Plant based meat and other ingredients are now-a-days a happy-go stuff, big players of the market are venturing into the sector in new leaps.
Recently, The Vegetarian Butcher, Budding entrant brand from Unilever has announced its expansion of outlets in Latin America, China and Carribbean territory in a clubbed foray with Burger King.
A plant-based Whopper has been launched simultaneously in 325 outlets across Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hangzhou, with nationwide roll-out plans from Q2 2021. Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Suriname, Saint Martin and Saint Kitts are the first Latin American and Caribbean countries. The news comes hot on the heels of launches across the Middle East and North Africa, marking the brand’s entry into UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Morocco.
Plant based alternatives are the need of the hour and an enabler for flexeatarians willing to loose the meat intake without compromising the meaty taste.
Hugo Verkuil, CEO, The Vegetarian Butcher, said, “One year on from the start of our partnership with Burger King®, we are delighted to bring our plant-based products into new markets in Latin America, the Caribbean and China. The Plant-Based Whopper has proven a popular and delicious option for flexitarians and meat-lovers across Europe, and we are excited to take this into two new continents. The Vegetarian Butcher’s mission is to become the largest butcher in the world by offering amazingly tasty products and inspiring a food revolution that promotes more sustainable options. Today’s news is a significant step towards this ambition.”
Hanneke Faber, president, Unilever’s Foods and Refreshment Division, added, “Our announcement today marks an important milestone in our ambition to reach annual global sales of €1 billion from plant-based meat and dairy alternatives within the next five to seven years. It is also further confirmation of the huge global demand for high quality plant-based foods. Plant-based meat alternatives are growing at 15.8% annually as more people shift to a flexitarian diet worldwide.”
Matt Banton, global head of innovation and sustainability, Burger King, commented, “The Plant-Based Whopper, launched in over 35 countries, has been a real game-changer and become one of the biggest launches in the brand’s history. Innovation is one of our core brand values, and this launch is no exception. We are really excited about these additional launches in China and Latin America to provide our guests with this alternate Whopper.”
Unilever has been expanding its portfolio and foraying into the sector perceiving the higher demands in recent times where people are shifting towards vegan alternatives. The company recently launched an ambitious set of ‘Future Foods’ commitments, which aim to help people transition towards healthier diets and to help reduce the environmental impact of the global food chain.