Egg replacements are the latest plant-based category to make a splash, with a recent survey suggesting Europeans are turning away from eggs laid by animals.
Now, Vegan Food Group (VFG) is capitalising on this trend. The growing plant-based company has announced a partnership with Eat Just, the company behind plant-based egg brand Just Egg.
Under this partnership, VFG will have exclusive rights to manufacture and supply Eat Just’s product, a plant-based egg made with mung bean, across European markets. Before the partnership, the egg alternative company had sold 500m egg replacement products in its home market of the US.
New production lines
As part of the partnership, VFG is investing £5m (€5.8m) in an automated production line for the company in Lüneburg, Germany, which is the largest dedicated plant-based production facility in Europe.
A further £6.25m (€7.3m) will be invested into VFG’s UK and German manufacturing sites in order to boost automation and efficiency, bringing the total invested to £11.25m (€13.1m).
“European consumers clearly desire innovative, sustainable food options, and collaborating with VFG is key to meeting that demand effectively. This investment in the Lüneburg facility represents a crucial step towards making high quality plant-based egg alternatives widely accessible to our global audience,” said Josh Tetrick, founder and CEO of Eat Just.
A critical step in VFG’s expansion
“Our partnership with Eat Just marks a significant milestone, aligning perfectly with our ambition to transform plant-based food across Europe. With substantial investment in next-generation production facilities, we are positioned not just to meet growing demand, but to shape the future of the category,” said Dave Sparrow, group CEO of VFG.
VFG was once Vegan Fried Chick*n, a plant-based fried chicken company. However, transitioning to the Vegan Food Group, the company began to expand its remit.
It has now gone beyond chicken with its M&A strategy, acquiring Tofu Town and Clive’s Purely Plants and saving Meatless Farm from administration.
The partnership with Eat Just expands this remit even further.