Unilever is cutting off The Vegetarian Butcher

Unilever is putting The Vegetarian Butcher up for sale, in a process of a major clean-up that also includes offloading the ice cream branch (including Ben & Jerry’s and Magnum) and smaller brands (including Dutch classics Unox and Conimex).

After just six years

CEO Hein Schumacher wants to concentrate solely on his best-selling brands and is considerably reducing the group’s portfolio. Following his plan to sell or float the ice cream division – which would see the departure of Magnum and rebel sons Ben & Jerry’s, among others – Unilever confirmed last week that it would also be selling Dutch brands such as Unox and Conimex.

Now another brand is on the block: the FMCG holding company is preparing to sell The Vegetarian Butcher (originally “De Vegetarische Slager”), a producer of meat substitutes that has been owned by Unilever since 2018, but that is now facing increasing competition and waning consumer enthusiasm. Nevertheless, the growing interest in plant-based, environmentally-friendly food products means that there is still plenty of potential for growth.