggling to find an oat milk brand that was nutritionally adequate for children while also being suitable for use in hot drinks, Robinson decided to develop one. Three Robins oat milk resists curdling in tea and coffee and is fortified with calcium, vitamins, and minerals. The brand quickly saw success, gaining its first retail listing at Findlay’s Grocers in Edinburgh earlier this year. Thousands of cartons of Three Robins are now being produced, with this volume expected to further increase. The brand also plans to launch more …

more

The Glad Cafe

©The Glad Cafe
Gastronomy & Food Service

Glasgow’s The Glad Cafe Goes Fully Vegan 

The Glad Cafe, a popular eatery in Glasgow, Scotland, has announced its kitchen will be going fully vegan. The diner and music venue on Glasgow’s Southside made the announcement on social media to the delight of its patrons and has now launched its plant-based pizza menu.  The busy Glasgow spot on Pollokshaws Road, has always served animal-based products and has been host to a number of guest cooks in its kitchen over the years. But now it is leaving behind the meat, dairy, and eggs and going vegan. Judging by customers’ comments on the news on social media the choice will prove a popular one.  The move to go fully plant-based is reminiscent of The Queen Inn in Cwmbran, South Wales, which this year also …

more

Fellow Creatures chocolate

© Fellow Creatures, ltd.
Company News

Fellow Creatures Becomes B Corp Certified, Aims to Become UK’s Leading Vegan Chocolate Brand

Fast-growing ethical plant-based chocolate brand Fellow Creatures announces it has become the fifth UK-based chocolate company to become B-corp certified, committing to paying 60% over the industry average for cocoa and working only with fair trade cocoa collaboratives in Ghana. Fellow Creatures joins a growing list of companies prioritising planet over profit, along with brands such as fellow Scots Beauty Kitchen and The Vegan Kind, vegan pet food producer Yarrah, nut butter producer Pip & Nut, and vegan delivery service allplants to name a few. Last October, Fellow Creatures raised £450,000 investment and secured listings with WH Smith and Sainsbury’s across the UK for its coconut-based products which are free from palm oil. Founder Zsolt Stefkovics, originally hailing from a dairy farming family, commented: “With …

more

Organisations and brands:

Dolly Roslin

©Roslin Institute

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Dolly the Sheep Scientists Backed by UK Government to Develop Cultivated Meat Future

Scottish biotech firm Roslin Technologies has received a £1 million grant from the UK government to develop its cultivated meat facilities. Connected to Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute – home of Dolly the world-famous cloned sheep – the startup’s funding comes amid discussions on conventional animal agriculture at the COP26 meeting in Glasgow. “We are engaging with cultivated meat producers globally to drive adoption” In order to produce cultivated meat and improve the sustainability of meat production globally, Roslin Technologies will utilize the money to invest in a program of development and commercialization of the firm’s stem cell line portfolio for food companies around the world. After the recruitment of Ernst van Orsouw as CEO following his 15 years in agribusiness, Roslin Technologies looks set to be …

more

Organisations and brands:

The Vegetarian Butcher - Mural SMUG

The Vegetarian Butcher has partnered with Glasgow-based artist SMUG to curate a giant 'Elephant in the Room' mural

Society

The Vegetarian Butcher Launches ‘Elephant in the Room’ Campaign to Push Plant-Based Ahead of COP26

The ‘Elephant in the Room’ campaign from The Vegetarian Butcher aims to help consumers participate in bringing a crucial issue to COP26’s attention: the environmental impact of animal meat consumption on the planet. “The numbers don’t lie. A transition to diets that incorporate more plant-based food is a vital part of the solution to the climate crisis” Looking for meaningful action from leaders and policymakers, the campaign highlights how reducing animal meat consumption and switching to a plant-based diet can play a significant role in the fight against climate change. The campaign claims the issue is conspicuously absent from the COP26 agenda and lacking in European policy.  Since the livestock industry contributes between 14.5% and 18% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gases, according to the United …

more

Organisations and brands:

Daring Foods

© Daring Foods / Vanessa K. Rees
Investments & Finance

Daring Foods Raises $65M From Celeb Investors, Bringing Total Raise to Over $120M

Cult plant-based chicken producer Daring Foods announces an impressive $65 million Series C raise, as one of just a few companies to raise Series A, B and C in a single year. This brings Daring’s total raise to over $120M with earlier investors like Maveron, Palm Tree Crew, and rapper Drake. Daring also announces major retail expansion into over three thousand Walmart stores across the USA, doubling its distribution to 6,000 doors nationwide. The round was led by Founders Fund, joined by existing investor D1 Capital Group, alongside notable new personalities, athletes and celebrities like Naomi Osaka, Cameron Newton, renowned DJ Steve Aoki, and Chase Coleman. Founder and CEO Ross Mackay became vegan over a decade ago, after a fellow athlete “dared” him to try …

more

Organisations and brands:

load more