Højer spent 16 years at the discount retailer before leaving in 2015. Prior to his time as chief executive, he had been in charge of Lidl’s business in Belgium and then head of its international buying operation.
Commenting on his new role at the manufacturer, Højer said: “I have been following the market for meat alternatives for some time and The Meatless Farm Co has a great opportunity to be one of the global leaders in this fast-developing food sector.
Build an international business
“I am impressed by the quality of both the products and the team and aim to help build The Meatless Farm Co into an international business.”
Meatless Farm founder Morten Toft Bech hoped Højer’s global experience would help the business’s international expansion.
“The world is waking up to the need to reduce red meat in our diets, and we are ready to feed the growing demand for plant-based alternatives,” Bech added.
The past two months has seen The Meatless Farm Co bolster its management team with senior members of the food and drink manufacturing sector.
Senior appointments
In September, chief marketing officer Lone Thomsen joined the plant-based firm from drinks giant Coca-Cola. Earlier this month saw the appointment of Peter Hynes – who has experience at Unilever and medical equipment manufacturer Smith & Nephew – as head of research and development.
Headquartered in Leeds, The Meatless Farm Co started manufacturing its products in 2018, which are now sold in Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and the JD Wetherspoon pub chain – among others – across the UK. Its plant-based meat products are also available in Wholefoods Markets stores in the US, Dolan Foods in Canada and other international markets.
Meanwhile, former Sainsbury environmental resource manager James Skidmore has joined environmental compliance scheme Valpak.