Meat alternatives brands Vivera and The Vegetarian Butcher have revealed their new joint venture, The Vegetarian Butcher Collective, following their merger deal announced earlier this year.

Vivera, which has been under ownership of global meat giant JBS since 2021, announced its acquisition of The Vegetarian Butcher from Unilever in March this year.

The two alt-meat businesses are both headquartered in the Netherlands, with combined portfolios offering a range of plant-based alternatives to traditional meat products such as chicken fillets, meatballs, mince and fish fillets.

With the transaction now complete, the companies said The Vegetarian Butcher Collective marks the beginning of a new organisation created by ‘two pioneers in plant-based food joining forces’.

In a LinkedIn post, the companies wrote: “We believe the transition to plant-based eating is not just beneficial – it’s essential. So, you can expect us to continue leading the food revolution with even more agility, courage and passion. Because together, we are more than the sum of our parts.”

When the acquisition was originally announced back in March, Vivera said the two companies complement each other in many ways. The Vegetarian Butcher has a product portfolio in several supermarket categories and a strong presence in the foodservice channel, while Vivera has a strong retail presence and wide range of products under both the Vivera brand and private label. Vivera also noted that its in-house technologies are complementary to The Vegetarian Butcher’s portfolio.

Unilever divested The Vegetarian Butcher in line with an ongoing strategy to streamline its portfolio and focus on its larger, scalable brands.

At the time, Unilever Foods president Heiko Schipper said: “The Vegetarian Butcher has delivered significant growth and launched many extraordinary products since our acquisition. However, the unique supply chain and technological requirements of the brand differ from those of Unilever’s broader food portfolio.”