Zandbergen World’s Finest Meat, a Dutch company based in Zoeterwoude that markets The Frozen Butcher line and other products will begin offering Beyond Meat’s flagship faux meat Beyond Burger to foodservice customers throughout Europe in July, with the exception of Germany and the United Kingdom.
“The European market represents a significant expansion opportunity for us, and we are thrilled to be partnering with one of Europe’s leading meat distributors,” said Ethan Brown, founder and chief executive officer of the El Segundo, California-based producer of plant-based protein made from peas, soy, beet juice and other ingredients.
Beyond Meats Founder and CEO Ethan Brown (third from left) celebrates the company’s distribution partnership in Europe with members of the Zandbergen World’s Finest Meat executive team.The Beyond Burger is promoted as “the world’s only burger that looks, cooks, and tastes like ground beef from cows but is made entirely from plants, without GMOs, soy or gluten.” It packs more protein and iron than beef and is a cholesterol-free food, with less saturated fat than beef. A 100% vegan quarter-pound Beyond Burger sold in grocery stores in the United States has 4 grams of saturated fat and 22 grams of total fat, compared to an 80/20 beef burger’s 9 grams of saturated fat and 23 grams of total fat.
“As a family-owned company we think about the long-term relationship we want to build with our consumers,” said Joris Zandbergen. “If we want to maintain our leading role in the meat industry, we feel the need to anticipate the changing behavior of consumers. For the future we see ourselves as a supplier fulfilling our customer’s protein needs, rather than being a meat supplier solely.”
Adriaan Figee, chief commercial officer of Zandbergen World’s Finest Meat, added: “In Beyond Meat we’ve found an innovative partner offering revolutionary products. For consumers who are looking for more diverse protein options, Beyond Meat is the answer. As these products look and taste similar to beef, it’s a really good option for flexitarians too.”
Zandbergen, which ranks among the leading meat sourcing companies in the EU, offers a wide range of frozen and chilled products. It is the exclusive distributor of US beef sold under the Tyson IBP brand in Europe, as well as the distributor of AAco’s 1824 premium beef from Australia, and El Rancho San Alberto grain-fed beef from Uruguay.
