Kale United and VBites to revive Swedish vegan brand
Founded in 2006, Astrid Och Aporna is a well-known vegan food brand in Scandinavian markets. The Astrid Och Aporna brand will not change, and there are plans for new products to come to shelves soon, including a new range of vegan cheese.
UK-based VBites has been in operation since 1993, and now produces 140 100%-natural plant-based ingredients in over 600,000 ft² of the largest manufacturing facilities of its kind in the world. The ingredients are free from animal products/derivatives and include allergen-free cheeses.
VBites founder and CEO Heather Mills said: “Astrid Och Aporna was one of the earliest 100% vegan meat-, fish- and dairy-free brands in Scandinavia, with its food supplied and developed by us at VBites and driven by its enthusiastic team for over a decade.
“It would be a shame to not help this innovative company keep its stronghold in the market with the best-tasting and largest variety of meat-, fish- and dairy-free alternatives in the country.”
Kale United founder Måns Ullerstam added: “By partnering with Heather and VBites to resurrect the iconic vegan Astrid Och Aporna brand, we plan to meet strong demand for vegan products by making existing and new products more widely available than ever before.”
Ullerstam said Astrid Och Aporna products had already returned to selected stores, and they planned to relaunch in all major supermarkets in Scandinavia, as well as in restaurants, the wider catering industries and in hotels in the near future.
“The relaunch of Astrid Och Aporna is a perfect fit with Kale United’s strategy to harness its local expertise and international reach, helping global plant-based companies to enter Scandinavia and to support Scandinavian companies as they grow globally.”
Heather Mills will be the keynote speaker at The Future of Plant-based Proteins Conference in Amsterdam on 26 June, hosted by Global Meat News. Featuring presentations from the European Plant-based Food Association, The Good Food Institute and Finnebrogue, it will discuss all elements of the plant-based sector. To book your place, click here.
