Spanish plant-based meat phenomenon Heura is launching into the UK market.
The Barcelona-headquartered 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 into Planet Organic and online retailer The Vegan Kind, starting initially with three of the brand’s best-selling products, its 100% vegetable original chicken bites, Mediterranean chicken bites and strips.
Heura’s 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. A short ingredients list mean the products appear to consumers looking out for ‘clean vegan’ choices.
Heura sees the UK plant-based market as a key target. Expected to reach a value of £1.1 billion by 2023, according to Mintel, it has overtaken close neighbours like Germany, to become the most valuable in Europe, 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’.
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 claims to be the fastest growing 100% plant-based meat company in Europe. It has quickly established 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.
Main image: Bernat Añaños and Marc Coloma, Heura founders and ‘food activists’
