Spanish plant-based meat brand Heura has announced that it is launching at Esselunga, a leading supermarket chain in Northern Italy.
Heura products will be available at 173 Esselunga stores, expanding the brand’s Italian presence. The country is currently Heura’s third-largest market after Spain and France; total turnover reached €800,000 last year, and this figure is expected to double in 2024.
Additionally, Heura has strengthened its partnerships with UK supermarket chain Waitrose and Dutch retailer Jumbo, gaining listings for its plant-based burger. The three new collaborations total 1,200 points of sale, and are part of Heura’s plan to establish strategic alliances with leading retail chains. In the past year alone, Heura has formed agreements with France’s Intermarché, Portugal’s Auchan, Italy’s Pam, and Belgium’s Colruyt.
Heura’s turnover reached €38.3 million in 2023, while international sales rose by a huge 63%. France is currently the fastest-growing market for the brand, with sales increasing by 88% last year.
“Leading the protein transition”
The news comes after Heura raised €40 million in Series B funding, in what was claimed to be the largest plant-based funding round of 2023. The round saw participation from Upfield, Unovis Asset Management, the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund, and Newtree Impact, who have joined forces with Heura to create “one of the biggest plant-based alliances”.
Last month, Heura announced the opening of an itinerant plant-based butcher in France, which will allow customers in various stores to sample its flagship products. Meat-free dishes provided by Heura were also recently served at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Madrid.
“Establishing trusted relationships with large national food chains brings us closer to our goal of leading the protein transition in Southern Europe, maximising our distribution capacity with strategic partners in the country. This brings us closer to our mission of providing a solution that takes animals out of the equation while sustainably feeding millions of people,” said Marc Coloma, CEO and co-founder of Heura.
