Northern vegan food company Meatless Farm has entered administration and made its staff redundant, citing a lack of demand for meat-free products.
The Leeds-based company, first established in 2016 by Danish entrepreneur Morten Toft Bech, has become a fixture in major supermarkets over the years – establishing itself in the US, China, and several European countries, and at its peak selling over £11m worth of its plant-based ‘meat’ alternatives.
It had become well known for its meat alternatives with mince, chicken breasts, sausage and burgers once a popular choice, but now after a ‘difficult period’ the company has ceased trading, reports The Hoot.
Image: Meatless Farm
Image: Meatless Farm
On Friday 9 June 2023, Meatless Farm’s 50-strong workforce were made redundant and yesterday 13 June, the company entered administration.
Commercial director Tim Offer announced on his LinkedIn profile: “Sadly, my time at Meatless Farm has come to an end… the business has unfortunately made all the teams redundant.
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“I learnt a huge amount in a short space of time and have absolutely loved the people and the brand.”
Image: Meatless Farm
Image: Meatless Farm
Interim finance executive John Loughrey added: “Sadly things have not worked out for Meatless Farm so I am now looking for my next assignment, as will numerous other colleagues.
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“I have had a great time in a fantastic company, and have had the honour and pleasure of working with some amazing people. It is a shame the company has not made it through this difficult period and I wish all my former colleagues the best of luck for the future.”
Last month the company hired restructuring specialists Kroll in hopes of finding a buyer for the business.
Kroll announced yesterday that Geoff Bouchier and Benjamin Wiles have been appointed joint administrators to oversee the financial management of the business.
It comes amidst a slump in the overall demand for meat-free products.
Sausage producer Heck, also based in Yorkshire, recently reduced its vegan range citing a similar lack of customer demand for meat-free products.
While some parts of the vegan food industry continue to perform well, such as plant-based milks, cheese and yoghurt, analysis suggests that demand for plant-based ‘meats’ has slowed down.
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Daryll Umali, Managing Director at vegan food company Moving Mountains, said: “With one less brand advocating the environmental agenda, the news of Meatless Farms administration is a sad loss for the plantbased movement, and our thoughts are with all those who lost their jobs.
“However, we can confidently say this loss is not a reflection of the plantbased industry’s trajectory – the chopping and changing is part of the maturing process that comes with an evolving new industry.
“This is an exciting and fast-paced race to develop new and delicious products with advanced technologies and genuine IP. Some brands may unfortunately fall short through unsustainable business models, channeling disproportionate funds to brand building, and without a quality product to match the result is unprofitability – this is something our organically grown business isn’t subject to.
“In 2022, YouGov reported one in four consumers are reducing their meat intake. You only have to ask a group of millennials their coffee order (the answers an oat flat white) to hear the demand. And, the buoyancy and growth of Moving Mountains is testament to that unrelenting demand for plantbased options”
Featured image – Meatless Farm
Business
Cult US sustainable clothing brand Reformation to open in Manchester city centre
Emily Sergeant
Cult US sustainable clothing brand Reformation is set to open its doors in Manchester very soon.
Since it was first founded in Los Angeles all the way back in 2009, Reformation has gone on to become one of the largest sustainable womenswear brands on the planet, and is now known and loved for making beautiful, timeless apparel and accessories that aim to ‘inspire confidence’ across life stages and occasions.
Operating on a business model that pairs a smart approach to merchandising with a responsive supply chain, Reformation now operates more than 70 retail stores across the US, UK, Canada, and France.
At the heart of the Reformation story is a genuine commitment to ‘doing things differently’.
Since day one, sustainability has been woven into everything the brand makes – from the eco-certified fabrics and responsible factories, to its famously transparent sustainability reports.
Currently, Reformation has five UK stores to its name – but, it may come as no surprise to fans of the brand that they’re all in London.
That’s why the news of this new Manchester opening is such a big deal.
Set to be the label’s first UK store outside of the capital, Reformation has secured a prime spot on King Street in the heart of the city centre, and although there’s no confirmed opening date as of yet, if the shop windows saying ‘Summer 2026’ are anything to go by, we can only imagine it’ll be very soon.
“For Manchester, it’s a landmark moment, and for King Street, it’s the latest signal that this is one of the UK’s most exciting retail destinations,” a spokesperson for King Street said in a statement.
Stay tuned for details on opening dates to be announced in due course.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
Business
Andy Burnham to begin rolling out new ‘everyday fixes’ for Brits amid cost of living crisis
Emily Sergeant
A series of ‘everyday fixes’ to help combat the rising cost of living crisis are soon to be rolled out nationwide.
Kicking off with two measures today, new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced that he plans to ban retailers from making ‘misleading’ claims to customers about discounts.
The Government says shoppers have ‘increasingly complained’ about outlets artificially inflating prices to give a false sense of value, such as increasing prices only to then immediately advertise ‘discounts’ to make savings look larger than they really are, which goes on to create an uneven playing field for honest competitors.
The Prime Minister also wants to see an end to so-called ‘subscription traps’, where people find it hard to cancel their subscriptions, and contracts are automatically renewed at a higher cost.
Set to come into force in January 2027 and saving people an average of £14 a month for every unwanted subscription, the changes will mean businesses will need to provide clearer up-front information, regular reminders. and a ‘much easier’ exit to contracts.
Andy Burnham to begin rolling out new ‘everyday fixes’ for Brits amid cost of living crisis / Credit: gov.uk | Piotr Cichosz (via Unsplash)
A new 14-day cooling-off period will also be introduced to let consumers cancel after a trial or long-term contract renews.
Certain charitable memberships, like the ones for cultural and heritage organisations for example, will be excluded from the new subscription rules due to the fact they have a unique role in preserving the nation’s history, landscapes, and cultural collections.
The Prime Minister says he is ‘determined’ to use every chance he gets to restore fairness and take pressure off people.
“I know people are sick and tired of rip-off discounts and subscription traps,” Andy Burnham said. “Westminster has got used to telling people that everyday hassles like this are just part of life, but I don’t think that’s right, especially when the cost of living continues to weigh heavily on so many people’s lives.”
Georgina Pellant -
14th June 2023 
