Established in December 2020 by chef Adam Lyons and Veganuary founder Matthew Glover, VFC Foods rescued Meatless Farm from administration in June of last year before acquiring Clive’s Purely Plants a few months later.
Under the VFG banner, the VFC, Meatless Farm and Clive’s Purely Plants brands will be retained, while the group has stated its intention to make further acquisitions going forward. As it stands, VFC possesses a range of 80 SKUs across 21,000 distribution points in the UK and EU.
Alongside the new branding, Glover will take on a more active role as chief mission officer, while David Sparrow will stay on as chief executive, a role he started in February 2021. Glover is also the managing director at plant-based investor Veg Capital.
"With consolidation required in the plant-based space, and early signs of a rebound, the Vegan Food Group is well positioned to capitalise on market conditions and supercharge growth in the UK and Europe," said Glover.
"Imagine a 'vegan Unilever', but with the majority of future profits being donated to effective animal charities and diet change initiatives – that's what we’re creating at the Vegan Food Group."
The group said it will look to mirror global food manufacturers by streamlining its operations, seeking cost efficiencies and optimising its supply chain.
Speaking following the announcement, Sparrow said that VFG is “actively reviewing” potential “strategic acquisitions” that could be added to the group over the next 12 months, building on what he described as a “successful” 2023.
Sparrow added: “The new corporate identity marks a crucial milestone in VFG’s growth strategy. We are already one of the most diversified players in the category with VFC, Meatless Farm and Clive’s under our umbrella, but it won’t stop there.”
In other news, a new aluminium bottling facility located near Leicester has been launched by The Sustainable Bottling Company.
