Ready Meals

v2food acquires plant-based ready meal brand Soulara

© Soulara
Investments & Acquisitions

Australia’s v2food Acquires Plant-Based Ready Meal Brand Soulara

Australian alt meat manufacturer v2food has acquired plant-based ready meal brand Soulara, which is also based in Australia. Soulara’s meals — which include options such as Thai-Style Tofu and Eggplant Caponata with Ravioli — are delivered directly to consumers’ doors and can be prepared in three minutes. Through the acquisition, v2food hopes to expand beyond retail and food service into direct-to-consumer sales. Soulara will be integrated into v2food under a new entity called Flexitarian Meal Solutions, along with MACROS, a fitness-focused ready meal brand also owned by v2food. “We know consumers want to eat more plant-based products in their diets, but some of the barriers to making this change are concerns around taste and how to cook them,” said Tim York, CEO of v2food. “By …

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VFC fakeaway ready meals

© VFC
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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REBL Eats and La Vie collaborate to introduce a plant-based pasta carbonara in Finland.

© La Vie

Products & Launches

REBL Eats Launches Plant-Based Pasta Carbonara Powered by La Vie in Finland’s Kesko Stores

In a first-ever collaboration, REBL Eats, a Finnish producer of vegan ready-meals, and La Vie, a French expert in alternative pork, have joined forces to create an old classic with a modern twist: plant-based pasta carbonara. REBL Eats’ new plant-based pasta carbonara features La Vie‘s famous veggie lardons to deliver the authentic flavors of the Italian recipe. La Vie leverages food tech to produce the carnivore-fooling plant-based bacon that has conquered France and many European countries, including the UK.  La Vie reports that the “lip-smacking dish” has been a success, with over 1000 Finnish foodies enjoying the vegan meal each week since it launched in 200 Kesko- K-Group stores across Finland. High-quality ready meals REBL Eats offers a range of ready meals, sandwiches, and oats puddings in …

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allplants partners with Rachel Ama

© allplants
Products & Launches

allplants Partners With Chef Rachel Ama for New Limited Edition Dishes

British ready meal brand allplants has announced that it is collaborating with vegan celebrity chef Rachel Ama to offer a range of new limited-edition meals. The premium, ready-to-heat dishes are said to be inspired by Ama’s heritage and travels. Four options are available — Chimichurri Portobello Mushroom Bowl, Smoked Aubergine and Walnut Ragu, Double Green Orecchiette, and West African Peanut Stew. The partnership marks the beginning of a new Chef-in-Residence programme, where allplants will join forces with top-tier chefs to develop exclusive plant-based meals. “I’m thrilled to be the first chef to team up with allplants in this way!” said Rachel Ama. “I’ve always wanted to find a way to share my recipes with my community through more than just my cookbooks, so being able …

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Squeaky Bean ready meals

© Squeaky Bean
Products & Launches

Squeaky Bean Enters Yet Another New Category with Protein Pot Launch

British alt meat brand Squeaky Bean has expanded into the ready meal category with the launch of two new protein pots. The meals are: Teriyaki Duck Protein Pot — Plant-based duck pieces with teriyaki sauce and piquillo peppers.  Beef Ragu Protein Pot — Beef-style pieces made from wheat and pea protein, covered in ragu sauce and topped with Applewood smoked vegan cheese. Both pots can either be eaten alone or combined with carbohydrates for a more filling meal. They can be prepared in the microwave in just one minute. Additionally, Squeaky Bean is expanding its range of chicken-style pieces with two new products: Chargrilled Jerk Style Mini Fillets — Smoky fillets with a seasoning containing cayenne, pimento, chilli, garlic, ginger, and nutmeg. Sweet Chilli Chicken …

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allplants reinvents fast-food ads

© allplants
Marketing & Media

AI-Powered allplants Campaign Reinvents Fast-Food Ads to Show That “Times Have Changed”

After launching remakes of three classic dishes — Chilli, Arrabiata, and Tikka Masala — plant-based meal delivery brand allplants is celebrating with a unique ad campaign. The British company has used AI to reimagine fast-food ads from the 1950s to the 1990s, calling out brands such as McDonald’s and Burger King with the message that “times have changed”. The aim is to show that the idea of convenience foods being unhealthy and ultra-processed is outdated. It isn’t the first time allplants has taken on bigger companies; earlier this year, the brand took out billboards comparing the ingredients in allplants dishes to those in supermarket ready meals, claiming that the latter are high in additives. The company also challenged this year’s World Environment Day theme, “Solutions …

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Plant-based ready meals

© Beyond Meat
Products & Launches

Beyond Meat Launches Frozen Plant-Based Ready Meals in the UK

Beyond Meat has added to its product range in the UK with the launch of three frozen plant-based ready meals at Tesco stores. The Beyond Meals range consists of: Spaghetti Bolognese — Beyond Meat in a tomato and herb sauce with spaghetti. Keema Curry & Pilau Rice — Beyond Meat simmered in a sauce made from spices, tomato, and onion, accompanied by spiced pilau rice. Chili with Coriander Rice — Beyond Meat combined with black beans and red pepper in a tomato chili sauce, paired with coriander rice. All three meals can be prepared in under ten minutes and contain at least 14 grams of protein. “Something for everyone” Beyond Meat initially applied to register the trademark “Beyond Meals” in the UK last October, leading …

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SHICKEN founders

© SHICKEN
Interviews

SHICKEN: “Aiming to Become a Household Name in Plant-Based and a £5M Food Brand”

SHICKEN Foods, the fast-growing ready meal producer specialising in plant-based Indian cuisine, was created during the pandemic in its founders’ kitchen, and since then has seen staggering growth, raising over £2 million from investment fund Veg Capital and upgrading to larger manufacturing sites as demand soars. SHICKEN secured its first retail launch at Costco stores across the UK in early 2022, before rolling out at hundreds of Tesco locations this January. The company is now said to be on track for ten times its current growth, with a significant increase in exports expected in 2023. We spoke to founders Parm and Satvinder Bains to find out what’s next for SHICKEN. How did SHICKEN Foods start and what is the role of your Indian family in …

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allplants_Protein-Power-Buddha-Bowl

Image courtesy of allplants
Company News

allplants Reports Massive Retail Success, Becomes Second-Most Popular Frozen Ready Meal Brand on Ocado

UK plant-based ready meal producer allplants was the second-most purchased brand in the frozen ready meal category in the online retailer Ocado last year, outperforming long-standing household brands like Heinz Frozen Ready Meals, announced the company.  allplants says it has surpassed six million meals “cooked & served” within three months of launching in Ocado, Planet Organic, and other independent stores across the UK. “Consumers are looking for familiar, healthy plant alternatives to the dishes they know and love, which is exactly what we’re delivering,” said Jonathan Petrides, founder and CEO of allplants. High-quality, chef-prepared meals Since its launch in 2017, allplants has become a leading player in the sector, introducing unique, high-quality, chef-prepared meals at an affordable cost, operating Europe’s largest plant-based kitchen. In 2021, …

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Amazon Fresh

© Amazon
Retail & E-Commerce

Amazon Fresh Launches Plant-Based Ready Meal Range in the UK

Amazon Prime subscribers in the UK can now order a selection of plant-based ready meals via the grocery delivery service Amazon Fresh. The range includes Thai Red Butternut Squash Curry, Dhal Vegetable Bowl, Tofu Gochujang with Jasmine Rice, and Plant Based Mac & Cheez. According to Amazon, the ready meals are guaranteed to stay fresh for at least two days. Coming in at between £3 and £4, the meals are also a fairly affordable choice, with free delivery offered on orders over £40. However, Amazon Fresh is only available in some postcodes. An ethical option? In the US, Amazon Fresh launched its own plant-based brand last year, featuring products such as Italian meatballs, chick’n nuggets, meatless patties, sausages, and almond milk. At around the same …

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BOL Foods

© BOL Foods
Facts & Figures

BOL Foods Reports Record Sales as it Launches at Almost 2000 Co-op Stores

Speaking to The Express, British plant-based ready meal brand BOL Foods has said that it is expecting its largest ever turnover of £24 million in 2023. BOL claims it was the UK’s fastest-growing meat-free brand last year, spurred on by successful new product launches and two awards — a Grocer Gold and a Great Taste Award. The company is now working to increase the size of its team to 50. A further sales boost is likely after a selection of BOL’s One Pot Meals and Power Soups launched at almost 2000 Co-op stores this January. These include Coconut Lentil Turmeric Daal, Spanish Butter Bean Stew, and Immune Boosting Butternut Squash & Chilli Soup. The brand also has listings at Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose, and …

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Waitrose vegan meal deal

© Waitrose
Products & Launches

High-End UK Supermarket Waitrose Launches First Vegan Meal Deal

British supermarket chain Waitrose has launched its first ever vegan meal deal for Veganuary. The £9 Plant-Based Night In offer includes two mains plus a side or dessert. The featured products are all part of Waitrose’s own-brand PlantLiving range, with the exception of two desserts by The Coconut Collaborative. There is a choice of nine mains: Sweet & Sour Tofu & No Egg Fried Rice Tikka Masala with Vegetables & Cashews Firey Korean Style Udon Noodles Singapore Noodles Smoky Vegan Chilli with Rice Dhal Makhani with Vegetables & Rice No Chicken & Mushroom Tagliatelle No Beef Bourguignon with Mash Moussaka. The sides are Rainbow Vegetable Fritters, No Beef Empanadas, Moroccan Style Falafels, Spiced Cauliflower Pakora, and No Chicken Samosa. For dessert, customers can choose between …

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© SHICKEN
Facts & Figures

SHICKEN On Track for Tenfold Current Growth With Rollout Into 471 Tesco Stores

SHICKEN, a producer of Indian-style plant-based ready meals, has gained its first major UK supermarket listing. Three of the brand’s products are now available at 471 Tesco stores nationwide: SHICKEN Tikka Masala — plant-based chicken pieces marinated in a vegan yogurt and spice mix, then covered in a creamy sauce. SHICKEN Korma — a sweet and spicy curry with all dairy ingredients swapped for coconut cream and vegan yogurt. SHICKEN Tikka Kebabs — spicy vegan skewers suitable as a snack or as part of a barbecue. Initially, SHICKEN began life as a a D2C brand, then went on to secure retail listings at 29 UK Costco stores last year as well as three of Iceland’s biggest grocery retailers (Hagkaup, Kronan, and Netto). The brand’s rapid …

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Onlyeg sunny side up on a plate, Float Foods

© Float Foods
Egg Alternatives

Float Foods’ Plant-Based Egg to Arrive in Hong Kong Via DayDayCook’s Meal Kits

Singapore’s Float Foods has announced a distribution agreement that will include its plant-based egg, OnlyEg, in the ready-to-cook meal kits that DayDayCook, a Chinese online meal delivery service, sells across China. This new partnership will see Float Foods’ OnlyEg integrated into DayDayCook’s Ready-to-Cook Meal Kits, which will be distributed in Hong Kong through an omnichannel sales strategy, including e-commerce and B2B segments, explains the plant-based eggs brand. Uniquely positioned partnership  DayDayCook is a DTC company that focuses on innovative and healthy meal solutions providing customers with meal kits containing fresh ingredients and recipes for dishes that can be cooked in under 15 minutes. The online meal delivery service offers ready-to-heat (RTH), ready-to-cook (RTC), and plant-based food products through its omnichannel sales network. Vinita Choolani, CEO of …

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allplants at Planet Organic and Ocado

© allplants
Products & Launches

allplants Announces First Retail Launch at Planet Organic and Ocado

UK plant-based meal delivery service allplants has launched some of its most popular dishes at supermarkets Planet Organic and Ocado. This is the first time allplants has ever been available at retailers, with the brand previously operating on a D2C basis. London chain Planet Organic is the first brick-and-mortar retailer to stock the ready meals, while online supermarket Ocado is the first national retailer. The dishes available include Sticky Teriyaki Udon Noodles, Protein Power Buddha Bowl, Truffle Mushroom Orzo, and Mac & Greens. They retail from £5.50. “If you’re a busy foodie who cares about the planet, and don’t want to compromise on flavour or your health, consider your mid-week meals officially sorted,” said allplants on LinkedIn. “Look out for our unmissable yellow sunshine brightening …

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ProVeg NHF

© ProVeg International

Delivery Services

How Meal Kit Companies Target Flexitarians to Promote Plant-Based & Drive Profits

Consumers are increasingly turning towards convenience, as lives get busier and working hours lengthen. This behaviour change is important for customer-focused food companies to consider, as it will affect how consumers approach mealtimes and thus, what they buy and eat. At the same time, the plant-based sector is seeing no sign of slowing down, with 40% of consumers now buying plant-based foods.  To appeal to as many consumers as possible, many meal kit brands have turned to the plant-based market, combining convenience with new ranges of plant-based recipe boxes. The past few years have also seen a huge increase in smaller recipe kit and meal box brands dedicated entirely to plant-based or vegetarian ingredients. Although these levels of growth have proved to be unsustainable, the …

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Beyond Burger and Sausage

© Beyond Meat
Products & Launches

Beyond Meat Prepares to Launch Plant-Based Ready Meals in the UK

Beyond Meat has applied to register the trademark “Beyond Meals” with the UK’s Intellectual Property Office, indicating that it may be preparing to launch plant-based ready meals in the country. The brand is seeking two types of trademark — a Class 30, for ready meals with ingredients such as pasta, rice, and noodles, and a Class 29, for meat alternatives. This is not the first time Beyond has entered the category in the UK — last year, it collaborated with Wicked Kitchen to launch plant-based ready meals at Tesco. Beyond Meat in the UK Beyond Meat first arrived in the UK in 2018, but saw a huge expansion last year when it entered 450 new retail stores across the country. The Beyond Burger patty is …

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Rebl Eats / Mycorena

© Rebl Eats
Company News

Rebl Eats and Mycorena Partner to Make Alt Meat More Accessible in Northern Europe

Rebl Eats of Finland and Mycorena of Sweden have entered into a new partnership to make meat substitutes more accessible throughout Northern Europe. As part of the new partnership, Rebl’s product developers and chefs have developed new additions to the ready meals category: fresh ready meals with Mycorena’s flagship product, a sustainable and natural mushroom-based ingredient called Promyc. The products launched by Rebl Eats are branded with Promyc and have already generated great demand after an exclusive launch in 15 selected shops in Helsinki, Finland, according to the company. Multi market launch In the next phase of the collaboration, the products will be launched in the Swedish market, followed by the rest of the Nordic region and then the rest of Europe. Also on board …

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Packaging made with upcycled waste vegetables

© Anina
Investments & Acquisitions

Upcycled Food Innovator Anina Launches Line of Ready Meals

Israeli food tech startup Anina announces the launch of its newly developed ready-to-go plant-based meals made with upcycled vegetables. The round was led by Strauss Group, The Kitchen Hub, Unovis, Unorthodox Ventures, AgFunder VC, Wordcreate Inc., and the Israeli Innovation Authority (IIA). Anat Natan, Meydan Levy, and Esti Brantz founded Anina in 2020 to find new ways to improve efficiency, prevent waste, and reunite consumers with nutritious foods. The company claims it has developed a unique patented technology that forms flexible laminated sheets from fresh upcycled vegetables enabling them to create different shapes and, thus, culinary food art that consumers can add to the experience of eating a quick meal.  Earlier this year, Anina made news when it announced the development of its plant-based ready meals …

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THIS plant-based ready meals

© THIS
Products & Launches

THIS Enters Fourth New Category With Plant-Based Ready Meals

UK alt-meat brand THIS has launched three new plant-based ready meals at the country’s largest supermarket chain, Tesco. The range consists of This Isn’t Pork Meatballs & Spaghetti, This Isn’t Chicken Thai Green Curry, and This Isn’t Pork Sausages & Mash. The meals are high in protein, low in fat, and can be heated up in just four minutes. THIS says the products are aimed at a younger demographic, with research showing that those under 35 eat pre-prepared meals several times a week. Meat-reducers are the main target audience, rather than vegetarians or vegans. Entering new categories The ready meals mark THIS’ fourth new category entry in the space of just a year. The company launched a frozen range in June, and collaborated with WH …

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