International expansion as plant-based Heura doubles sales

Heura closed H1 2022 with €14.7m in turnover, up from €7.6m during this period last year. 

The company was founded in 2017 by food activists Marc Coloma and Bernat Añaños. It is now present in more than 18,000 points of sale in more than 20 countries around the world, including Spain, Portugal, France, Netherlands, UK, Belgium, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Canada, Mexico and Chile. 

The company, which focuses on Mediterranean alternative meat products, is in a market that has seen growth over the last few years. 

Growth

Sales of plant-basedmeat alternatives​​ grew 19% to £2bn in western Europe in 2021, a record high according to a recent report from the Good Food institute.

Heura is now present in 65% of the retail market in Spain, making it the most widely distributed plant-based brand in the country. Its food service business also grew through strategic partnerships with catering companies, including Som Valors, SERH, as well as hotel chain Iberostar. 

The company said that the UK, France and Switzerland drove rapid growth across the continent in H1, thanks to new partnerships with international retailers such as Ocado in the UK, Migros in Switzerland, Carrefour in Italy, E.Leclerc, Intermarché and Super U in France. 

Accelerate change

Heura co-founder and CEO Marc Coloma said:  “The current food system is broken but we are seeing the power we all have to accelerate change. We aren’t making animal meat alternatives, but successors - foods that are delicious but also nutritionally superior and more sustainable. We have a clear roadmap for 2022 growth focused on expanding the plant-based category across Europe, and we are committed to providing better food options to people all over the world.” ​

Heura said it was  proud of the positive impact it's had on both the environment and animal welfare in H1. Over the past six months, when compared to traditional proteins, the company estimated it had saved about 55.9m liters of water used, 3.6m kg of CO2, 3.59m square meters of land used and more than 509,000 chickens, pigs and cows lives have been spared.   

Earlier this year, Heura raised more than €4m in just 12 hours through its crowdfunding Equity for Good Rebels campaign, which saw more than 4,500 people invest. It said that about half of the participants were between the ages of 18-35 years old, and 42% identified as women.