A protein traditionally derived from milk, casein is responsible for many of the characteristics that consumers love about cheese – from its sharp and tangy flavour to its stretch and melt. Could animal-free variants of this dairy protein help to meet taste and texture standards that many plant-based cheeses have struggled to meet thus far? We explore. From own-label retailer offerings and giant household brands to premium artisan suppliers, dairy-free cheeses made from the likes of cashew, coconut and almond are now available in their masses to consumers seeking plant-based options. But the category has historically faced challenges when it comes to matching the taste of traditional cheese, facing criticism with regards to grainy or rubbery textures and unpleasant off-notes. Thankfully, products on the market have upped their game in recent years, with some impressive and unique options now widely available at major and independent retailers, garnering praise from dairy-free cheese lovers. When it comes to the most particular of cheese fans, however, it may be difficult to appeal to their palates without replicating the performance and taste of traditional dairy as closely as possible. Innovating with precision Precision fermentation, an advanced biotechnology method in which microbes are used as hosts to produce target proteins and other ingredients, could offer an exciting solution when it comes to appealing to these consumers – including those who are not necessarily vegan, but would like to enjoy their favourite cheese products while reducing their environmental footprint. The technology is not new to the cheese world; it has been used for decades to produce rennet, a traditionally animal-derived enzyme ingredient that plays a key role in the curdling process in cheesemaking. However, in the alternative dairy and animal-free cheese world, its use is more novel – and is rapidly unlocking a new realm of opportunity in animal-free, sustainable production of the milk protein casein. Romain Chayot, co-founder and managing director of French precision fermentation dairy start-up Standing Ovation, told The Plant Base: “Casein is essential for the distinct characteristics of dairy products. It enables mozzarella to stretch, camembert to curdle, yogurt to achieve its creamy texture, barista milk to foam perfectly and ice cream to gain its desirable texture and volume.” He added: “Moreover, dairy producers are actively seeking alternative casein sources to meet ESG goals, secure food sovereignty and innovate within dairy categories. Casein uniquely offers a broad range of functionalities unmatched by other dairy proteins.” Companies like Standing Ovation are using precision fermentation technology to produce real casein proteins that are identical to those found in real dairy milk, but with no animal involvement. © Studio Lazareff/Standing Ovation “We use microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast or fungi, cultivated in industrial fermenters at scales of several hundred cubic metres,” explained Chayot. “Despite the rapid growth of plant-based dairy alternatives, many products still lack authenticity in taste and texture.” He explained that Standing Ovation’s casein can resolve these issues, offering numerous application prototypes including soft, hard and spreadable cheeses, and providing potential to match dairy products traditionally made from cow, buffalo, goat or sheep milk proteins. “Our patented technology could enable a single factory to match the annual casein output of thousands of cows, drastically lowering greenhouse gas emissions, water use, land requirements, and eliminating antibiotics or hormones usage,” Chayot enthused. The vegan debate Modern biotech fermentation methods like precision fermentation have continued to gain traction in the alt-protein space over the past few years. Due to this, V-Label, an international trademark for labelling vegan and vegetarian foods, has introduced a new certification, the F-Label, dedicated to foods made with these technologies. The organisation introduced the label to provide clarity to consumers, assuring them that the traditionally animal-derived compounds in these products have been made in an animal-free process. While some will consider that this animal-free nature deems the ingredients as suitable for vegans, individual beliefs surrounding the term ‘vegan’ and what products it covers can vary in an increasingly complex food landscape with rapidly developing technologies. With this in mind, the F-Label was unveiled as a certification separate from the organisation’s vegan-certified trademark, which covers foods made only with plant-sourced ingredients like pea and soya. Those Vegan Cowboys, a Belgian start-up founded in 2019, believes that precision fermentation-made cheese products can appeal to the masses – vegans included – thanks to its ability to remove animals from the production process, aligning with the company’s broader mission to take animals out of the food chain. Its focus is solely on casein for cheesemaking. Hille Van der Kaa, Those Vegan Cowboys’ CEO, said: “Other precision fermentation companies often work on whey. This is relatively easier to produce. But you don’t make gold yellow hard cheese with whey. Since other companies are already pretty good at this, we decided to focus on casein and casein alone. This is the hardest nut to crack and requires all our attention.” The company has been working with cheese producers to test its casein in different types of cheese and under different conditions. © Those Vegan Cowboys “For example, for mozzarella it is [crucial] that the cheese gives a good stretch and for other cheeses, melting behaviour is again very important,” Van der Kaa noted. “From our partners we learn what works well and what doesn’t, and have learned that in certain applications, the functionality of our casein is better than the animal variant. We develop our casein so that it has the best functionality for the desired application.” Next-generation dairy While currently available plant-based cheeses provide an alternative to their dairy counterparts, and are made from nuts, pulses and other plant ingredients, precision fermentation-made cheeses contain dairy proteins – but made without the animal. They are often considered as ‘next-generation’ dairy products, with potential to satisfy both dairy lovers and many vegans, too. Working collaboratively with the traditional dairy industry has been a crucial part of progressing toward commercialisation for many of these start-ups. Standing Ovation has been working with French dairy giant Bel – which also offers a number of plant-based options within its portfolio – since 2022, while Those Vegan Cowboys announced a new partnership with European dairy giant Hochland earlier this year to test its cow-free casein in semi-hard and hard cheeses. Prior to this, it also announced a partnership with fellow precision fermentation start-up Formo, based in Germany, in March 2024. The partnership announcement was described as a ‘first-of-its-kind’ collaboration, unique in both size and impact, to enable the large-scale production of animal-free caseins. It demonstrates the power of collaboration between start-ups in the alternative protein industry, working together toward a common goal rather than seeing each other as competitors. Through this initiative, the two companies have combined efforts across strain engineering and bioprocessing, each aiming to bring to market their own line of vegan cheeses while maintaining their distinct identities. In a statement, Formo’s CEO, Raffael Wohlgensinger, said: “In order to gain a leading market share together with our partners, production of animal-free casein needs to be able to compete with animals on a cost level”. “The initiated collaboration allows us to improve the technological efficiency and scale of production to achieve this very goal.” For Those Vegan Cowboys, the collaborative aspect is a signal that its casein will be a part of the future for Hochland and other traditional dairy producers. Its partnerships are a key stepping stone on its way to scaling up and launching to market – both its own cheeses, as well as the casein as an ingredient supplier – with the start-up expecting to reach commercialistion within a few years, CEO Van der Kaa confirmed. © Those Vegan Cowboys “At the stage we are in now, it is incredibly important that traditional parties support the development and indicate their willingness to invest in this,” she enthused. “They are our customers in the here and now and in the future.” “Among our partners are several small cheese companies, as well as multinationals and even farmer cooperatives. They are often companies with a long-term vision, daring to look beyond the next two years.” Future farming Another company that emphasises the benefits of making farmers part of the transition toward a more sustainable and animal-free future of food production is NewMoo. While also a start-up producing cow-free casein, NewMoo does not use precision fermentation – instead, it uses plant molecular farming to produce its ingredient. This involves genetically engineering plants to express novel ingredients: in this case, teaching the plants to express bovine casein proteins for the animal-free cheese industry. Co-founder and CEO, Daphna Miller, explained that the company’s co-founders have extensive experience within the traditional dairy industry, leveraging this understanding of the sector’s advantages, needs and challenges to develop a solution. She pointed out that the company’s molecular farming approach can provide a sustainable solution that is cost-effective, requires less factories and allows farmers to be a part of the process. “Our product – a liquid casein base – mimics the functionality of milk, and actually seamlessly integrates into current dairy factories,” she said. “We plant the seeds in fields, collect our special casein seeds, and then with special know-how, we produce our liquid caseins base for dairy brands.” Miller added that the final liquid casein base is clean from DNA residues, meaning no GMO declaration is required. Furthermore, she noted the benefit of the liquid format in contrast with a powder, avoiding complex and costly processes to separate and purify the caseins. “Additionally, it helps us minimise time and capital expenditure for dairy producers – by ensuring our product seamlessly integrates into their existing factories and processes,” explained Miller. “Moving a cheese producer’s machine within their own factory by just 100 metres can change the taste of their product and can take weeks to get back to their known beloved taste. This truly is a win-win situation: it benefits the consumers, the dairy producers, farmers, the health- and animal welfare-conscious flexitarians, and the global climate.” Dairy reimagined While companies producing these advanced solutions must navigate regulatory approval processes and often challenging scale-up journeys, their potential impact on the future of animal-free cheese is huge. © Those Vegan Cowboys The products will not be suitable for everyone – some consumers with milk allergies, for example, can still experience an allergic response triggered by precision-fermented milk proteins. And some vegan consumers may feel it does not align with their values to consume any food that contains bioidentical animal protein, no matter whether ananimal was used in the production process or not, preferring to stick to cheese alternative products made only with plant ingredients. With commercialisation in sight across multiple markets for several of these start-ups by 2028, the future looks promising. Those Vegan Cowboys’ Van der Kaa concluded: “Regardless of what happens politically, you see that the market has already fully embraced the change. And it will probably still [happen in] fits and starts in the coming years, but the positive turnaround seems unstoppable.” Top image: © Studio Lazareff/Standing Ovation

UK retailer Lidl GB has surpassed its original target of a 400% increase in own-label meat-free and milk alternative sales in 2025, achieving 694%. The milestone forms part of the retailer’s broader commitment to increasing the proportion of plant-based protein to 25% of total protein sold by 2030, in alignment with the Planetary Health Diet by 2050. Lidl revealed that sales of plant-forward products outperformed meat-style alternatives by almost 20% when comparing the top three veg-led products to the best-selling meat replacements. The retailer is responding to this by evolving its product mix to better meet the needs of flexitarians, vegans and vegetarians, offering tailored options to suit all shoppers. This week, Lidl launched more than 20 new own-label products to its Vemondo Plant range. These include multiple varieties of marinated tofu, falafels and tortellini. Amali Bunter, head of responsible sourcing and ethical trade at Lidl GB, said: “Surpassing our 2025 meat-free and milk-alternative sales target marks a significant milestone in our wider healthy and sustainable diets agenda and supports our long-term goal of aligning with the Planetary Health Diet by 2050, a vital lever in the net-zero transition”. In addition to Lidl’s range of plant-based meat alternatives, offered at price points starting from £1.49, the discounter said it has sold over 1,400 tonnes of pulses, seeds and grains since the start of 2025. This aligns with a noticeable shift toward more natural, whole food products and ingredients in recent years as consumers look to reduce consumption of ultra-processed foods.

Barcelona-based food-tech company Novameat has launched two new meat alternative products, Pulled Lamb Style and Pulled Pork Style. The new innovations complete the start-up’s ‘Pulled’ product category, which offers versatile and ‘hyper-realistic’ plant-based proteins to food manufacturers, chefs and home cooks in formats that replicate beef, chicken, pork and lamb. The plant-based lamb represents a key R&D breakthrough for Novameat, which noted that there are few existing plant-based lamb options currently available on the market. The company said its new innovation overcomes the challenge of emulating lamb’s distinct flavour and delicate mouthfeel. Crafted with Novameat’s MicroForce technology, the product is claimed to offer a ‘remarkably’ authentic taste and tender bite. It is well-suited for substituting lamb in traditional dishes such as roasts, tagines and kebabs. Meanwhile, the Pulled Pork aims to stand out in a crowded market in which many plant-based pork alternatives exist in varying formats. Novameat’s shredded version is designed to replicate the juicy, fibrous texture of traditional pulled pork. Providing a ‘mild’ flavour, it is suitable for use in applications like barbecue classics, burritos, bowls and stews. Both new Pulled products are made from a short list of natural, clean label ingredients with no ‘complex additives,’ and are free from common allergens including soy and gluten. Guiseppe Scionti, founder and CEO of Novameat, said: “By expanding our Pulled category with two new, less common plant-based meats, we are providing a toolkit for chefs to explore a lot further than before”. “These products are a testament to our commitment to relentless innovation and a promise that the plant-based future doesn’t have to compromise on taste, texture or culinary experience.” The new Pulled Lamb and Pork launched 1 September, now available to foodservice partners, distributors and food manufacturers.

Xampla, a UK-based start-up developing plastic alternative materials made from plants, has received $14 million in private capital. According to the University of Cambridge spin-out, the funding will see more than 10 billion units of single-use plastic replaced with its Morro materials in the next five years, including plastic linings found in takeaway boxes, coffee cups and sachets. Xampla's proprietary Morro materials offer a natural polymer alternative made from regenerative and natural plant protein feedstocks, including peas, rapeseed and sunflower. They are biodegradable, compostable and entirely free from plastic. Lead investor Emerald Technology Ventures runs a specialist, venture-backed investment fund targeting the full packaging lifecycle. The fund aims to catalyse leaps in advanced materials that benefit the planet and earn significant returns. Also leading the Series A round is BGF and Matterwave Ventures, in addition to participation from existing investors including Amadeus Capital Partners and Horizons Ventures. Research shows there are now 8 billion tonnes of plastics and microplastics in our global environment, with less than 10% of plastic ever produced being recycled. Amid increasing concern over our worldwide reliance on plastics and the resulting pollution, businesses across the materials industry are pouring efforts into developing sustainable alternatives that can offer the same capabilities in packaging applications – an enduring challenge for the sector. Xampla’s work in this area has included ensuring its Morro coating can maintain the recyclability of cardboard without compromising on grease, oxygen and moisture barrier properties. Its Morro films are soluble, offering potential to replace plastic PVA films across various applications. They are also food-safe and can be used as edible replacements for packaging single-serve products like sweets and soups. The start-up has already worked in collaboration with industry partners, replacing plastic coatings on boxes used by food delivery giant Just Eat and Bunzl Catering Supplies. Alexandra French, chief executive at Xampla, said: “This is a major vote of confidence for our revolutionary replacements for polluting plastics, and will see us expanding into Asia Pacific as well as growing in the UK and Europe”. Rowan Bird, investor at BGF, described Xampla’s technology as a “truly scalable and practical alternative to plastic”. He added: “Its patented, entirely natural and PFAS-free material is not only strong in performance but also drop-in ready for existing manufacturing lines, making it an attractive option for brands looking to adopt more sustainable solutions. We believe in the strength of the team, the quality of the product, and the positive role Xampla can play in helping reduce reliance on polluting plastics.”

Spanish brand BoomBites claims to have brought a UK-first ‘superfruit’ to British supermarkets with the launch of its Red Berry Grapes, now available in Marks and Spencers stores. The BoomBites Red Berry Grapes are claimed to taste like ‘the very best table grapes’ but with a deep, juicy red pulp on the inside, similar to that of a berry or cherry. Their unique red pulp is packed with antioxidants known as anthocyanins – the powerhouse polyphenols that give goji berries, blueberries and cranberries their ‘superfood’ reputation. They are associated with health benefits such as improvements in cholesterol levels, vascular function and the gut microbiome. BoomBites said the Red Berry Grapes have comparable antioxidant levels to blueberries, describing them as an ‘incredibly versatile new superfruit’. The grapes are a natural cross between table grapes, which traditionally have white flesh on the inside, and old grape varieties that have red flesh fruit and were traditionally only used for wine production. BoomBites said it took ‘thousands’ of different combinations of small and soft, red-fleshed wine grapes with large, sweet and crunchy seedless table grapes to produce the new Red Berry Grapes. It described the resulting product as offering ‘the premium feel of a high-end food and beverage category, and the health credentials of a superfruit’. As well as anthocyanins, the grapes also include resveratrol, another naturally occurring polyphenol found in various fruits including grapes, blueberries, raspberries and peanuts. It is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. According to BoomBites, researchers at the University of Murcia found that the Red Berry Grapes had three times more resveratrol than blueberries when tested. Additionally, a study has suggested that the grapes’ natural sugars are absorbed more slowly than traditional grape varieties, as well as delivering higher levels of antioxidant polyphenols. Research from the technology center AINIA in Valencia, Spain, suggests that despite having similar amounts of fructose, the new Red Berry Grape varieties showed significantly lower glucose uptakes than standard varieties. Dietician and member of the Red Berry Grape Advisory Board, Nichola Ludlam-Raine, commented: “In simple terms, this means that while new Red Berry Grapes are sweet to the taste, the combination of phenols they contain alters the way these sugars are transported and absorbed in the gut.” “This has major implications for weight control, insulin response and dietary advice around fruit consumption, because we know that many consumers restrict intakes of these fruits rich in antioxidants because of concerns about the amount of sugar in fruit.” Punnets of the new BoomBites Red Berry Grapes are now on sale in M&S stores nationwide for a limited time.

The European Union (EU) has invested €2.2 million into a project to encourage the growth and adoption of plant-based food across Europe. Officially launched today (3 September 2025), the project – named Innovative Strategies to Accelerate Adoption and Consumption of Plant-Based Food (ISAAP) – is part of the EU’s European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)’s Food Impact Funding Framework. It will run from September 2025 until August 2027, bringing together partners from Portugal, Czechia and Denmark. Two national offices of industry awareness organisation ProVeg International will play key roles in the use of the funding. The project will build on Denmark’s National Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods, aiming to replicate and expand similar strategies across other EU countries to promote healthier and more sustainable food systems. In Portugal, ProVeg will work alongside farmer organisations such as the Portuguese farmers confederation Confederação dos Agricultores de Portugal, and CERPRO, a producers organisation. Universidade Católica Portuguesa will also collaborate on the project, supporting the development of innovative new legume-based products and building stronger connections between agriculture, research and industry. Meanwhile, ProVeg Czechia will focus on increasing access to plant-based meals in the foodservice sector. It will work closely with Catering Zdravě and other partners to support the development of new plant-based dishes, share expertise across the catering sector and help expand the New Food Forum, a key industry event. Jasmijn de Boo, global CEO of ProVeg International, said: “ISAAP represents a joint effort to make plant-based foods more accessible, appealing and sustainable across Europe. We are proud to collaborate with partners in creating real change that benefits farmers, industry, and consumers alike.”

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.”

UK tempeh brand Better Nature has refreshed its leadership team ahead of what it calls ‘a new era of growth’ for the company. The change sees co-founder Elin Roberts become sole chief executive officer, while fellow co-founder Ando Ahnan-Winarno will become chief operating officer. Former COO and co-founder Fabio Rinaldo is now head of supply chain and product development, while co-founder and former co-CEO Christopher Kong will step back from day-to-day leadership in October. He will stay with the business as a board member and advisor. CEO Roberts commented: “We are hugely grateful to Chris for his monumental contribution to Better Nature over the past six years”. “Anyone who’s met Chris will know how passionate, energetic, determined and resourceful he is. He genuinely breaks down walls. And we’ve needed that to achieve what has often felt impossible.” Roberts said the business’ leadership structure among the founding team of four was “no longer serving” the company, adding that the brand needed “more single-minded leadership” to reach its next stage of growth. The leadership team will focus on continuing to accelerate growth for Better Nature, which recorded its best-ever quarter in Q2 2025 with 128% year-over-year sales growth. It is now the UK’s top tempeh brand by volume, holding 38.1% market share, and recently celebrated a £1.1 million funding raise. © Better Nature Roberts continued: “My focus on business strategy, brand and high-performance culture, coupled with Ando’s unrivalled tempeh knowledge and boundless creativity, gives us the right set-up to lead Better Nature to new heights and enter an exciting new era of growth”. As part of the restructure, Better Nature has also announced the appointment of Alessandra Bellini, former chief customer officer at Tesco, as non-executive director. Bellini contributed to the Tesco brand turnaround, transformation of the Clubcard platform and customer strategy for the retail group between 2017 and 2023. She will work with the leadership team at Better Nature to steer the brand on its mission to ‘save the world from so-so protein like chicken and get everyone eating supercharged protein: tempeh,’ tapping into the £3.2 billion UK chicken market with an aim of driving consumers towards plant-based protein. Completing the new senior team line-up are Helen Atkinson, head of sales, and Alan Chan, fractional CFO. A new temporary marketing director for the brand is also set to be announced soon, providing maternity cover for Noora Parssinen. Top image: Elin Roberts and Ando Ahnan-Winarno © Better Nature

The Better Meat Co has appointed Pamela Marrone to its board of directors. Marrone brings an extensive experience as both a serial entrepreneur and a biotechnology leader to the role. She has founded and co-founded several companies, including AgraQuest, acquired by Bayer CropScience for more than $425 million, and Marrone Bio Innovations, which went public in 2013 and merged with Bioceres Crop Solutions in 2022. Paul Shapiro, CEO of The Better Meat Co, said: “Marrone offers a rare blend of scientific depth, commercial execution and mission-driven leadership. Her track record of turning cutting-edge biology into scaled products will be invaluable as we scale up production of our Rhiza mycoprotein ingredient.” The Better Meat Co produces Rhiza, a mycoprotein ingredient used by food manufacturers to boost the nutritional profile of meat products. The company recently closed an oversubscribed $31 million Series A funding round , to expand its patented mycoprotein fermentation technology to commercial scale.

A newly published International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard for labelling plant-based foods will increase trust in the global plant-based industry, ProVeg International has said. The standard, called ‘ Plant-based foods and food ingredients – Definitions and technical criteria for labelling and claims ,’ sets out an international guideline for manufacturers and retailers worldwide to preserve and promote ‘plant-based’ as a widely trusted claim. ProVeg pointed to consumer research suggesting ‘plant-based’ is one of the most appealing claims to label products that do not contain animal ingredients. With no internationally recognised guideline previously on how this claim should be used, foods containing animal ingredients are occasionally labelled as plant-based, which risks confusing consumers and damaging their trust. The new ISO standard has been created with input from food industry partners and NGOs. The standard will cover two types of foods: foods with no animal ingredients, which can be labelled plant-based, and foods with limited and conditional use of animal ingredients. Foods in the second category cannot be labelled as plant-based, except with a qualifier – for example, ‘plant-based vegetarian,’ or can be called something else such as ‘plant-strong’ at the choice of the manufacturer. The use of any animal-derived ingredients must be clearly and transparently highlighted on the label to prevent consumers from being misled. Martine van Haperen, a foodservice and food industry expert at ProVeg International, said: “While this second category isn’t what we would define as strictly plant-based, it’s a compromise, helping to satisfy mixed-stakeholder politics. Given the strength of the first category, ProVeg welcomes the new standard, which reflects strong consensus among industry, consumer groups and other stakeholders.” Van Haperen – who has been representing ProVeg in the worldwide ISO working group developing a standard for products that can be labelled as plant-based – noted that ISO is an influential and widely respected institute, with the standard providing a potential first step toward governmental legislation regarding plant-based food labelling. “Adherence to ISO standards is voluntary, so we need to wait and see how this standard is received and implemented across various cultural, economical and political spaces,” Van Haperen said.

Scottish plant-based startup Beastly Brews, the producer of the oat milk liqueur Panther M*lk, has ceased trading and appointed administrators. Founded in 2020 by Paul Crawford, Beastly Brews reimagined the traditional Spanish cocktail Leche de Pantera as a sustainable, vegan alternative. The drink was made by swapping condensed milk for oat milk, offering a plant-based and low-impact version of the popular drink. Following an appearance on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den, Panther M*lk secured retail listings and opened a dedicated bar in Glasgow, which ran for four years. However, despite early traction, the brand has now appointed liquidators. Beastly Brews employed seven people and achieved around £175,000 turnover between October 2024 and May 2025. All employees were made redundant prior to the appointment of provisional liquidators WBG, led by Donald McKinnon. McKinnon said: “It is sad to see the demise of such an innovative drinks company with strong potential.” In a statement, Crawford said: “We had invested in the production of stock in advance with the intention of supplying to Tesco and Sainsbury’s, but both arrangements fell through, leaving us with too much stock, the cost of production to account for, and, ultimately, cashflow difficulties as we sought to offset the stock, resulting in this unfortunate liquidation.” Top image: © Panther M*lk on Linkedin

Frozen organic food producer Pack’d has added a new range of frozen ingredients to its UK retail portfolio. The new range includes Organic Chopped Onion, Organic Chopped Garlic, Organic Chopped Ginger, and Organic Soffritto Base – made with carrots, celery and onion. Pack’d’s new line comes as data shows 7 million tonnes of edible fresh food is thrown away in UK households each year. This costs around £1,000 annually on average for a household of four. Meanwhile, the UK frozen food market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.6% from 2024 to 2030, with the frozen fruits and vegetables category identified as the most lucrative segment, registering the fastest growth during the forecast period. Pack’d said its new range marks ‘a new era’ for the brand, expanding its offering from frozen whole foods into the ingredients space. This aims to capture more usage occasions and further its commitment to producing nutritious, sustainable and convenient food options. All products in the line are packed and frozen on the day of harvest to capture maximum nutrients, while offering a zero-waste solution for home cooks. Katy Hamblin, director of marketing at Pack’d, said: “Our mission has always been about getting tasty, convenient food into more people’s freezers – which is exactly why we we’re expanding our range into organic frozen ingredients. More people than ever are concerned about what goes into their food, so cooking with whole and natural foods is definitely on the rise.” She added: “We believe that eating well should fit into everyday life, effortlessly. But we also know that this can be difficult for many who lead busy lifestyles and struggle to find the time to cook from scratch. This new range is all about making home cooking quicker, easier, and more nutritious, with no compromise on quality or flavour.” The new range will be rolling out on Ocado this month, with RRPs of £2.85 per pack.