Livekindly Collective strikes deal for Iceland Foods’ No Meat brand

Plant-based food firm Livekindly Collective has announced the acquisition of British supermarket Iceland Foods’ vegan meat alternative company, No Meat.

The frozen vegan brand marks Livekindly Collective’s latest deal and will join its portfolio of start-up plant-based brands such as Fry Family Food Co, LikeMeat and Oumph!, which it acquired last year.

Developed by British supermarket chain Iceland Foods, the No Meat range first launched in 2018 with the No Bull burger. The line has since expanded to include products such as No Porkies sausages, No Chick fillets and strips, No Cheese pizzas and pasties, as well as No Moo dairy-free chocolate puddings. The range is currently available in Iceland, Asda and Ocado in the UK.

As part of the agreement, Iceland Foods will also begin to sell Livekindly Collective’s existing brands in Iceland and The Food Warehouse stores across the UK and Ireland from April 2021.

“This acquisition is very complementary to our current portfolio, further strengthening our position in the frozen sector of the fast-growing plant-based meat category,” said Domenico Speciale, general manager for Livekindly Collective in the UK.

He added: “Iceland Foods has done an amazing job in building the No Meat brand over the last few years. The team has been brilliant in their approach by continually developing new products and rotating the range to bring excitement to the category.”

The acquisition – which was made for an undisclosed sum – also comes on the heels of Livekindly Collective’s $135 million funding round led by Blue Horizon Corporation.

Kees Kruythoff, CEO and chairman of Livekindly Collective, said: “Bringing No Meat into the Livekindly Collective family as a mission aligned partner was a natural next step for us. Its strategy to meet the demand of consumers for healthier and more environmentally friendly vegan products mirrors our own commitment to protect the planet.”

Andrew Staniland, trading director of frozen at Iceland Foods, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be partnering with Livekindly Collective both to bring the No Meat brand to new consumers globally and to significantly expand Iceland Foods’ plant-based product offering in the UK.”