How Meatless Farm satisfies the huge appetite for plant-based foods (Q&A)

Launched in the U.K. in 2016, Meatless Farm is now available in 20 countries and continues to expand its innovative product lineup. In this Q&A, founder Morten Toft Bech shares the story behind Meatless Farm and what the brand brings to the plant-based food revolution.

How did you come to found Meatless Farm?
As a family, we’ve always supported the meat-reduction movement and strongly believe that incorporating more plant-based foods into one’s diet is critical to help save the planet. As a result, we were always looking for a strong substitute for meat. One day in 2016, my wife was preparing a meal and was complaining that she wasn’t able to find an alternate for ground that was both nutritious and fresh, but also looked, tasted and cooked in a similar way. We knew that this presented a real opportunity and from this moment, Meatless Farm was born, with the core mission of global meat reduction.

Describe Meatless Farm’s product line and the ingredients that are used.
Meatless Farm products are 100% plant-based and are made using the highest-quality, non-GMO ingredients available. The products are near-indistinguishable in taste and texture from their meat-based counterparts, while being superior in nutritional value. All products also have fewer calories, fat and saturated fat than their meat counterparts and are gluten-free.

In Canada, we currently have meat-free ground and burgers, and recently launched our breakfast sausages and sausage patties. All products – with the exception of our ground – have launched with a new, completely pea-protein recipe. To ensure the texture and cooking quality of our ground, it is made of a mixture of pea and soy protein.

There are a lot of new plant-based products on the shelf. What makes Meatless Farm different?
There is no doubt that the plant-based food revolution is well underway and that there is no shortage of new entrants to the market. However, there is huge demand for plant-based products and consumers are looking for choice and versatility. We recognize this and continue to look for ways to deliver new and innovative products to the market, such as the launch of our new breakfast line.

As the industry grows, we also recognize that there is great potential for continued growth. We will continue to listen to our consumers’ needs, and to create products that exceed their expectations. It also helps that we continuously hear from our customers that Meatless Farm is the best meat alternative they have ever tried!

How do you work with retailers to drive sales of Meatless Farm’s products?
Our partnerships with retailers are critical to our success. In addition to all of the marketing efforts that we execute externally and above the line, we also prioritize in-store shopper marketing and work closely with retailers to ensure our products stand out on the shelf. This often includes in-store point of sale, sampling and couponing. We also understand the importance of e-commerce in these current times, and have ramped up our online activation
in partnership with retailers.