Animal rights organization Animal Outlook released the audio. It was part of an investigation into a number of chicken farms owned by Tyson, as well as its competitors. 

As reported by Vox, the undercover investigator recorded a conversation with a farm manager and a “broiler technician advisor” at Tyson. The latter individual worked with a number of chicken farms in Jetersville, Virginia. The farm where the recording was made was not free-range, and the discussion did not focus on one farm in particular.

The myth of free-range

The technician is said to have acknowledged that the “free-range” chicken label is more or less meaningless. At the start of the conversation in question, the farm manager speculated how a Tyson competitor handles “free-range” chickens. To this, the technician replied: “Those birds don’t go outside — you know that. They don’t all go out … Look that up online.”

The farm manager then said: “It’s not like they make it like all of ’em come out and enjoy the sun. That is strictly for commercial [advertising] purposes. They pick the prettiest birds [for commercials] and they toss ’em out in the grass.”

To this, the technician points out that “breeder birds” (those used primarily for breeding, rather than meat) are often used for advertising as they look healthier. 

Speaking to Vox about the findings, the investigator said: “Usually people in [the technician’s] type of position are very guarded about what they say… For her to be so blatant and upfront about this — I was really shocked.”

What does free-range actually mean?

This investigation is just the latest bit of evidence that suggests “free-range” is little more than a marketing tactic.

Many people believe that free-range chickens are raised outdoors. Commercials and advertising campaigns often put across the image that birds spend their lives on green pastures with plenty of space.

The reality, however, often looks very different. To qualify as free-range, under USDA guidelines, producers must attest that birds have some access to the outdoors for most of their lives. In practice, this may mean that chickens are kept in cramped barns with tens of thousands of other birds for most of their lives. The outdoor “access” may be a small door that many may never be able to reach, due to injury, lack of space, or strict pecking orders in the flock. 

There are some farms that raise birds outdoors either all or some of the time, but huge broiler farms are also able to use the free-range label if they offer potential outdoor access.

The post Undercover Audio From Tyson Employee Exposes ‘Free-Range’ Chicken appeared first on Plant Based News.

Current Foods is known for its sushi-grade salmon and tuna alternatives made from unusual ingredients including bamboo, potato, and algae. Presently, it supplies US and European food service industries, but is not sold directly to the public.

By acquiring all of the Current Foods stock, Wicked Kitchen will gain access to the plant-based sushi market itself.

Speaking about the newest merger, Wicked Kitchen said: “Now, our two purpose-driven brands can better support a single mission: to create amazing foods that work towards improving the environment and the lives of humans, animals, and sea life by inspiring the world to eat more plants.”

A ‘perfect match’

Discussing the merger of the two companies, Wicked Foods’ CEO Pete Speranza said: “Current Foods is a perfect match for Wicked as a global-impact brand with the same mission and complementary products. With this deal and the Good Catch acquisition, we’re uniquely positioned as consumers continually learn about the environmental impact realities on sea life.”

Increased consumer awareness could be one reason why the plant-based seafood market is taking off. Accordingly, the sector is predicted to reach $1.3 billion by 2031, if a 42.3 percent annual growth pattern continues. Consumers are increasingly becoming aware of the environmental cost of “seafood,” as well as the ethical implications of fishing.

Wicked Kitchen’s global growth

Starting life in 2018 as an in-house brand for UK supermarket chain Tesco, Wicked Kitchen has grown hugely.

Today, the brand has a presence in Asia, the US (including at sports events), and across Europe, with a product range that is hundreds-strong. Moreover, it is also diverse. It ranges from frozen meals to wraps, plant-based meat slices, and more.

The post Wicked Kitchen Just Bought A Second Vegan Seafood Company appeared first on Plant Based News.

Veg of Lund, the parent company of DUG Drinks, has announced a patent approval for an ice cream made with potatoes, rapeseed oil, and a vegetable protein emulsion. 

This patent currently just covers Sweden, but the makers have said that they’re hoping for international protection soon. 

“We are pleased that a patent is approved in Sweden,” said Professor Eva Tornberg, founder of Veg of Lund, in a statement. “The fact it is based on such an everyday crop as potatoes shows the uniqueness and strength of the patent.”

Potatoes as a vegan alternative

Tornberg has heralded the potential of potatoes as a sustainable vegan alternative to dairy. DUG released potato milk onto the market in 2021. While it hasn’t yet achieved the commercial success of competitors like oat and soy, it’s still available at supermarkets in a number of countries, including the UK. 

In 2022, the company launched a potato-based smoothie, which also has a Swedish patent. The new ice cream launch comes as the company aims to break into other markets across the world. 

“Just as we did for 2022, we’ve started 2023 with a bang,” said Fredrik Carling, CEO of DUG. “Earlier this month we announced the launch of DUG in 496 stores of the leading premium Swiss supermarket chain Migros. And we anticipate this will be one of a number of international launches this year, so watch this space…”

He added that the company is working on “new product development projects in the meat alternative segment and the ice-cream segment, both of which will be based on our patented potato-powered emulsion.”

The rise of dairy-free ice cream 

The vegan ice cream market has been forecast to grow to $805.3 million by 2027, up from $520.9 million in 2019.

Many people are ditching dairy because of a growing understanding of the ethical and environmental costs of milk production. There are more than 270 million dairy cows around the world. In order to produce milk, they must have a baby, and they’re forcibly impregnated repeatedly each year. In order for humans to take their milk, their calves are dragged away from them hours after birth. When they are considered “spent,” they are sent to the slaughterhouse. 

The dairy industry is responsible for around four percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. It also drives deforestation and biodiversity loss. Land is cleared to allow for grazing, or to grow feed for the growing number raised on factory farms. 

The post Vegan ‘Potato Ice Cream’ Could Soon Hit The Market appeared first on Plant Based News.

The restaurant is placed at one of the busiest fast food intersections in Hollywood. The new location is also taking the spot of a former McDonald’s restaurant.

Hart House used the new opening as an opportunity to launch a fresh summer menu, too. Dubbed “Summer Lovin,” it features three new plant-based items: a Smokey BBQ Burg’r, Hart House lemonade, and Nashville nuggets.

“Since the inception of Hart House, it’s always been about creating a new option within fast food which is why I’m so excited to bring Hart House to Hollywood,” said actor and comedian Hart in a statement. “At Hart House, we are in the business of making people feel good and I’m so proud of how fast we are growing and can’t wait ’til there are Hart House restaurants all across the nation!”

The celebrity also took to Instagram to celebrate the launch, encouraging his 175 million followers to visit the eatery and discover “what all of the food hype is about.”

Vegan drive-thru on Sunset Boulevard

The new Hart House offers 24 indoor seats, plus a further 16 outdoors. As it has before, the chain chose to work with Kai Williams and Nicollette Santos to complete the interior fit-out and graphic design details. This allowed the restaurant to again showcase the talents of a team made up exclusively of women of color.

The space has been ceremoniously painted with an expansive mural, by artist Olivia Sawai. She has previously completed large-scale artworks for Starbucks. 

Alongside the artwork comes fresh landscaping, with existing palm trees carefully preserved. In addition, a rainwater retention system that will capture and recycle rainfall has been installed to maintain the grounds in a sustainable way. 

“We are on a mission to create a sustainable restaurant brand that is grounded in high-quality jobs and objectively delicious food, with a menu that happens to be made entirely from plants,” Andy Hooper, Hart House CEO, said in a statement. “We believe it’s time to usher in a new era of fast food in Hollywood that matches up against the titans of the industry.”

Hart House Hollywood is located at 6800 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028. The new vegan Summer Lovin’ dishes will be available at all three Hart House restaurants in Hollywood from May 25.

The post Kevin Hart’s Vegan Fast-Food Chain Just Opened Its First Drive-Thru appeared first on Plant Based News.

If the draft guidelines are put into force, then “obvious misspelling, homophonic words, or inserting non-alphabet symbols” to refer to legally protected dairy terms would be prohibited.

This could affect all vegan dairy products in the UK, from milks to cheeses to butters and yogurts. According to the documents, businesses could be banned from using terms like “mylk,” “m*lk,” “vegan cheese,” “plant-based yogurt,” “cheddar-type,” and a host of other descriptors that have historically been allowed in the market.

Our team at Palm has worked in this category since its inception. As plant-based pioneers, we have launched or implemented PR, social media, and influencer campaigns for multiple dairy-free trailblazers, including COYO, Plenish, Rebel Kitchen, Nutty Bruce, Nush, and Freaks of Nature.

So, if you sell a mylk or a sheese or a dairy-free yog, how can you ensure that these changes don’t wreck sales and imperil a hard-fought customer base?

7 tips for vegan brands facing marketing restrictions

1. Master the guidelines

As soon as the official details are published, understand how they will impact your brand, products, marketing strategy, and packaging. And, crucially, when.

The Times reported that “names such as ‘mozzarella alternative’ would not be allowed, but language on packaging such as ‘use as an alternative to mozzarella’ would be.” Establish what you can and can’t do and when changes need to be made, using this information to shape your strategy and response.

2. The importance of name recognition

Invest in building equity and name recognition in your brand and establishing it as a category leader. These changes will naturally favor the market’s biggest players. For example, consumers will have no problem in asking for “a glass of Oatly” instead “a glass of oat milk,” in the same way that people talk of “Googling” instead of “using a search engine”.

To make sure your business isn’t left behind, you’ll need to make your brand as well-known as possible and associated with the category as a whole, so that consumers can still pick out your wares if product labeling changes.

3. Consider third-party marketing

If you can’t use your packaging and owned marketing to communicate your message, then third parties will be crucial. Press and influencer campaigns will be essential as the media won’t be constrained by trading standard guidelines. As such, they will be free to deliver messages direct to consumers that brands are no longer able to themselves.

4. Educational campaigns

Campaigns that educate the market will be a powerful way to build consumer understanding. Activations that showcase how and when to use such products enable brands to show that their ranges are an alternative to traditional dairy, if their labeling isn’t able to.

This can be supported by clever brand collaborations. If you have a dairy-free milk, then strategic partnerships with likeminded cereal or coffee brands can achieve the positioning that you want.

5. Speak to retailers

Work with your retailer to establish the best spot to place your product. If these guidelines don’t enable you to draw the connection to your product and the traditional dairy variety, then placing the products side by side might be just as effective.

6. Proactively challenge the guidelines

Make noise on social media and implement PR campaigns to get your voice heard. This could include opinion pieces*, TV shows, and podcasts. Additionally, use your customer base as an advocate for your position.

Get political. Join forces with other brands and speak to your MP and Defra to ensure you’re counted in the debate.

7. Get creative

Finally, if you have to, harness creativity to develop alternative ways to describe your products. Consider terminology that resonates with your customer base. And at the same time, emphasizes the nutritional benefits, plant-based nature, and unique selling points of your range.

The plant-based industry has been adept at creating new categories for years. Now, it has an opportunity to “own” this change by forging language that enables brands to control their positioning and consumer perception of their products.

—

* Editor’s note: those interested in submitting an opinion piece to Plant Based News can do so here.

The post Vegan Milk And Cheese Is Under Threat In The UK – Here’s What Brands Can Do appeared first on Plant Based News.

Located in one space but split into two concepts, the plant-based eateries will be housed in Soho’s BFI Stephen Street building. 

It is understood that a bakery, dubbed 123V, will be at the front of the large space. Here, customers will be able to buy traditional patisserie delicacies, all with a plant-based twist. A café will also offer patrons the chance to sit-in and enjoy a casual meal.

To the rear of the split space will be Studio Gauthier. A riff on the fine dining style that Gauthier is known for, it will be a less formal version of the chef’s flagship London eatery, Gauthier Soho. The homage comes 13 years after the latter first opened (it was awarded a Michelin star less than a year later).

Speaking about the upcoming restaurant launches, Gauthier said: “We know there is a growing market for high-quality, delicious gastronomy and patisserie which is animal-free.”

Vegan food at 123V and Gauthier Studio

123V is an offshoot of an existing restaurant at the Fenwick department store on Bond Street, also in London. It is seemingly being marketed to those looking for tasty but casual food. 

The menu will include a selection of focaccia and sourdough sandwiches, vegan sushi, eggplant toasts, and chickpea fries. Take-away will be offered for those grabbing a meal on the go, and a bottomless salad station will be available at lunchtime.

Conversely, Studio Gauthier will be similar in concept to Gauthier Soho, with a focus on French fine dining. To maintain consistency between the two, Soho’s head chef Alexia Dellaca Minot is moving to lead the new kitchen.

Menu items include wild garlic and rocket focaccia with Aïgo Boulido (a kind of garlic soup), as well as black truffle and rice flour berlingots. Spring asparagus with miso hollandaise and a barbecued loin of kohlrabi are also anticipated.

The menu appears just as upmarket as that of Gauthier Soho. However, the setting will offer a more casual introduction to the brand.

“Gauthier is a restaurant for special occasions. We work very hard to make sure the atmosphere and service is perfect,” Gauthier himself explained. “The location at Stephen Street is perfect to give people a chance to experience the special food we are doing, but in a fun, unbuttoned, more laid-back setting.

“Where Gauthier is for your anniversary, Studio Gauthier is for your fun night out with friends.”

How a Michelin-starred restaurant turned vegan

Chef Gauthier became vegan in 2016 following repeated protests against foie gras outside of the Gauthier Soho restaurant, formerly a major supporter of the animal product.

He then proceeded to remove animal products from all of his menus. His first major business change came in 2018 when Gauthier Soho shifted to a 75 percent plant-based offering. By 2021, the entire menu was vegan (the restaurant celebrated the two-year anniversary of its completely plant-based menu just last week).

The move, however, attracted some criticism from previous patrons. “When we changed Gauthier to 100 percent plant-based, I must admit, I worried. We were a classical French restaurant and we lost a lot of customers,” the chef said in a statement. “But two years on I am happy to say we have now gained far more.”

Vegan celebrities Billie Eilish and Benedict Cumberbatch have both visited the animal-free spot, the Evening Standard reports, as well as vegetarian musician Sir Paul McCartney.

Studio Gauthier and 123V Bakery are expected to open in June. They will be located within the BFI building on 21 Stephen Street in London, W1T 1LN.

The post A New Vegan Bakery And Fine-Dining Restaurant To Open In London appeared first on Plant Based News.

News outlets such as the BBC, the Daily Mail, and the Telegraph speculated in their subsequent articles on this topic that this may be due to declining interest in vegan meat. Heck’s managing director, Andrew Keeble, further encouraged these claims by stating to the Daily Telegraph: “We had a huge range of vegan products because, like everyone else, we believed what was being written in the press. The vegan market is really funny.”

But is this claim true? Let’s examine the evidence.

Predictions for a vegan future

According to a forecast report by Straits Research, the UK vegan food market is growing considerably, at a predicted compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.1 percent between 2023 and 2031. The report also mentions that the meat substitute segment is the highest contributor to the plant-based market, driven by a high demand in developed economies like the US, UK, and others.

In fact, the UK meat substitutes market is worth around USD $1 billion. One of the biggest UK retailers, Sainsbury’s, predicts that a quarter of the UK population will be meat-free by 2025 in its Future of Food report.

Admittedly, it’s not only Heck that’s been struggling to navigate the competitive alternative meat market. Other big players such as Beyond Meat have sought additional funding after their net revenues showed a decrease in 2022 and stocks plummeted. But, of course, the market is a complex machine. And pointing to the end of the vegan sector is a general, non-analytic, and lazy way of investigating the decline of these sales. Let’s delve a little deeper. 

The Beyond Meat controversy

After Beyond Meat’s chief operating officer Doug Ramsey’s public arrest (for the assault of another man) led to his departure from the company at end of last year, public perception of Beyond Meat took a strong hit. Alongside this, the media continuously questions the nutritional values and hyper-processing of its products – particularly the vegan burger patties – in comparison with meat. This has not done any favors for sales figures. Beyond Meat’s products are also not always the most cost-effective in the freezer.

According to a Seeking Alpha article, Beyond Meat’s market position has never been a truly leading one. It started off as a “younger competitor in a relatively old and stabilized industry with immense competition.” While Beyond Meat manufactures its products using complex ingredients with the aim to make them more meat-like, they are also much more cost – and ingredient – intensive than others.

We can look at news and politics as examples of why markets converge with specificity, instead of generalizing, but let’s also talk about our tightening wallets.

The cost of living crisis

In an ever-increasing global cost of living crisis, it is vital to not only keep up with competition on the pricing of products, but to also give customers value for their money. With Heck, if the customer doesn’t like the product, why would they buy it? Especially in this financial climate. Consumers will naturally look for cheaper products that are the same or better.

Looking at feedback regarding some of the meat-free items Heck is discontinuing, there is a strong indication that customers were simply not blown away by the products. Is it the market’s fault your product could have unfavorable reviews?

Always listen to the market

I also want to call into question the logic of diving headfirst into a brand-new market based on “what the news says.” That’s not exculpatory. A careful and considered analysis of market size, with metrics you produce, proportionate to the product range you intend to create, would surely have been the smarter way of developing a new product line.

What we potentially have, therefore, is bad press for the plant-based market either because of inaccurate analytics, or from piggybacking media hype. In either case, the market isn’t wrong – it’s misunderstood by the manufacturer. What we are seeing is a deflection.

Quickly expanding ranges of low-cost, plant-based supermarket own product lines adds to the competition. Take market specialists whose sole focus is producing quality meat alternatives, such as THIS and La Vie. Not to forget, many people have become more experimental in their own kitchens during the pandemic and chose cheaper, easy-to-make homemade meals with help of sites and apps, such as the UK’s leading vegan campaigning charity Viva!’s Vegan Recipe Club.

In addition, it’s important to keep in mind what it is that brings people to make a switch to vegan products. YouGov data suggests that around 80 percent of people in the UK become vegan due to animal cruelty concerns, 27 percent for their health, and 53 percent for environmental reasons. (The figures exceed 100 since many people go vegan for multiple reasons.)

These reasons will often play into the decision factor about which manufacturers they support. For many, it makes sense to support a fully vegan brand, that has a clear sustainability roadmap, rather than a meat processor that runs a plant-based line alongside their non-vegan products. 

Veganism is not a diet

Veganism is a lifestyle choice and not just about food. Consumers are increasingly making conscious choices about which brands to support based on their ethical, environmental, and health values. Clearly, the demand for meat alternatives is still there, but Heck’s decision to pull its vegan products from supermarket shelves shows that consumers have higher expectations of vegan products. And, that companies need to be able to meet those expectations.

As consumers are placing more importance on the ethical and environmental credentials of their vegan food suppliers, manufacturers looking to compete in the plant-based food market must ensure that their products are quality, and that their production processes are as sustainable and ethical as possible. This is something that I feel Heck failed to do, which is likely why its vegan products no longer appear on supermarket shelves.

The post Is This The Beginning Of The End For Vegan Meat Alternatives? appeared first on Plant Based News.

The Canadian vegan fast food chain will open 145 branches in India and five in Singapore. Odd Burger offers breakfast muffins, nuggets, wings, wraps, desserts, and (of course) burgers. Each feature plant-based alternatives to beef, chicken, bacon, eggs, and/or dairy.

Across Canada, Odd Burger has more than 90 locations in operation or under area development agreements. In addition, the all-vegan company is currently drafting up plans to expand into 25 US states, as well as Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.

Now, the chain is dipping its toes in the Asian market, too. Odd Burger says it will open the doors at its corporate flagship location in Mumbai by the end of the year. The restaurant will serve as a model for future spots, the team says.

“The growth opportunity in the Indian market is significant,” commented James McInnes, CEO and co-founder of Odd Burger. “It is estimated that there are 574 million people that follow a meat-free diet in India, with 126 million of those adhering to a vegan diet.”

Utsang Desai, who is on Odd Burger’s board of directors, anticipates that the launch will be well-received.

“We expect there to be tremendous excitement when we launch Odd Burger in the Indian market,” Desai said in a statement. “The market is craving an industry-leading brand like Odd Burger to provide a vision for a sustainable future and to make plant-based eating more accessible.”

Vegan food in India

India is already deeply familiar with plant-based cuisine. Despite being the world’s most populous country, India’s meat consumption is among the lowest in the world (in part due to religious reasons).

Still, the country produces more animal milk than any other, making up 22 percent of global milk production. Further, India’s production of meat and eggs increased over the last year, according to a government report. The document also highlights that India is home to the largest “livestock” population in the world, with more than 537 million non-human animals being raised for food.

But tides seem to be turning. A growing number of organizations are working to uncover the darker elements of animal agriculture. In March, for example, a new feature-length documentary called Maa Ka Doodh shone fresh light on India’s growing dairy industry. Filmmakers explored the various ethical, environmental, religious, economic, political, and social impacts of the country’s dairy sector.

Similarly, late last year, a separate documentary called The Land of Ahimsa premiered. The feature-length film zeroes in on India’s relationship with animals and history with food, with a view to inspire viewers to adopt vegan lifestyles.

Odd Burger

Odd Burger first came to life in 2014, when it was a vegan grassroots organization that delivered fruits and vegetables from organic farms to people’s doorsteps. Later, the team developed vegan meal kits, and after that, opened up a plant-based food truck.

It was 2016 when the chain made waves in the fast-food scene, after Odd Burger brought its vegan take on McDonald’s Big Mac to a “ribfest” in London, Ontario. The so-called Famous Burger was reportedly a hit among vegans and non-vegans alike.

The following year, Odd Burger opened what was said to be Canada’s first vegan fast-food restaurant. Six months later, it launched a 24-hour vegan drive thru, reported to be the first of its kind worldwide.

The post Canada’s Odd Burger Aims For Global Expansion With 150 New Locations appeared first on Plant Based News.

The actor, known for starring in movies like Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes, invested an undisclosed amount into the biotech company via his financing company, FootPrint Coalition. Downey Jr. is thought to follow a plant-based diet. He reportedly cut out animal products over health and environmental concerns. 

Chunk Foods says it’s on a “mission to make delicious, nutritious, plant-based whole cuts that are kind to the environment, and accessible to all.” It currently just offers beef, but it plans to release pork, lamb, and poultry in the future. 

Its steak is available in a number of restaurants in New York City, including The Butcher’s Daughter, Coletta, and Anixi. It’s also set to be rolled out to more venues across the US later this year. 

Chunk Foods

The company uses solid state technology to create its products. While traditional vegan meats tend to use protein isolates, Chunk Foods makes use of soy flour and food-grade microorganisms. Its ingredients combine soy and wheat, and the products are fortified with B12 and iron. 

On its website, it says that its technology “combines novelty and tradition.” It goes on to claim that it enables creation of “any texture, nutritional profile, and appearance with minimal waste.”

Chunk Foods CEO Amos Golan said in a statement: “The unique thing is our ability to control the micro-texture within the whole cut, to the point where we can control the direction of the fibers, the thickness of the fibers, the thickness of the cut, the size of the cut, the color, almost any lever you can pull to change the character of the final product.”

The company doesn’t use binders or gums, and it also states that products are “minimally processed.”

The post Robert Downey Jr. Helps Vegan Steak Brand Raise $15 Million appeared first on Plant Based News.

Marketers love to showcase “innovative” and “groundbreaking” new solutions to marketing. The reason why I admire La Vie is that it isn’t doing that. It’s being humble in the face of decades upon decades of consumer research. It isn’t trying to reinvent the marketing wheel; it’s following a proven method.

I’ve written before on the topic of product innovation within the vegan space. La Vie makes unbelievably good vegan bacon. But whilst the product is fantastic, its marketing strategy is equally brilliant.

You see, what’s great about entering the retail and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector is that we know the recipe for success. It’s one that has already been concocted. It’s been recreated thousands upon thousands of times, with little variation by many brands before. The main ingredient for that recipe is summed up in one word: availability.

Physical availability

First up, that’s about physical availability. This is all about distribution. Your products need to be in as many locations as possible. They need to be physically accessible and available to buy. Food shopping habits are very baked in. Major studies on habit formation have shown it typically takes life-altering events such as becoming parents or moving house to change when and where you shop. Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit highlights just how difficult it can be to alter a customer’s shopping habits.

In short, no matter how groundbreaking your product, people will not upend their supermarket shopping habits and go out of their way to regularly purchase it. You need to bring it to them – be in as many convenient locations as possible, so that you can slot into consumers’ existing habits.

For scale-up brands undergoing growth, as much work should go into securing listings with major retailers and distributors as you put into the product, the brand, the manufacturing. The more listings you have, the more people will see your product, and the more customers you will have simply by being physically accessible.

Often small brands avoid big retailers and distributors. They fear being dictated to when it comes to aspects of their product like manufacturing, pricing and more. But whilst I love small independent specialist retailers, unfortunately your brand will not grow by being reliant on them alone.

So back to La Vie – how has it achieved physical availability? Not only is it now in most major supermarkets, it’s only gone and got itself into Burger King – one of the biggest fast food chains in the UK, making their bacon very easy to get hold of.

Mental availability

The second part to growing a brand is mental availability. Again, consumers will not break their shopping habits – they are unlikely to make a special trip to the supermarket just to buy your product more than once. So instead, a brand needs to resonate with a consumer when they’re in a purchasing situation i.e. are wandering around the aisles on their weekly supermarket shop. Few supermarket shoppers will be actively seeking your product. If you’re lucky, their gaze will pass over your product for half a second before they move on.

How you capture them in that half a second is about being “mentally available.” Your brand – distinctive assets, logo, color schemes etc. – will fire off a few mental connections in their brains. Maybe, just maybe, they’ll do a double-take, and grab your product from the shelf.

There are no secrets or shortcuts to mental availability – it’s all about advertising. We’re not talking hyper-targeted granular digital ads or super-engaging TikTok campaigns… but good old-fashioned mass market, above-the-line advertising. TV, out-of-home, newspapers, digital ad campaigns – it’s about getting in front of as many eyeballs as possible.

This scares many small brands, and rightly so. It’s expensive. But it works. And there’s a certain hubris that comes with assuming your brand will buck the trend – that you’ll be the one to build huge retail interest off the back of more “affordable” marketing channels like organic social media.

To put it bluntly, there’s a reason why Procter & Gamble, Nestlé, Coca Cola, L’Oréal, and Unilever collectively spend more than $42 billion annually on advertising, and are also five of the biggest FMCG brands in the world. Advertising works.

La Vie has understood this perfectly. It has invested heavily into above-the-line advertising campaigns, including huge out-of-home advertising investments.

Earlier this year, La Vie took out seemingly every bus stop shelter ad in the UK. That little bit of brand recognition, teamed with the bold color schemes, fun assets, and the promise of tasty and innovative plant-based bacon sparks something in people’s minds when they are browsing the plant-based aisle in their supermarket, priming them to purchasing and trying the product. La Vie are bringing home the bacon.

A marketing masterclass

This combination blends physical availability and mental availability perfectly. It’s simply making life convenient for the consumer. They will find La Vie wherever they shop, and through mass market advertising it’ll become a curiosity to them, sparking interest and hopefully an intention to buy. This approach is among the single most well-documented routes in marketing strategy, and it’s practically a guaranteed success when combined with a fantastic product offering, which La Vie certainly has.

We live in a world where marketeers will continue to pitch you the latest shortcuts and “little-known secrets” to market traction – social media stunts, AI-generated content, influencers, NFTs, the metaverse. All of this is hypothetical; it’s unproven and risky at best, a complete waste of resources at worst.

As someone who has spent over a decade in marketing and strategy, I’d advise any brand owners to be wary of the marketing snake oil. Put your faith in the tried and true. Physical and mental availability will always be a near guaranteed route to FMCG and retail success.

La Vie will be a household name within the next few years, and a great active case study for marketeers working in the plant-based space. This is how it’s done.

The post Why La Vie Is A Marketing Masterclass For Vegan Businesses appeared first on Plant Based News.

The company, which is the world’s second-largest meat producer, posted a loss of $97 million in the three months prior to April 1, 2023 – its first quarterly loss since 2009. This is compared to a net income of $829 million a year earlier.

“This quarter was definitely a tough one,” said its CEO Donnie King, as reported by Reuters.

Tyson has now lowered its full-year sales forecast from $55-57 billion, to $53-54 billion. 

While the company hiked meat prices last year to account for inflation, average sales prices for pork and beef fell 10.3 percent and 5.4 percent respectively in the quarter ending April 1. Beef sales also fell by 8.3 percent. 

Problems in the meat industry

Increasing costs of production in the animal agriculture industry, coupled with consumers moving away from meat, have been cited as attributing factors. 

A reduced cattle herd has forced Tyson to pay for more animals, which has eroded its margins. The company has also reportedly struggled with increasing costs of animal feed. 

Increasing costs means that beef producers are sending cows to slaughter early, rather than keeping them for breeding. Since fewer cows are now “available,” there is greater competition among meat companies trying to buy them. Because of this, Tyson’s beef costs increased $305 million. 

Tyson said that reduced consumer demand for beef has meant that it is less able to increase cost of the product, which would pass on the higher prices to the customer. It now looks set to make a loss on beef, with margins of between negative 1 percent and positive 1 percent predicted.

The price of chicken feed has also increased by $145 million. Margins on chicken were reported as negative 3.7 percent. Notably, Tyson plans to close two of its chicken plants this month, laying off 1,700 workers in the process.

Meanwhile, Tyson’s pork margins were the worst in two decades, at negative 2.2 percent. 

The post Global Meat Company Tyson Foods Reports Losses As Shoppers Ditch Meat appeared first on Plant Based News.

Oatly completed a lifecycle assessment of its oat milk lines. The results, it claims, show that the vegan Barista Edition milk has a significantly lower climate impact than traditional cow’s milk. Figures floated suggest a footprint of 44-76 percent smaller.

To highlight its perceived environmental superiority, Oatly bought up premium advertising real estate in the New York Times, LA Times, and Washington Post. Alongside, large billboards in Times Square and Hollywood also display the environmental messaging.

Arguably the most notable part of the campaign is not Oatly’s declarations, but the blank ad spaces that sit adjacent to them. These were purchased by Oatly for Big Dairy to shout about its own environmental impact. All the dairy sector has to do to use them is reveal its climate footprint data.

Will Big Dairy accept Oatly’s challenge?

To take Oatly up on its offer of free advertising, the dairy sector needs to work out its environmental impact using a dedicated website. There, it will have to answer the same questions as Oatly.

Once the dairy figures have been calculated, they would be published across premium ads, next to Oatly’s, for easy comparison. However, the likelihood of this transpiring seems small, given animal agriculture’s historic lack of transparency.

Big Dairy, along with the meat sector, has traditionally tried to downplay its environmental impact. This, while not revealing quantitative data that can be objectively scrutinized. 

However, widely accepted working theories suggest that dairy is a leading cause of deforestation and methane emissions. Moreover, it has been claimed that even the least sustainably produced soy milk is still less impactful than the most sustainable dairy.

Taking aim at plant milk

Oatly’s offer comes as Big Dairy recently fanned the flames of its competition with vegan alternatives. Paying for a satirical milk advertising campaign starring actor Aubrey Plaza, the dairy sector delivered the message that “only real milk is real.”

The campaign has received significant backlash with even Plaza’s own fans voicing their disappointment. However, once the feedback started to pour in, her Instagram comments were turned off.

The post Oatly Offers To Pay For Dairy Ads – If The Industry Reveals Its Climate Footprint appeared first on Plant Based News.

The summit, which takes place in New York City from May 18-20, will showcase wagyu beef from Ohayo Valley on the second day. The company was founded in 2020 by Dr Jess Krieger, one of the earliest pioneers of cell-based – also known as cultivated – meat.

A number of other women-led alternative protein companies will also showcase their products, with mycelium chicken breast and next-generation plant-based oysters, eggs, and sashimi also being on offer.

“We are thrilled to debut our future of food showcase at the Vegan Women Summit – with a full roster of women-led products,” said Jennifer Stojkovic, founder and CEO of VWS. “Our goal with this showcase was to bring together the most innovative and exciting brands pioneering sustainable and ethical solutions to the food industry…

“Our attendees will have the opportunity to taste some of the latest and most exciting cell-cultured and plant-based animal alternatives from women founders – some for the first time in history!”

The rise of cultured meat

Cell-based meat is created with animal cells in industrial bioreactors, meaning it isn’t a product of animal slaughter. It isn’t considered to be vegan, however, as it is real animal tissue. The production process also requires cells to be taken from an animal, though this can supposedly be done with a painless process. 

At present, cell-based meat is only available to buy in Singapore, and it hasn’t yet received full FDA approval in the US.

This could change very soon, however. Two cell-based meat companies – UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat – have received “No Questions” letters from the US. This means that their products have been ruled as safe to eat, and they just need to obtain a grant of inspection from the US Department of Agriculture to start trading.

The Vegan Women Summit

Anyone hoping to find out more about the cell-based and plant-based meat industries can purchase a ticket to the Vegan Women Summit here.

The event is open to all genders, and it will feature a number of expert speakers and panelists within the plant-based movement.

“We are thrilled to bring the Vegan Women Summit back, bigger and better than ever!,” Stojkovic previously said in a statement. “More than half of our attendees are actually not vegan, which I think is a huge win. In fact, our mission at VWS is to showcase not only the lifestyle opportunities, but the incredible business case for the vegan food, fashion, and beauty industries.”

The post ‘Making History’: Vegan Women Summit To Serve Cell-Based Beef appeared first on Plant Based News.

Found in the Nolita neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, the restaurant follows a successful pop-up trial in UrbanSpace, on Park Avenue. 

For the grand opening on April 17, Neat Burger offered free burgers to the first 100 people that came to the restaurant. The chain claims that consumers were queued up in their hundreds to celebrate the location’s launch.

“We can’t get over the plant-powered energy of today,” Neat Burger posted on its Instagram page. “SO MANY (literally hundreds!) of you came to celebrate our grand opening.”

What‘s on the US menu?

For its inaugural fixed US location, Neat Burger veganized a selection of “all-American classics” while still offering its signature sandwiches. As such, diners can choose from hot dogs, tater tots, stacked burgers, chick’n sandwiches, and more.

For traditionalists, Grilled Cheez and Patty Melt sandwiches are available. Finally, everything can be washed down with a fully loaded vegan shake.

Anybody that missed out on a gratis burger can still eat for free as part of the Secret Sauce Society. A loyalty system that earns discounts every time a purchase is made, the “society” gifts a free burger on sign-up.

The rise of the Neat Burger chain

The UK-founded chain – which is also backed by Leonardo DiCaprio – has opened a total of 10 permanent locations since its inception in 2019. Eight are in the UK, Dubai plays host to another, and New York makes 10. The chain is reportedly looking to open 30 more, with Italy and the Middle East thought to be target regions.

Underpinning the ambitious growth plans is a Series B fundraising round, completed in 2022, to the tune of $100 million.

“The response to Neat Burger since we opened has been incredible,” said Hamilton, who adopted a plant-based diet in 2017, in a previous press statement. “I’m really proud of the boundaries we have been able to push in this space, and the plans for expansion are really exciting.”

Neat Burger Nolita (New York) can be found at 25 Cleveland Place, and is open from 10:30am until 10pm Monday to Sunday.

The post Lewis Hamilton’s Vegan Burger Chain Just Opened Its First US Restaurant appeared first on Plant Based News.

It’s a joint initiative with the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), and the Beijing Soybean Foods Association. It is said to align with international standards of vegan certification. 

The China Vegan Food Certification (CVFC) is thought to be the first such program in the country. It aims to “standardize vegan claims within the Chinese market, increase transparency and consumer trust for vegan products, and nudge consumers and food producers toward animal-free choices.”

“Because vegan standards [in China] lacked necessary industry standards and local development, it has been difficult to achieve standardization, which in turn limits the sustainable development of the [vegan] industry,” says Ryan Lee, associate business development director of Green Monday, in a statement. “So we are very happy to see the establishment of these standards.”

About the CVFC

Foods certified by the program will use no animal ingredients or animal-derived substances at any point in the production process. 

The program is also said to be the first in the world to include a subcategory for vegan foods that do not contain the “five pungent plants” – garlic, onions, leeks, chives, and asafetida – as many Chinese vegans avoid these for health or religious reasons. 

It’s thought that around half of vegetarians and vegans in China follow a religious diet, meaning there is high demand for vegan products that are free from these ingredients. 

Recipients of the CVFC

A number of brands have been already certified under the scheme. These include:

• Plant-based innovation platform Green Monday (Hong Kong)
• Vegan farm, restaurant, and retail complex Veggie Ark Future Space (Dali)
• Tea extract innovator Deepure (Tianjin)
• Alternative dairy startup Yeyo (Beijing)
• Vegan ecommerce platform Ecobuyer (Beijing)
• Vegan OEM Seleglu (Huzhou)
• Plant-based functional beverage startup GENBEN (Shanghai)
• China’s largest vegan buffet restaurant chain Su Man Xiang (Ningbo)
• TCM health food brand Liu Wei Zhi Ji (Sichuan)
• International food supplier Shu Niang Jia (Sichuan)

Veganism in China

China has a long history with plant-based eating, and vegetarianism has been practiced in the country for thousands of years. 

The modern vegan movement has also been growing in popularity in the last few years, and it’s thought that around five percent of the population identifies as such. The Chinese plant-based protein industry is worth $1.44 billion, with the younger generation in particular being willing to try vegan meats.

A number of large cities – including Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Chengdu – feature a range of plant-based products in their supermarkets. You will also find an array of vegan dishes in restaurants in these areas.

The post China Now Has Its Own Vegan Certification Program appeared first on Plant Based News.

In a report compiled by Advanced Market Analytics (AMA), a number of key players – including HelloFresh Germany, the US’s Blue Apron, and Sweden’s Kale United – were profiled to reach an international market overview. 

Findings in the report reveal that vegan meal kit growth is chiefly driven by increased R&D spending within the niche. Alongside this, rising consumer demand for meat and seafood alternatives is also having a major positive impact. 

The report lists growing awareness surrounding animal cruelty as a chief motivator for seeking out plant-based foods. This is felt as part of the wider global growth of vegan culture as a whole. It also notes that there is “huge demand” for nutritious foods while people are at work. This, the report says, accounts for many kit deliveries. 

Other unconnected research suggests that the environment and personal health are also factors when consumers choose vegan over animal-based food.

Who wants the most vegan meal kit deliveries?

AMA expects to see the most demand and growth for meal kit deliveries from North America. This is followed by Europe and then Asia Pacific. The report notes that the presence of numerous delivery companies in the US and Canada allow for natural growth within the sector, though other countries are not lagging far behind.

Unrelated research conducted by Future Market Insights agrees that the plant-based meal kit delivery sector will grow exponentially. It predicts that 2022’s valuation of $954.2 million will grow to $2.5 billion by 2032. This represents an annual growth rate of 16.5 percent.

Moreover, it expects the UK to become a major player, accounting for up to 22 percent of the global market.

Opportunities for market growth

Concluding its report, AMA identified potential avenue of growth within the meal deliveries arena. 

In particular, it notes that online platforms offering vegan meals have capacity to increase and that fitness enthusiasts are a potentially lucrative demographic to focus on.

The post Vegan Meal Kit Deliveries Are Booming Worldwide, Report Finds appeared first on Plant Based News.