Plant-based dairy manufacturer Upfield has made a trademark application in the UK for the use of the ‘beyond’ terminology

Amsterdam-based Upfield, formed after private-equity firm KKR acquired Unilever’s spreads business in 2017, filed an application with the UK Intellectual Property Office in November, a spokesperson told just-food.

Upfield extended its presence in the plant-based category in October with its purchase of the vegan food brand Violife, owned by Greek firm Arivia, amid a surge in new entrants in recent quarters to the meat-alternative segment, including in the UK.

The beyond terminology is already used by US-based meat-free firm Beyond Meat, which sells its Beyond Burger in the UK.

The spokesperson for Upfield, which also owns the Becel spreads and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter brands, said the “trademark registration is not associated with Beyond Meat”.

“At Upfield, our vision of a better plant-based future means we’re always looking for different ways to talk about going beyond dairy and beyond butter, for example, our recent acquisition of Violife, the UK’s leading plant-based cheese,” the spokesperson added. “That doesn’t mean to say we aren’t interested in talking with Beyond Meat. However, on this occasion, there are no plans in the pipeline.” 

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

just-food has contacted Beyond Meat for reaction but had not received a response at the time of publication.