Bel Group plans to stop selling its plant-based cheese brand Nurishh by the end of the year, citing difficulties in making the dairy alternative profitable.
Connected to that decision, the France-based dairy group confirmed it will close its Saint-Nazaire production site, with around 30 employees set to lose their jobs.
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Bel, the owner of the cheese brands The Laughing Cow and Boursin, acquired the site when it bought a majority stake in Saint-Nazaire-based All In Foods in 2020.
The group launched Nurishh a year later as its first brand focused on the plant-based market, offering alternatives such as cheddar and provolone.
Nurishh is sold in France, the US, the UK and Belgium. Its range includes grated and sliced cheese alternatives, feta-style cubes and a cheese called Coeur Fleuri. The products are made primarily from coconut or sunflower seed oil, without soy, palm oil or gluten, and use natural flavourings and colourings, according to the group’s website.
“Despite the commitment and the hard work of all teams over the past five years, and despite the numerous investments made with All in Foods, Nurishh has not succeeded in establishing a profitable and sustainable business,” the spokesperson explained.
“Today, Nurishh represents 1% of the plant-based market in retail. Our main competitor has captured 22% of it. By arriving second in the market, we have not succeeded in differentiating ourselves enough to secure our clients listing and attract new consumers.”
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By GlobalDataThe Bel spokesperson confirmed the competitor was Violife, the Greece-based business owned by Netherlands-based Upfield Group since 2019.
Despite the decision to discontinue Nurishh, Bel reiterated its commitment to the category, reaffirming that “plant-based remains a key pillar of our strategy”.
The spokesperson said the group will now concentrate “resources on our core brands, Babybel, The Laughing Cow and Boursin”.
Bel’s plans also involve the launch of a new plant-based Boursin in France and Europe, the introduction of new “flavours” of Babybel plant-based products, and “supporting the development” of The Laughing Cow plant-based products in North America, the spokesperson added.
Commenting on the fate of the Saint-Nazaire workers, the spokesperson said: “We commit to implementing all solutions to support the involved people, to offer internal reassignment or support for external options, in line with our group values.
“They would be offered a solution for internal reassignment to another site within the group in France and, if necessary, measures aimed at facilitating their external reassignment.”
In November, the cheese giant announced plans to work with fellow French food group Avril in developing plant-based products that “match the taste, texture and natural appeal consumers demand”.
In October, Britannia Bel Foods, a joint venture between Britannia Industries and Bel Group, opened a cheese factory in the Indian state of Maharashtra to produce The Laughing Cow brand.
