Rolling out into UK supermarkets and foodservice operators, the distribution deal aims to tap into the growing trend for meat reduction, following research that UK consumers eat an average of 6.55% less meat than a year ago.
Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown said the partnership with The Authentic Food Co was an exciting opportunity to bring its flagship product, The Beyond Burger, to consumers across the pond.
Other international companies, such as Netherlands-based Vivera, are tapping the high demand of plant-based meats in the UK. Vivera increased production of its 100% plant-based steak following its first 40,000-unit delivery selling out across the UK. The company revealed that some Tesco stores sold out of the plant-based steak within a day.
The Authentic Food Co CEO Nik Basran said the US doubling its sales for Beyond Meat and increasing distribution to more than 25,000 grocery stores and restaurants, highlighted the opportunity it presented to UK customers.
“Beyond Meat is a fantastic addition to our range as they are leading the plant-based burger revolution started in the US, so they already have a great product and brand we can now offer to our grocery/foodservice customers in the UK,” said Basran.
“As a meat-lover I can confirm The Beyond Burger tastes fantastic and we’ve got some very exciting plans in the pipeline that we’ll be announcing in summer.”
The Beyond Burger is made entirely of plants, without genetically modified organisms, soy or gluten, and is crafted using simple plant-based ingredients. Beyond Meat claims the Beyond Burger has more protein than a beef burger, with less saturated fat and total fat.