Eat Beyond’s The Very Good Food Company expands production capacity in US and Canada
The company’s new gluten- and soy-free line is poised to compete with Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods
20 Aug 2021 --- Eat Beyond Global Holdings Inc’s portfolio company, The Very Good Food Company, is ramping up production at its Rupert facility in Vancouver, Canada, and is poised to begin initial production at its California operation.
In Vancouver, the first production line is now producing four times the daily production volume of Very Good’s Victoria facility. Line 1 was commissioned in April, with some food production starting in May.
Currently producing an average of 13,000 pounds of product per day, Line 1 will ramp up production with a target of producing 60,000 lbs of product per day in Q1 2022 to keep pace with the increasing demand for Very Good’s products.
Very Good will also be commissioning its second production line (Line 2) at the Rupert facility in Q4 2021, which will be dedicated to producing its new highly anticipated gluten-free and soy-free Butcher’s Select Line.
This premium line is set to compete with Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods by packing an extra meaty taste and texture while using simple ingredients.
Very Good is set to compete with Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods by packing an extra meaty taste and texture while using simple ingredients.The Butcher’s Select line will appeal to consumers interested in a more plant-based diet while extending Very Good’s consumer base to the estimated 30 percent of Americans who avoid gluten.
Line 2 will also allow for expansion into the North American foodservice channel, as the company recently partnered with two leading meal kits and foodservice providers.
“By acquiring its first large-scale, 45,000-square-feet production facility, Very Good has been able to expertly scale its production line capacity,” says Eat Beyond CEO Michael Aucoin.
“The addition of the Rupert facility’s manufacturing capability is important as the demand for Very Good products grows and as the Butcher’s Select line will move the brand more directly into competition with Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat in the plant-based protein sector.”
Bolstering West coast production
Very Good will also begin initial food production at its Patterson facility in California, starting in September.
Production will start on a commercial-grade kitchen equipment line to fast-track the production of Taco Stuff’er, one of the company’s most in-demand SKUs.
Installation of the facility’s first major production line is underway and will complete in Q2 2022. Once commissioned, Patterson’s Line 1 will produce The Very Good Butchers’ various unique products which have not yet been scaled and will have the capability to make the brand’s original suite of products.
Line 1 is expected to produce an average of 27 million lbs of product per year when fully operational.
“The expanded production capacity in major markets along the West Coast enables Very Good to expand further its product listings and SKUs, which will help drive sales to its e-commerce and retail channels,” Aucoin adds.
“In addition, the balanced product portfolio will help Very Good diversify its revenue streams by growing additional partnerships in the foodservice channel, an important market opportunity for plant-based food producers.”
Edited by Gaynor Selby
