Unilever to Sell The Vegetarian Butcher as Part of Plan to Offload Brands Worth £1Bn

Unilever is looking to sell The Vegetarian Butcher, a plant-based meat brand that it purchased in 2018, as part of its plan to offload brands worth approximately £1 billion in annual sales. The multinational company is working with investment bank Piper Sandler to sell the brand, and many potential buyers have already been approached. Unilever's CEO Hein Schumacher intends to focus on the company's international "power brands" such as Hellmann's mayonnaise, which represent over 70% of its sales.

Despite Unilever setting a goal last year to achieve €1.5 billion in sales of plant-based products by 2025 in order to reduce its carbon emissions, The Vegetarian Butcher is still being sold off. The brand, which is experiencing strong sales growth and is sold at major UK retailers and food service partners, remains committed to its mission of releasing animals from the food chain through high-quality, plant-based products. Founded in 2010, The Vegetarian Butcher celebrated its 13th anniversary last year with the opening of a plant-based butchery in Rotterdam.