Spanish Vegan Meat Pioneer Heura Enters Mexican Market Via 220 Retailers, Including Walmart

Heura, the Spanish plant-based meat startup, has brought its products to Mexico for the first time. Launching with a number of retail chains, including the world’s largest supermarket giant Walmart, the brand’s iconic vegan chicken products, beef patties, and meatballs will now be available across over 220 stores nationwide. 

Heura has expanded its global footprint yet again, launching in the Mexican retail market with Walmart. Other retailers that will stock Heura’s products include City Market, Fresko, and La Comer, with a total of 220 outlets nationwide. The Barcelona-based startup has brought four of its best-selling products to the country, including its 100% plant-based chicken bites and strips, burger patties, and meatballs. 

Mexico’s €198 million vegan market

Heura’s entry into the Mexican market comes amid record sales for the plant-based industry, with the global market set to reach $480 billion by 2024. Sales have picked up pace dramatically since the pandemic, with many consumers waking up to the health, environmental and animal welfare issues associated with industrial factory farming. 

In Mexico, the vegan market is expected to top €198 million by 2023, according to data from Nielsen Scantrack. 

“With nearly 130 million people living in Mexico, we recognize the power of its people to change the food system into one that’s designed to protect the things we all love: the planet, people and animals,” commented Heura co-founder and CEO Marc Coloma. 

“Our goal is to provide a product that allows kitchens across Mexico to remain the heart of the house that embraces and celebrates traditions, but in a new and improved way that promotes a healthier and more sustainable future.” 

Heura’s vegan meat analogues are made from soy protein, olive oil, salt and spices, and it claims to be among the healthiest alternatives in the plant-based market, boasting a short ingredient list and less saturated fat than other brands. 

Heura’s growing global presence

Mexico is only the latest in Heura’s rapid global expansion since its inception in 2017. Heura entered British supermarket shelves last year, and plans to double down its presence in the UK market, which represents one of the fastest-growing vegan markets in Europe. 

Globally, Heura is available in over 4,000 locations across 16 countries, including in Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Chile, Portugal, France, and the Netherlands, to name a few. 

On the heels of its €16 million funding round, the Spanish startup has revealed that the lucrative US market is next up on its list. Targeting the American market will help Heura further build out its sustainability and animal welfare goals, having already contributed to saving 3,000 litres of water and over 400,000 animal lives over the course of 2020. 

Last year, the company closed the year with a turnover of €8 million—triple that of the year before.

All images courtesy of Heura.