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.
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.”
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
Office tea makers apparently gain an extra eight days of paid ‘holiday’ each year
Emily Sergeant
“Anyone fancy a brew?”
For most office workers in the UK, especially here in Greater Manchester, that’s a question you’re likely to hear on a pretty frequent basis, as so many of us rely on those lovely warm caffeinated beverages to get us through the working day – but a recent study has revealed that, apparently, those who regularly make themselves a cup of tea, or do brew rounds for others, gain an extra eight days of paid ‘holiday’ each year.
The research, which was conducted by online retailer Haypp, has looked into who are the biggest time wasters in the office, and revealed which culprits gain the most unofficial holidays’.
TikTok scrollers have claimed the top spot on the list, as on average, a worker spends 33 minutes scrolling through the social media app during the workday.
When you add these minutes up across the week, it equates to 385, and then looking across the year, a whopping 129 hours a year is spent scrolling, on average, which shockingly adds up to just over three weeks of additional ‘unofficial holiday’ a year.
Top 5 biggest time-wasters at work
TikTok scrollers – 3 weeks, 3 days
Tea makers – 8 days
Smokers – 6 days
Talking about the weather – 5 days
Latecomers – 3 days
In true British fashion, the second biggest time wasters were the tea makers, and another culprit was smokers, as the research found that 52% of employees who smoke in the UK are still regularly getting up from their desks to enjoy a cigarette or vape, and will spend between five and ten minutes a day, on average, doing so.
Other non-work related tasks that take up significant amounts of time included talking about the weather, and turning up late for the day.
Markus Lindblad from Haypp, said it’s been “shocking” to see how much additional holiday some people get through wasting time at work.
Featured Image – PickPik
Business
Sainsbury’s is hiring 20,000 temporary Christmas staff across the UK
Emily Sergeant
Sainsbury’s has launched a festive recruitment drive, and wants to hire thousands of temporary staff to help “deliver an exceptional Christmas for customers” this year.
With the festive season fast approaching, and most British supermarkets having already unveiled their Christmas food and drink ranges for 2024, Sainsbury’s is gearing up for what is always one of the busiest times for the retail industry by launching a massive UK-wide seasonal recruitment drive.
The supermarket says its stores and warehouses have already started to prepare themselves for the festive season, and is now looking for an army of temporary workers to join teams across the country to help along the way.
20,000 temporary Christmas staff will be hired in total – with 18,000 of those at the supermarket itself and 2,000 being at Argos outlets housed within selected Sainsbury’s stores.
Sainsbury’s is hiring 20,000 temporary Christmas staff across the UK / Credit: Sainsbury’s
With a wide range of roles available, the tens of thousands of temporary staff across the UK – including here in Greater Manchester – will be tasked with serving customers, restocking shelves, and fulfilling online orders by picking, packing, and delivering.
Then, in the supermarket’s depots and fulfilment centres, colleagues will work in warehouses to ensure products reach homes and stores nationwide ready for customers to enjoy.
All seasonal staff will be employed on fixed-term contracts that range from three to 12 weeks.
The roles also come with a number of staff perks too, as in a bid to “further support and reward colleagues with festive season expenses”, Sainsbury’s has made the decision to bump its 10% colleague discount offer up to 15% every Friday and Saturday, with an additional 15% off at Argos every payday Friday.
Temporary Christmas staff also get free food during their shifts too.
Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for Sainsbury’s / Credit: Hazel Nicholson (via Flickr)
“As the festive season draws near, we’re getting ready to create a memorable Christmas for our customers,” explained Prerana Issar, who is the Chief People Officer at Sainsbury’s.
“Our brilliant colleagues play a central role in bringing this to life.
“Joining us during this busy time is a fantastic opportunity to meet great people and acquire skills that will stay with you long after the festive season. Our amazing store colleagues play a huge role in making Sainsbury’s the first choice for our customers, ensuring that good food is joyful, accessible, and affordable however households choose to celebrate.”
Fancy it then? If you’re keen to join the Sainsbury’s or Argos teams across the UK this Christmas, then head on over to the Sainsbury’s recruitment website here to apply, or pop into your nearby store for more information.