Planet Organic: Spain’s Heura Plant-Based Meat Products Enter UK Retail Market

Heura, the Barcelona-based vegan meat brand, has just launched in the U.K. at two leading specialty plant-forward retailers. British customers will now be able to purchase three of the startup’s most popular 100% plant-based meat alternatives, further expanding Heura’s already strong presence across the wider European region. 

Heura has just launched at The Vegan Kind and Planet Organic, two major retailers in the U.K. known for healthy and sustainable foods. There will be three of the brand’s products available, including their vegan original chicken bites, Mediterranean chicken bites and chicken strips, which are made from European soy, olive oil, salt and spices. In terms of nutrition, Heura’s plant-based alternatives stand out in the fast-growing sector for its “clean” label, boasting the same amount of protein compared to conventional chicken while containing only a third of fat and a short ingredient list. 

The U.K. is the fastest-growing plant-based food market in Europe, and coupled with Heura’s growth it means this is the right time for us to enter the U.K. market.

Marc Coloma, Co-Founder & CEO of Heura

The launch of Heura’s products in the British market comes at a time when consumers are purchasing vegan protein alternatives more than ever before, especially amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has raised concerns about food safety, health and sustainability. According to market research firm Mintel, the British plant-based market is expected to reach £1.1 billion (US$1.43 billion) within three years time, putting the country ahead of neighbouring markets such as Germany, where plant-based meats are also significantly rising in popularity. 

“The U.K. is the fastest-growing plant-based food market in Europe, and coupled with Heura’s growth it means this is the right time for us to enter the U.K. market,” said Marc Coloma, co-founder and CEO of Heura. “We trust in the outstanding nutritional value of our products: our products have a clean label, are among the healthiest available, and our Mediterranean heritage means that we are the only plant-based meat made with olive oil.”

Heura’s move comes shortly after the startup introduced its new recyclable cardboard packaging that slashes plastic use by 80% to offer consumers the most sustainable choice not just in terms of carbon emissions, but also in terms of minimising one’s plastic pollution and waste.

It followed the brand’s report that it has grown an impressive 450% within just the past year alone, making it the fastest-growing plant-based company in Europe. Since its inception in 2017, the company has brought its vegan chicken alternatives to Hong Kong and Singapore in partnership with Green Monday, and is also available in Portugal, Andorra, France, Chile and the Netherlands totalling 3,000 points-of-sale worldwide. 

In an interview with Green Queen last year, Heura’s co-founder and CMO Bernat Añaños said he believes that the only direction the world is heading is plant-based. “Once plant-based meat becomes as accessible, democratic, and looks, tastes and costs the same as traditional meat, the entire world will choose it.”

All images courtesy of Heura.