Meatless Farm aims to spread the plant word around the globe

The Leeds-based firm has appointed Erwin Meijer, a senior Lidl executive, to spearhead the expansion, leading a 25-strong office in Amsterdam.

The firm said it sees a lot of opportunities as countries like Germany, Austria and the Nordics emerge from the coronavirus lockdown before the UK does.

Mr Meijer is joining the Meatless Farm board after 25 years in leadership roles at Lidl, where he helped the firm transform from a small German retailer to one of the largest supermarket groups in the world.

Mr Meijer said: “I am convinced that Meatless Farm will become one of the global players in plant-based food and to be part of such an exciting company is a challenge I relish.

"I grew with Lidl and will always love them, but Meatless Farm’s ethos appeals to my entrepreneurial spirit and is in tune with my own personal beliefs about healthy and environmentally sustainable food production.”

Morten Toft Bech, founder of Meatless Farm, added: “Having someone with Erwin’s experience and enthusiasm on the board will help Meatless Farm expand rapidly across Europe.

"There are so many opportunities for Meatless Farm as consumers globally look for ways to reduce the amount of red meat in their and their families’ diets.”

Mr Meijer joined Lidl in Portugal in 1994 and has held various roles across the supermarket group, leading expansion in the Netherlands and across Scandinavia and working closely with Jesper Højer, the former global CEO of Lidl who became chairman of Meatless Farm last year.

Meatless Farm only started selling its products in 2018 and is now sold in Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Asda among others across the UK, as well as in Wholefoods Markets in the US, Co-op in Switzerland and multiple other international markets.

The UK Meatless business grew 149 per cent in its first year of trading and the company is targeting annualised sales of £20m by the end of 2020. It was recently recognised by the industry for its innovation, being awarded best emerging business at the Food and Drink Federation awards.

The plant-based food maker now has four offices employing over 80 people after it opened a North American office in New York and an Asian bureau in Singapore.