Maple Leaf Foods has underlined its “confidence in the plant-based category” with its move to relaunch Yves Veggie Cuisine.
The Canadian meat and plant-based business has snapped up the discontinued brand from Hain Celestial and is preparing to bring it back to market.
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Maple Leaf is launching five products in Canada “this summer”, a company spokesperson said. “This relaunch reflects our confidence in the plant-based category and the ongoing role Yves will play as a familiar, easy choice for everyday meals.”
Hain Celestial, which acquired Yves Veggie Cuisine in 2001, said last August it was pulling the brand from the market. It said the decision was made “after careful consideration of how we can best focus our efforts to ensure long-term growth across our brand portfolio”.
Maple Leaf, the owner of plant-based brand Lightlife, acquired Yves Veggie Cuisine earlier this year.
The company is preparing to roll out three sliced meat alternatives and two ground products “to Canadian shelves”. Just Food has asked for details of stockists.
The spokesperson added: “It’s going to be a great summer filled with flavours and products that Canadians have missed. We’ve taken particular attention not to mess with a great thing.”
Maple Leaf today (7 May) published its first-quarter financial results, numbers that included improved sales but lower earnings.
Sales grew 6.2% to C$962.9m in the three months to the end of March. Earnings fell 7% to C$46.1m.
Since Maple Leaf spun off its assets in commodity pork, the company has two divisions: poultry and prepared foods.
Prepared foods, which includes products like bacon, sliced meats and plant-based protein, accounts for 60% of Maple Leaf’s sales.
Maple Leaf said the sales from its prepared-foods business increased 2.3% in the first quarter, driven in part by pricing. Volumes fell year-on-year due to the timing of promo activity, reduced B2B sales, foreign exchange and higher trade spending.
