Barcelona, 5 October 2020 – Spanish plant-based meat brand Heura has launched in the United Kingdom, offering its 100% plant-based products created in the Mediterranean to UK consumers. The brand is already in the top two most popular plant-based meat brands in Europe.
Heura has taken its first step into the British market by launching with two leading distributors in healthy and sustainable eating, The Vegan Kind and Planet Organic. Customers can now purchase three of the brand’s most popular products, the 100% vegetable original chicken bites, Mediterranean chicken bites and strips.
Heura’s 100% plant-based chicken is made from European soy, olive oil, salt, and spices. It contains the same amount of protein as traditional chicken, with only one third of the fat, making it one of the market’s healthiest options (43% less fat than the industry average). And at a time when demand for ‘clean’ vegan products is increasing, Heura’s products also contain fewer ingredients than the market average.
The UK’s plant based market is expected to reach £1.1 billion by 2023, according to Mintel, putting the UK ahead of close neighbours like Germany, making the UK market a key target for Heura. In 2018, the British market became the country with the highest number of new vegan food products launched, and trends indicate that by 2025 almost half of the country’s population will become ‘flexitarian’.
According to data from market research company Mintel, currently 65% of the British population consumes plant-based meat, an increase of 30% from 2017. This demonstrates that consumers are increasingly changing their purchasing behaviour and gravitating towards a more sustainable and ethical alternative.
The COVID health crisis has also accelerated the shift towards plant-based diets, with 1 in 5 Britons saying that they have reduced their meat consumption during the pandemic. In addition, according to the Vegan Society, almost half of the British population will be flexitarian in the near future.
With a growth of 460% in the last year, Heura is the fastest growing 100% plant-based meat company in Europe. It already has a presence in nine countries, including Spain, Andorra, Portugal, France, the Netherlands, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Chile.
Marc Coloma, CEO and co-founder of Heura, said:
“The UK is the fastest-growing plant-based food market in Europe, and coupled with Heura’s growth it means this is the right time for us to enter the UK market. We trust in the outstanding nutritional value of our products: our products have a clean label, are among the healthiest available, and our Mediterranean heritage means that we are the only plant-based meat made with olive oil.”
