Fry's joins new global plant-based food collective The Livekindly Co.

The recent funds raised will go toward further acquisitions with the goal of establishing a collective of both heritage and startups brands. It will also be used for scaling The Livekindly Co.'s current plant-based portfolio of brands and investments to rapidly increase the plant-based food industry capacity.

Brands within The Livekindly Co. portfolio offer consumers non-GMO, plant-based meat alternatives. The Fry Family Food Co. is the only South African company in the collective.

Fry's is joined by German plant-based protein startup LikeMeat, and plant-based digital media platform, Livekindly Media – from which the new company derives its name. In addition to plant-based meat and media, the Livekindly Co. also has an equity stake in Puris Holding, a purveyor of plant-based ingredients. According to the company, this makes The Livekindly Co. the only business in the plant-based food sector to own and operate the entire value chain of production.

The Fry Family Food Co. supplies products to both the retail and the food service industry, and brings with it an understanding of local and global value chains in plant-based meat alternatives and a portfolio of over 60 plant-based products.

“We are thrilled to be part of this new company that is going to revolutionise the global plant-based food market. The agreement gives Fry’s the opportunity to bring to scale quality plant-based food products which means we reach more customers and change more hearts and minds," said Tammy Fry, international marketing director of The Fry Family Food Co.

Tammy Fry

The Livekindly Co. leadership

Leading the new company is a global team of industry experts, including chairman and CEO Kees Kruythoff (former president Unilever North America and Global Home Care Division), Roger Lienhard, board of directors and founder (founder of Blue Horizon Corporation), and CEO and founder Jodi Monelle from Livekindly Media.

The leadership team also includes industry veterans Mick Van Ettinger, chief marketing officer (formerly of Unilever), and Aldo Uva, COO and chief R&D officer (formerly of Nestle, Firmenich and Ferrero).

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Tastes like chicken

The Livekindly Co. said in a statement that it's looking to partner with forward-looking poultry production companies seeking to embrace and contribute to plant-based options - products that offer consumers recognisable natural ingredients and environmentally-friendly meat alternatives that mimic the taste and texture of chicken.

“Unlike any other company in this space, The Livekindly Co. is creating a movement that will drive impact at scale and at speed,” said Kruythoff. “We are starting with one of the world’s most consumed meats, chicken, by providing outstanding, tasty, plant-based foods that are more sustainable and environmentally-friendly.”

The plant-based protein market could reach 9% of the estimated $2.7trn global meat market by 2040. These food products are becoming increasingly popular as consumer demand for sustainable meat alternatives grows, and production technologies improve to significantly enhance taste and texture.

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“The Livekindly Co.'s approach offers a path forward for transforming the global food industry. Our team has built a new formula for success by bringing innovation, experience, resources and scale throughout the plant-based value chain,” said Lienhard. “It started with bringing together like-minded founders who share a vision for smarter, sustainable living, and allows the food industry to better align around the evolving values of consumers who are focused on climate change, animal welfare, and human health.”

Wally Fry, co-founder of The Fry Family Food Co., said that the Fry family will remain highly involved in the business.