Unilever is putting The Vegetarian Butcher up for sale. The CPG giant is in the process of a major clean-up and is already looking to offload brands such as Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum, Unox and Conimex.
After just six years
Hein Schumacher, chief executive of Unilever, wants to concentrate solely on the best-selling billionaire brands and is considerably reducing the group’s portfolio. Following his plan to sell or float the ice cream division – which would see the departure of Magnum and rebel sons Ben & Jerry’s, among others – Unilever confirmed last week that it would also be selling Dutch brands such as Unox and Conimex.
Now another brand is on the block: the FMCG holding company is preparing to sell The Vegetarian Butcher (originally De Vegetarische Slager). This producer of meat substitutes has been owned by Unilever since 2018, but is now facing increasing competition and waning consumer enthusiasm. Nevertheless, the growing interest in plant-based, environmentally-friendly food products means that there is still plenty of potential for growth.