The Plantly Butchers might be a relative newcomer to the meat-free sector but its commitment to delicious, sustainable, and ethical food choices are unwavering.

Founded in 2020, the company debuted its flagship brand–Billie Green– in September 2022. In little over a year, it has rapidly gained recognition, capturing a significant market share in Germany and garnering prestigious accolades for its products.

A Passion for Plant-Based

The Plantly Butchers‘ mission is simple yet profound: to introduce superior plant-based products that offer a delightful and satisfying eating experience, to convince as many people as possible to adopt a plant-based diet through delicious taste. Driven by a passionate team of experts, the company is committed to delivering top-quality proteins for future generations.

The Plantly Butchers has the spirit and freedom of a flexible and innovative start-up and at the same time has in-depth product know-how and extensive practical knowledge of a wide range of production processes for plant-based protein sources. As a result, The Plantly Butchers developed an innovative fermentation process. This in-house developed method allows the company to produce products with high protein content (31-36%) without compromising on key considerations such as taste and texture. This means The Plantly Butchers is ideally positioned for further growth.

Sustainable business is a high priority at The Plantly Butchers. That’s why the company is proud to already source 100% of its basic raw materials sustainably from Germany and Italy via short transport routes.

Rapid Growth and Recognition

In its short span of operation, The Plantly Butchers has achieved remarkable success. Within just one year, the company has become one of the top five brands in the meat and sausage alternatives segment in Germany, capturing a market share of over 3%. Billie Green’s Vegan Bacon was also recognized as the most innovative product for everyday use in the Breakfast category by Women’s and Men’s Health last year.

Additionally, according to Kununu, The Plantly Butchers was acknowledged as one of the Top Employers. The company also revealed to Plant Based World Pulse (PBWP) that it achieved over €10 million in revenue, all in its inaugural year of operation.

A Continuous Stream of Innovation

A fully plant-based brand, Billie Green has been voracious in its pursuit of success. In 2022, just five products were initially introduced to consumers: Vegan Billie Green Salami Classic, Vegan Billie Green Salami with Pepper, Vegan Billie Green Diced Bacon, Vegan Billie Green Bacon Classic, and Vegan Billie Green Salami Whole Round Classic. Now, things are starting to ramp up, potentially in line with Germany’s widespread adoption of meat-free dining.

The Plantly Butchers is committed to continuous innovation, constantly expanding its product portfolio with exciting new offerings. in November 2023, the company launched three new products: Vegan Billie Green Snack Salami-Style, Vegan Billie Green Snack Salami-Style with Chili, and Vegan Billie Green Chorizo Salami. Further new products are planned for 2024 for also more new consumption occasions.

The overall expansion plan is predicated on launching new collections of products twice a year. The focus of each will always be innovation and catering to demands and tastes that other manufacturers have failed to capture previously. Alongside product launches, expansion into new markets throughout Europe is of serious interest, with The Plantly Butchers team currently investigating potential opportunities and auditing what is driving potential non-domestic demand.

The Growth of a Sector

The company states that plant-based food products have become incredibly popular in Europe due to consumers increasingly chosen sustainable, animal-ethical or health-conscious eating habits. The plant-based food sector in Europe specifically has experienced significant growth, with sales value and unit sales increasing by 21% between 2020 and 2022.

Such growth is expected to continue with market predictions claiming that 2035 will see every tenth portion of meat, eggs, dairy, and seafood consumed globally being made from alternative proteins. In order to ensure this, product development needs to continue to marry sustainability ambitions with improved taste and texture profiles, something that The Plantly Butchers states that it is keen to be a leading example of in practice.

“At TPB, we have a strong focus on research and development to become the leading force in vegan product innovation and enhancing their overall taste experience. As part of our efforts, we prioritize precision fermentation, and creating clean-label, high-protein products,” Georg Achterkamp, managing director of research and development, told PBWP.

Spreading the Plant-Based Message

Within a year, The Plantly Butchers has successfully built a community of more than 25k followers on Instagram, who it claims has provided them with tremendous support. The vegan community, in particular, has shown great enthusiasm for the products and furthermore, consumers and influential figures with large platforms have presented and recommended Billie Green products on their channels. The company states that this has been carried out with genuine conviction.

The company made over 160 million contacts within a year across various social media platforms, including Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. In addition, it visits festivals in Germany such as the Melt Festival and Superbloom as well as the Terra Wortmann Open tennis tournament with its own Billie Green food truck on over 100 days.

2024 looks set to be a huge year for The Plantly Butchers and in their own words, we need to “stay tuned.”