The FMCG giant began exploring the possible sale of The Vegetarian Butcher with investment bank Piper Sandler last November, part of Unilever’s bid to focus on “fewer, bigger brands” along with its decision to demerge its ice cream division.
Unilever has now reached an agreement with the Netherlands-based firm Vivera, a vegetarian and plant-based foods firm owned by JBS.
The transaction remains subject to regulatory approval, but is expected to close in Q3 of this year.
Founded in 2010, The Vegetarian Butcher was acquired by Unilever in 2018 and currently has products listed in 55 countries around the world across the retail and foodservice channels.
Meanwhile, Vivera has a strong retail presence in the UK
Vivera CEO Willem van Weede welcomed the deal and noted the complementary nature of the two brands.
“By combining these two companies we join forces to create a great purpose driven company with many talented and highly motivated people,” said van Weede.
“Acceleration of the protein transition is more important than ever and we look forward to inspiring more people to eat more plant-based.”
Meanwhile, The Vegetarian Butcher CEO Rutger Rozendaal commented: “We are very excited for The Vegetarian Butcher to be joining forces with Vivera, as it will bring the opportunity to combine our strengths and deliver even greater value to our partners and our consumers.
“This marks a significant step towards becoming one of the largest and most influential companies in the plant based industry, making us uniquely positioned towards further accelerating the global shift to tasty and healthy plant based solutions.”
Finally, Unilever Foods president Heiko Schipper praised the significant growth delivered by The Vegetarian Butcher since 2018.
“The creative, impactful communication campaigns have fostered genuine love for the brand among consumers,” Schipper continued.
“These efforts have not only driven the success of the brand, but also reinforced the Unilever commitment to plant-based foods and breakthrough innovation.
“I believe that The Vegetarian Butcher is poised for even greater success in the next phase of its journey under new ownership that is dedicated to plant-based meat replacements.”
The news comes not long after the departure of Unilever CEO Hein Schumacher was announced, with former chief financial officer Fernando Fernandez stepping up in his place.
Since taking up the role of CEO in the summer of 2023, Schumacher was central to the firm’s turnaround plan and the refocusing on core assets.
