A UK kombucha brand has secured its first retail listing with Booths supermarkets after unveiling its new name: Hip Pop. Originally launching in 2019 as Booch & Brew, the newly rebranded Hip Pop offers a portfolio of organic vegan kombucha – a gut-friendly, sparkling fermented soft drink. The brand’s kombucha line comes in four flavours: ginger & yuzu, strawberry & pineapple, blueberry & ginger, and elderflower & apple. The Booths retail listing reportedly comes after a period of online growth for the brand, which was supported by an investment in new brewing equipment following a crowdfunding campaign last November. The Cheshire-based drinks business says it has scaled production and increased its ecommerce sales by over 250% over the last six months. Emma Thackray, co-founder of Hip Pop, said: “We believe one of the best ways in which we can achieve both brand recognition and long-term growth is by expanding our gut-focused product line under the new Hip Pop name and working directly with leading retailers. “We are, therefore, really excited to have secured our first retail listing with such a well-known chain as Booths and look forward to building on this success and expanding our product range of functional health drinks in the near future.” Hip Hop expects its retail distribution to accelerate by 150% over the next 12 months and plans to release a new line of products in the UK and overseas at the beginning of 2022. #Booths #HipPop #kombucha #UK

Glebe Farm Foods has won its legal battle against Oatly after the Swedish oat milk company took it to court over trademark infringement claims. Today, the judge rejected Oatly’s claims of trademark infringement and passing off – finding no likelihood of confusion between Glebe Farm’s PureOaty sign and carton and any of the Oatly trademarks. Oatly took the UK manufacturer to court over claims that its use of the PureOaty name for its gluten-free oat milk and packaging redesign was too similar and “intended to take unfair advantage of the distinctive character or repute of the Oatly trademarks”. The court hearing examined wide ranging aspects of the beverage including the choice of language and typefaces, the use of the colour blue, and the detail of a coffee cup on its pack. The judge also ruled against Oatly’s allegation that Glebe Farm intended to gain some unfair advantage. Phillip Rayner, owner and managing director of Glebe Farm, said: “We have had the threat of this court case – which has pitched our challenger brand against Oatly’s multinational business – looming over us for more than a year. “It is enormously gratifying that the judge has ruled in our favour, and to see that smaller independent companies can fight back and win. The facts are that we have never wanted to be an Oatly clone. Pride in our own product aside, as British farmers we do not agree with any brand that comes across as anti-farming in its approach.” According to a statement by Oatly: “The court ruled in favour of Glebe Farm, the judge recognised Oatly’s strong brand and uniqueness but felt the similarities weren’t enough to rule in our favour. “We’ve collected the main documents of the case for you to read as it was presented to the court. The reason is because we believe in transparency and we want you to be able to form your own opinion about the case.” #Oatly #dairyfree #Oatmilk #trademarkprotection #GlebeFarmFoods

Sleep Well has rolled out its new vegan oat sleep aid beverage in Holland & Barrett stores across the UK. The non-dairy version joins the brand’s vanilla and chocolate-flavoured milk drinks. Like these beverages, Sleep Well Oat Drink contains valerian – a herb which is proven to help people relax and enjoy a better night’s sleep. Following extensive product development, the brand launched its non-dairy oat beverage earlier this year. The oat bedtime drink is now available exclusively in 800 Holland & Barrett stores, as well as online. Sam Watts, co-founder of Sleep Well, said: “Securing this exclusive listing with Holland & Barrett gives people who are allergic to or choose not to consume dairy the chance to enjoy Sleep Well as part of a positive and healthy bedtime routine.” Sleep Well says the oat beverage can be drunk chilled or warmed, 30 minutes before you want to sleep as part of a healthy bedtime routine. Suitable for all ages over 12 months, the 200ml cartons have a long shelf life. Watts continued: “Improving quality of sleep makes a huge difference to how we feel, how we behave and what we can achieve every day. A good night’s sleep is also known to have a positive impact on our immune system. Investing in a proper bedtime routine, and sticking to it, is vital to getting the good night’s sleep you deserve.” Georgina Stoddart, assistant category manager food at Holland & Barrett, said: “With sleep and overall wellness being a big focus for the nation we are delighted to be able to stock a product that can really help people manage their bedtime routine, getting them relaxed for a restful night.” #sleep #UK #SleepWell #dairyfree #Oatmilk

Actual Veggies, a maker of ‘veggie-only’ burgers, has closed a $2.3 million funding round to increase brand awareness and expand its range. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in New York, Actual Veggies claims that its burgers are filled with wholesome ingredients – including vegetables, legumes and spices – and are free from fillers and preservatives. The company’s portfolio currently includes four burger varieties and Actual Veggies says that it is working to introduce new offerings, including seasonal products. Investors in the company’s latest funding round include Electric Feel Ventures, Big Idea Ventures, Rose Street Capital and professional footballer, Kieran Gibbs. Actual Veggies plans to use the new funds to expand its portfolio, invest in new equipment to streamline production and increase brand awareness through marketing. “Since we launched the company, it’s been an incredible whirlwind and despite the challenges of 2020, we made it a reality,” said Hailey Swartz, co-founder and co-CEO of Actual Veggies. “The growth we have seen over the past few months far exceeded our expectations as we expanded nationally with partners including Sprouts Farmers Market, HungryRoot, Imperfect Foods, Sunbasket, QVC and FreshDirect. We are humbled by our new partners’ shared excitement and look forward to building off our success to further scale Actual Veggies.” Andrew D Ive, founder of Big Idea Ventures, added: “We initially invested in Actual Veggies because we knew they had a great concept that would fill a significant gap consumers and retailers were looking for, a plant-based burger that not only tastes great but is actually clean and healthy.” #ActualVeggies #BigIdeaVentures #US

Dairy alternative brand Miyoko’s Creamery has secured $52 million in Series C funding, as it looks to expand both distribution and product innovation. The California-based company plans to use the capital to further disrupt the traditional dairy market with its cheese and butter alternatives made from fermented plant milks. The Series C round was led by PowerPlant Partners – which invested $40 million – with participation from CPT Capital and previous investors Cult Capital, Obvious Ventures and Stray Dog. Miyoko’s dairy-free portfolio is currently distributed in 30,000 stores nationwide, as well as in Canada, South Africa, Hong Kong and Singapore. With a strong position in the US natural grocery channel, the company plans to focus further distribution expansion on the conventional grocery, club and foodservice channels. Last year, Miyoko’s released two vegan mozzarella-style cheeses for the foodservice sector. With the funding, Miyoko’s plans to innovate new vegan butter and cheese lines and is launching a Liquid Vegan Pizza Mozzarella later this year. The business is also releasing reformulated versions of its vegan cheddar and pepper jack cheeses. “The company’s rapid growth in just a few short years would not be possible without our unique approach to product innovation,” said Miyoko Schinner, founder and CEO of Miyoko’s Creamery. He continued: “We are never satisfied and are always looking for ways to improve the taste, nutrition and performance of the products we craft. As the category creator and true lover of cheese, we work tirelessly to innovate for the future of the category and the planet.” Dan Gluck, managing partner at PowerPlant Partners, said: “Miyoko’s Creamery is very well positioned to capitalise on the massive market shift happening in dairy right now as consumers demand and prefer plant-based products.” Julianne Hummelberg, vice president at PowerPlant Partners, added: “Clearly, plant-based cheese and butter are disrupting traditional dairy and the top one to two brands will capture the majority of the value being created by this market transformation. We believe Miyoko’s Creamery is one of those brands and couldn’t be more excited to help them execute on this opportunity.” #dairyfreecheese #PowerPlantPartners #US #Dairyalternatives #MiyokosCreamery

Canadian investment firm Rockshield Capital has completed the acquisitions of Belle Pulses and Sapientia, which it will combine to create a global plant-based company. Rockshield initially entered into a letter of intent with Novel Agri-Technologies back in April to acquire Sapienta and a “pulse processor” – undisclosed due to competitive reasons. Meanwhile, Rockshield has terminated its previously announced purchase of Boku International. The acquired companies offer capabilities in raw ingredients, processing, pulse fractionation and consumer packaged goods products. Based in Canada, Belle Pulses is a processor of plant-based ingredients such as whole and split peas, as well as pea flours. Sapientia consists of Sapientia Technology, together with its affiliate entity Innovative Prairie Snack Foods. The firm develops a range of plant-based products including meat alternatives, pulse-based snacks and dairy-free milk and yogurt. The consideration of the acquisition includes the issuance of 3.74 million common shares in the capital of Rockshield and a cash payment of $6.4 million to the former shareholders of Sapientia. Meanwhile the consideration for Belle Pulses was CAD 30 million (approximately $23.9 million). Upon completion of the acquired companies, Rockshield has created a new vertically integrated agri-business division. The company intends the division to become a global plant-based foods platform and forecasts it to achieve $60 million in 2021 revenue with $15 million in gross profit. Following the transaction, Belle Pulses will become a part of Rockshield’s new subsidiary Prairie Plant Farms; while Sapientia will come under its new consumer packaged goods subsidiary, The Healthy Table Superfoods. “Today represents the culmination of 42 years of hard work with Rockshield’s acquisition, which provides a significant opportunity for the Belle Pulses name to be expanded to an even greater audience,” said Tony Gaudet, founder and CEO of Belle Pulses. Newly-appointed president of Rockshield, Marc Aneed, said: “The trends for plant-based foods are only getting stronger, and we are well-positioned to rapidly scale and capture market share with the closing of these acquisitions and $60 million in revenue as our starting point.” Rockshield says the companies will provide an enhanced global footprint with significant distribution across B2B and B2C channels. “From over a decade of developing and scaling plant-based opportunities across North America and the globe, we are in a unique position to capitalise on an excellent pipeline of acquisitive agribusiness, food-tech, and commercial businesses to continue to build our platform,” said Mark Coles, strategic adviser and head of corporate development at Rockshield. #Sapientia #RockshieldCapital #Canada #NovelAgriTechnologies #plantbased #BellePulses

Clo-Clo Vegan Foods has introduced a new range of plant-based shrimp entrée bowls and a Mac and Cheeze Bowl. According to Clo-Clo, all of its new bowls are made without the top eight allergens, while the vegan shrimp is made using konjac root to recreate the texture, look and taste of traditional shrimp. The vegan shrimp bowls include: Hawaiian Inspired Shrimp Bowl, featuring Clo-Clo’s shrimp alternative with peppers and basmati rice in a teriyaki pineapple sauce; Red Curry Shrimp Bowl, with zucchini (courgette) and basmati rice in an Indian-style red curry sauce; and Shrimp Alfredo Bowl, combining vegan shrimp with broccoli and gluten-free pasta in an alfredo-style sauce. Meanwhile, the new Mac and Cheeze Bowl features red lentil shell pasta with a creamy ‘cheeze’ sauce. “More than ever, today’s consumers are looking for plant-based seafood solutions that are packed with flavour and convenient; while being more conscious about the food they eat and products they buy,” said Clo-Clo Vegan Foods vice president, Wendy Hinnenkamp. “Clo-Clo is meeting this demand by offering new plant-based entrées that appeal to vegans by satisfying cravings of traditional seafood and texture, but also provide plant-based nutrition and goodness in an easy, ready-to-heat format.” The four new bowls are available in the frozen aisle at Sprouts Farmers Market stores. #CloCloVeganFoods #Dairyalternatives #Plantbasedseafood #US

Hemp foods company Manitoba Harvest has announced a CAD 5.1 million research partnership with an industry leader consortium through Protein Industries Canada. Manitoba, NRGene, Farmer’s Business Network and Pulse Genetics will be developing new hemp and pea varieties with increased protein content, differential starch content, and improved texture. Manitoba, a subsidiary of Tilray, said that this would increase the potential for hemp usage in the growing plant-based protein movement. Protein Industries Canada’s CEO, Bill Greuel, said: “Diversity of ingredients within Canada’s plant-based foods and ingredients sector is an essential element of helping it grow to become a global leader. “Manitoba Harvest, through its partnership with NRGene, Farmer’s Business Network and Pulse Genetics, is displaying great leadership in the area of hemp ingredient development. The hemp-pea flour blend they develop through this project will go a long way in meeting the needs of consumers and food manufacturers alike.” Manitoba’s president, Jared Simon, added: “…we are committed to providing our customers with the best hemp products available. Developing plant-based protein products with superior taste, functionality and nutrition aligns perfectly with our objectives as a brand, and we have a history of leadership at the farm level, working directly with growers to improve quality throughout the hemp supply chain.” Manitoba, NRGene, Farmer’s Business Network and Pulse Genetics are investing £3.3 million into the project, with Protein Industries Canada funding an additional $1.8 million. #ManitobaHarvest #plantbased #US

Upfield-owned dairy-free cheese brand, Violife, is expanding its portfolio with the introduction of a new vegan butter alternative: Vioblock. Providing a “buttery flavour”, the new plant-based product contains vitamins B1, B2, B6 and B12, as well as folic acid, while being free from soya, gluten, lactose, nuts and preservatives. Vioblock marks Violife’s first butter alternative as the brand seeks to expand its offering beyond dairy-free cheeses. Bianca Harris, UKI marketing manager for Violife, said: “Launching our first butter alternative Vioblock is a milestone moment for Violife as we look to expand our product offering further within the dairy alternatives category. “Always 100% vegan, Vioblock stays true to the core values of Violife, in that they are suitable for everyone to enjoy regardless of their dietary requirements and perform just as you would expect.” With an RRP of £2, the new Vioblock is available at Asda stores across the UK, with other national retailers to be announced shortly. Earlier this year, Violife launched a vegan BBQ pack in Sainsbury’s that contains three varieties of vegan cheese. #Dairyalternatives #UK #Upfield #Violife

Japanese meat alternative company Next Meats has begun construction of a new eco-friendly, alternative protein production facility in Nigata, Japan. The Next Factory will be a ‘one-stop hub’ dedicated to the production of alternative protein products and will feature both an R&D lab and production line. Completion of the facility is scheduled for next summer. Based in Tokyo, Next Meats manufactures plant-based meat analogues such as its Yakiniku Short-Rib and Gyudon, a vegan alternative to the traditional Japanese beef bowl. Most recently, the company developed a plant-based egg alternative called Next Egg 1.0 and launched Yakiniku in the US. It has also agreed to co-produce a new product with Japanese snack manufacturer, Kameda Seika. With the large-scale facility, Next Meats aims to further stabilise the global supply chain of its products while lowering retail costs and strengthening its R&D capabilities. Ultimately, the food tech company is looking to accelerate the growth of the alternative meat industry in Japan, as well as worldwide. The factory will incorporate DX systems as well as solar panels and other sustainable technologies. Next Meats has also revealed that it has recently signed a cooperative research and development agreement with Nagaoka University of Technology to study epigenetics and its new applications in developing alternative meat products. #alternativeproteins #Japan #meatalternatives #NextMeats

Chilean food tech company NotCo has raised $235 million in a Series D funding round, bringing the company’s valuation to $1.5 billion. Founded in 2015, NotCo uses its proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) technology – named Giuseppe – to develop plant-based foods. Giuseppe’s algorithms analyse thousands of plants in its database to come up with combinations that replicate the taste, feel and functional properties of animal-based products. NotCo’s portfolio consists of NotMilk, NotBurger, NotMeat, NotIceCream and NotMayo, which are sold in more than 6,000 retailers globally, as well as direct to consumer and through NotCo’s foodservice partnerships. The company’s Series D funding round was led by Tiger Global, with participation from new investors including DFJ Growth Fund and Zoma Lab. Additional support came from athletes Lewis Hamilton and Roger Federer, and musician and DJ Ahmir Khalib Thompson, known as Questlove. The round also attracted the backing of existing investors, including Bezos Expeditions, Enlightened Hospitality Investments (EHI), Future Positive, L Catterton and Kaszek Ventures. According to NotCo, the new funds will support its expansion into new categories in North America and the development of its AI technology, while also accelerating the company’s plans to launch in Europe and Asia. The food tech firm has raised more than $350 million to date and the Series D round comes just one month after a ‘substantial’ investment from EHI and nine months after an $85 million Series C round. “Our patented AI gives us a significant competitive advantage due to the speed and accuracy with which we’re able to develop and bring new products to market,” said NotCo founder and CEO, Matias Muchnick. “The level of enthusiasm we’ve received from our partners is thrilling and humbling. We all share the same vision for Giuseppe’s ability to catapult plant-based foods into mainstream adoption at a rapid pace by focusing on taste, sustainability and infiltrating multiple categories at once.” Scott Shleifer, partner at Tiger Global, added: “NotCo has created world class plant-based food products that are rapidly gaining market share.” He continued: “We expect continued product innovation and expansion into new geographies and food categories will fuel high and sustainable growth for years to come.” #Artificialintelligence #NotCo #plantbased

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) has announced plans to acquire European non-GMO soy ingredients group Sojaprotein. Founded in 1977, Sojaprotein offers a variety of non-GMO soy ingredients for European and global customers in the meat alternative, confectionery, protein bar, pharmaceutical, pet food and animal feed segments. “30 years ago, ADM invented the soy vegetable burger, giving rise to the plant-based protein segment,” said Leticia Gonçalves, ADM’s president of Global Foods. “Today, alternative proteins represent one of our core growth platforms, and as this $10 billion global industry grows to $30 billion over the next decade, we are investing to expand our unparalleled capabilities. She continued: “The addition of Sojaprotein – the largest producer of plant-based protein in southern Europe – adds production capacity in addition to an impressive network of customers who are leading the way in meeting consumer needs for nutritious and responsible plant-based foods and beverages”. “We’re particularly excited for the opportunity to work together to meet the fast-growing demand of European consumers who prioritise locally sourced, non-GMO ingredients in their food and beverages.” Aleksandar Kostić, vice president of MK Group, the majority owner of Sojaprotein added: “This agreement testifies to the sustainable business models that MK Group is implementing, as an investment company with a diversified portfolio of value-added industries in southeastern Europe”. “This is yet another confirmation of the proven track record of our management, as well as the global recognition of the world-class quality of our non-GMO soybean products,” he said. The acquisition will enable ADM to accelerate its growth in the alternative proteins space, and builds on its growing portfolio, which includes: a soy protein complex in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil; a pea protein plant in Enderlin, North Dakota; its PlantPlus Foods joint venture; and partnerships with startups such as Air Protein. Financial terms of the transaction, which are still subject to regulatory approvals, were not disclosed. #soy #Sojaprotein #soybean #ADM #plantbased