The deal with Unilever at the end of 2018 has been lucrative for The Vegetarian Butcher. The founder, Jaap Korteweg, who is now a consultant, expects the company to annually double its turnover in the coming years.
Partnerships
In November, it was announced that The Vegetarian Butcher won a contract to supply the Rebel Whopper, a plant-based burger, to 2,500 Burger King branches all over Europe. The deal illustrates the development that the company has been experiencing since it was taken over by Unilever at the end of 2018. According to founder Jaap Korteweg, it’s just the beginning, and there’s a lot more in the pipeline.
“I stand by my choice to sell The Vegetarian Butcher and I am positively surprised about the sales”, Korteweg explains in De Telegraaf. After having sold his company, Korteweg continues to be involved as an advisor, where he is given a lot of freedom and can also work on new products. “My latest project is cow-free milk, which will also involve making cheese and dairy products.”
Last week, snack manufacturer Van Geloven launched a new vegetarian Frikandel on the market under the brand Mora, which is also the result of a collaboration with The Vegetarian Butcher. They have already successfully launched vegetarian croquettes and bitterballen. Both Korteweg and Jan Aaltzen Linde, director of the snack manufacturer, have high expectations: “By 2025, we want 50% of all snacks to be vegetarian. Already 10 to 15% of the turnover comes from vegetarian kipcorns, bitterballen and croquettes,” says the snack chief executive.
