The Vegetarian Butcher has been awarded by Kantar with an Outstanding Innovation Award. Acquired by Unilever in 2018, The Vegetarian Butcher sells a variety of plant-based products that deliver the same taste, texture, and nutrition as animal meat. Kantar have recognised the brand for making it easy and rewarding for consumers to swap brands, developing products that meet their needs in a meaningful way.
The Vegetarian Butcher has a clear brand purpose coupled with environmental and socially responsible goals, sourcing its ingredients from suppliers that adhere to sustainable farming practices, and working to reduce its environmental impact by using renewable energy sources and minimising waste.
With continual new product development based on customer research, The Vegetarian Butcher has also built partnerships with fast-food outlets to bring their popular plant-based meat alternatives in Burger King’s nuggets, Starbucks vegan sandwiches, Domino’s pepperoni pizza and Subway’s meat-free Teriyaki Steak.
Brand building, innovation and great marketing all in one. It is why brands drive new category development faster than all other alternatives. It also highlights how deeply established plant-based food is in our everyday behaviours. The brand itself is simple and clear. The products focus on quality and appetite appeal with clever naming to deliver clarity on the meat replacement proposition. All underpinned by a relevant purpose. It is a mainstream brand owner targeting a previously niche category to serve a broad audience… five years ago this would have been unthinkable for this category. Private label products are increasingly launching into this space and brands like The Vegetarian Butcher are clearly working hard to continue to build their brand, establish their value, and innovate!
On a broader point, this is another example of how Unilever has invested ambitiously and intelligently in a range of future facing brands over the past decade – all driven by insight into our changing needs and behaviours. We should never forget that 99% of the time it is brand owners that lead and support consumers on these journeys.
Find out more about The Vegetarian Butcher and Kantar’s Outstanding Innovation Awards.