Unilever and The Vegetarian Butcher started working together in 2016 when they jointly launched the Vegetarian Meatballs in Satay Sauce and Vegetarian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce.
Unilever, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., announced plans to acquire The Vegetarian Butcher, The Netherlands, to expand its portfolio into plant-based foods.
With this acquisition, Unilever responds to the growing trend of providing vegetarian and vegan meals. For The Vegetarian Butcher, the acquisition is the next step in becoming what is said to be “the largest butcher in the world,” according to Jaap Korteweg, founder of The Vegetarian Butcher. “Unilever’s international network across 190 countries provides every opportunity to accomplish this. We want to take the next step—conquer the world. It is our mission to make plant-based ‘meat’ the standard. We believe that with Unilever’s international network, this acquisition will help to accelerate our mission.”