Plant-based ready meal company, The Brook, is set to close following a “challenging” six months. The announcement was made via social media by CEO Thea Brook. The Brook was founded by Thea and Andy Brook in 2013 and over the years it developed from an arts café, into a plant-based restaurant and then into a meal delivery company. When the pandemic forced The Brook restaurants to close their doors in 2020, the founders began working on ideas to reach people at home with their innovative dishes. The meals were stocked in co-op stores until, determined to reach more people, the founders launched home delivery in 2021, delivering the five-minute meals and menu ideas direct to customers’ doors. In a statement on LinkedIn, Thea said: “Over the past 2.5 years, we have battled hard through one economic crisis after another. Over the past 6 months, the market has become more than ‘challenging’. We have seen many of our fresh ingredients double in price, our transport costs almost triple and our energy bills more than quadruple.” She added: “Together we achieved so much in such a critical area of development. We changed thousands of minds about what it meant to eat a plant-based diet. And we challenged the bigger companies to do better in this space. These impacts will live on and continue to positively impact the planet, long after we close our doors.” The company had an acquisition set in motion but when the buyer pulled out last minute, The Brook was forced to stop trading. #Plantbasedreadymeal #TheBrook #UK

Spanish sauce producer Musa has launched a new vegan mayonnaise in a top-down PET format. The new mayonnaise is gluten- and preservative-free and contains 0% of animal-origin ingredients. Musa says the product is developed to reach a larger number of consumers, including consumers who are egg- or lactose-intolerant, as well as vegans and flexitarians. The company said: “This product meets the expectations and demand of a large part of vegans, vegetarians and “flexitarians”, who seek authentic and homemade flavours for their dishes”. #Musa #Spain

Plant-powered chocolate brand, Buttermilk has released two new festive products specifically for the Christmas season. The family-run, plant-based business, with 60 years of confectionary expertise, is launching Orange Choccy Segments and Choccy Truffles with Spiced Caramel Speculoos flavour. Powered by plants, the knock-out bite-size slices of thick, dairy-free milk chocolate, with zingy citrus flavour are here to bring a new creation of what chocolate orange should be about. Buttermilk Choccy Truffles with Spiced Caramel are created with dairy-free chocolate and a plant-based shell. Buttermilk founder Tracy McDonnell-Goad commented: “We believe that everyone should be able to enjoy exceptional tasting treats, without compromising on taste, quality or value. Our consumers tell us, they want delicious choccy treats that just so happen to be dairy-free, plant-based and made with no nasties.” McDonnell-Goad added: “For an easy way to help look after our planet, swapping your treats for plant-powered choccies is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Better for you, better for the planet. And of course, deliciously indulgent treats.” Both of Buttermilk’s new offerings are plant-powered, vegan, dairy free, gluten free and palm oil free. Buttermilk Orange choccy segments is available in the UK at an RSP of £3 for 100g. #Buttermilk #chocolate #plantbased #snackbar

Plant-based dessert brand Bon Dévil has announced the appointment of Adam Lowry as its new executive chairman. Lowry has extensive experience in the plant-based food industry, most recently as co-founder of dairy alternatives company Ripple Foods. He said: “I am looking forward to leveraging my experience in building businesses that offer all-natural, comprehensive solutions for consumers. Bon Dévil follows this trend by offering a product that allows consumers to achieve dietary balance and not feel deprived of the joys in life.” Bon Dévil, the brand formerly known as The Coconut Collaborative in the US, offers dairy-, gluten- and lactose-free ganache desserts made from coconuts. “Bon Dévil is an impressive brand in the plant-based food category with a great trajectory for growth,” added Lowry. “My interest in building businesses with sustainability principles while generating strong shareholder returns meshes perfectly with Bon Dévil’s mission.” #BonDévil #RippleFoods

Pangea Natural Foods has announced the launch of plant-based chicken nuggets made with three types of pea protein. The company’s natural Chikken Nuggets are free of GMO and bioengineered ingredients, antibiotics, hormones and fillers. Pangea CEO, Pratap Sandhu, said: “We are excited to launch another plant-based product given the immense growth that the sector is experiencing globally. The Pangea Chikken Nuggets are the perfect meat alternative because they taste great, they are healthy, and are packed with iron, and calcium. Plus, each nugget has 21 grams of protein.” The pea protein chicken nuggets are the latest addition to Pangea’s portfolio of natural and healthy foods that are sustainably sourced. Pangea products are available on the company’s website and in over 250 national retail food stores across Canada and the US. #PangeaNaturalFoods #peaprotein #plantbasedchicken

Good Planet Foods has announced the launch of new plant-based snack packs, which were created for on-the-go occasions. Good Planet Foods’ snack packs feature two flavours: smoked gouda with dried cranberries and almonds and cheddar with dried cranberries and cashews. Good Planet Foods co-CEO Bart Adlam said: “As the demand for plant-based cheese continues to grow, consumers have been vocal about not having enough quality options. At Good Planet Foods, we are constantly looking for ways to bring the joy of cheese to more consumers who are looking for ways to eat more plant-based foods.” He continued: “With snacking continuing to grow quickly in the US, our new snack packs are a delicious, healthy and satiating alternative. We are committed to growing the plant-based cheese segment and confident that this innovation will bring new consumers and eating occasions to the segment.” The snack packs will be available for an SRP of $1.99 at grocery stores nationwide from this month. #GoodPlanetFoods #US

Plant-based, carbon-negative ice cream company, Plan(e)t Foods, has raised €400,000 in its first funding round. Plan(e)t Foods claims to be the first vegan start-up to be launched in Greece. The company has grown rapidly, and in the last 18 months Plan(e)t Foods ice cream has become available in more than 500 stores in Greece and is now distributed through all major supermarket chains in the country. “We are proud of building an ethical and planet-friendly brand, as we are the world’s first plant-based and carbon-negative ice cream,” said Greg Bograkos, Plan(e)t Foods founder. This summer, the company launched its first physical ice cream store in central Athens, with more than 13 flavours available. Plan(e)t Foods uses 100% vegan waffle ice cream cups and edible spoons to reduce waste and increase sustainability. “The company has partnered with a UK-based independent climate action advisory in order to calculate direct and indirect emissions, in order to minimise and offset carbon emissions by 110%,” added Bograkos. Plan(e)t Foods is preparing to begin raising its next funding round, with plans to grow its retail presence and launch more physical stores globally. #Greece #PlanetFoods

Puris, a plant-based food company, has announced the launch of its first consumer brand, AcreMade, a plant-based egg. AcreMade developed an egg substitute made from Puris’ main ingredient—yellow field peas—a nutritious and planet-friendly pulse that satisfies hunger while fueling a regenerative food system at the same time. Egg Substitute is free from the top nine allergens, gluten-free, certified Kosher, and non-GMO. AcreMade uses yellow field peas as the main protein source in its plant-based egg product. The eggs contain 5g of protein per serving and 0 mg of cholesterol. “We’re thrilled to be launching AcreMade as our first direct-to-consumer brand,” said Nicole Atchison, CEO of AcreMade and Puris. Atchison added: “From seed to shelf, grower to finished product, PURIS has the capability, network and resources to uniquely improve the food journey, and create products that consumers love.” Egg Substitute is available online in a case of eight, 4.9 oz bags (96 total servings) for $54.99. AcreMade uses Upcycled Certified™pea starch, a new certification that recognises brands that put previously unused ingredients to work. #AcreMade #plantprotein #plantbasedegg #Puris

JBS USA has announced that it will close down its plant-based meat operation, Planterra Foods, just two years after launching. Commenting on the latest, head of corporate communications at JBS USA, Nikki Richardson, told The Plant Base Mag: “JBS USA has made the decision to discontinue operations in its US-based Planterra business unit. We continue to believe in the potential of plant-based options for consumers and remain committed to the alternative protein market.” Planterra is a plant-based company owned by JBS Foods, located in Colorado, and sold at retail under the Ozo brand, known for its alternative meats such as nuggets, burgers and meatballs. The plant-based alternatives first hit the shelves in March 2020. Richardson added: “JBS will focus its efforts on its plant-based operations in Brazil and Europe. We are actively working with the Planterra workforce to provide employment opportunities at other JBS locations.” The news comes one year after Planterra announced it would open a new R&D innovation centre at its Colorado headquarters. It stated that the new centre would allow for new opportunities to test ingredients and product innovations, as well as growing office space and providing job openings for the local area. Denver Business Journal reported that in closing down the 189,000 square foot factory Denver factory, there will be an expected job loss of more than 100. Planterra was not JBS’ only plant-based business, in 2021, it also acquired plant-based meat producer, Vivera for €341 million. The acquisition included three manufacturing units and an R&D centre in The Netherlands. #US #Ozo #PlanterraFoods #JBSUSA #JBS

Norseland has launched a sliced version of its Vegan Melting Mature Cheddar block under its Ilchester brand, into Sainsbury’s stores nationwide. Lisa Harrison, Marketing Manager at Ilchester, said: “Since its launch in July last year, the Ilchester Vegan Melting Mature block has firmly established itself as the mature vegan cheddar cheeze known for sharing the same meltability factor as dairy cheddar cheeses, something that vegans have often said lacks in other plant-based cheezes”. “We were thrilled when the block won the Gold Award in the Dairy-Free Cheese Alternative category in the International Cheese Awards 2022 so we are very optimistic that the sliced version will be as popular. It will be the perfect cheezy addition to vegan burgers, melts well as cheese on toast and of course is the perfect cheeze to top big dishes, such as vegan lasagne,” Harrison added. #Ilchester #Norseland #Vegancheese

Adamo Foods has secured a $620,000 investment to develop its steak alternative in what the company claims is a first in Europe. The new funding comes from three different organisations. The first was UK government research and innovation department, Innovate UK, which secured Adamo Foods a smart grant. The second was Beeches Group, an agricultural investment fund backed by the owners of Noble Foods. The company received further funding after being selected as the winner of the Shake Climate Change 2022 cohort – an annual competition led by Rothamsted research, which aims to support innovation in sustainable food production. Pierre Dupuis, founder and CEO, said: “It’s a hugely exciting time in the alt-protein space, with meat alternatives more popular than ever. But we see a huge gap in the market for realistic and healthy alternatives to whole cuts. Whole cuts represent 85% of the $1trn meat market but are virtually absent in meat alternatives. We’re aiming to change that.” Adamo Foods will use a proprietary fermentation process to create clean-label whole-cut steaks based on a single, natural superfood called fungal mycelium. The mycelium strain is packed with fibre, provides a source of protein with all nine essential amino acids and is inherently fibrous, delivering a unique muscle-like structure. Dupuis added: “We’re working on an exciting new technology to take these products to the next level, and are hugely grateful to our new investors for recognising its potential. The funding takes us one step further on our mission to remove animals from our broken food system.” The company plans to pilot launch its first product in a limited number of UK locations in 2023. #AdamoFoods #US #vegansteak

Kerry Dairy Consumer Foods has announced the launch of a range of vegan cheese under its Pure brand. The new range is available in three formats: grated, block and slices. Kerry says that the line of plant-based cheese products was created to adapt to consumers’ needs. Sarah Davies, marketing manager at Kerry Dairy Consumer Foods, said: “Our new range is a natural addition to our existing pipeline and has been produced as a response to the increasing demand for plant-based products from consumers who are looking to reduce their dairy consumption or cut-out dairy completely”. “As one of the most well-known brands in the category with a loyal consumer base, we are excited to expand Pure’s range and offer a new affordable and healthier alternative to dairy.” Pure plant-based grated cheese is currently available at Sainsbury’s stores for an RRP of £2 per 200g, while the block and slices formats will be launching in other retailers later this year. #KerryGroup #Pure #UK