VFC Foods
VFC Foods is a UK-based producer of vegan fried chicken analogues built from wheat protein and a southern fried corn flake coating, selling through major UK supermarkets, foodservice wholesalers, and European retailers in six countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersYork, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What VFC Foods does
VFC Foods Ltd is a York, UK-based producer of plant-based fried chicken analogues, founded in December 2020 by Matthew Glover (co-founder of Veganuary) and Adam Murphy, a chef and restaurateur. The company's core technology is a wheat-protein (textured vegetable protein) formulation combined with a southern fried corn flake coating that mimics the sensory experience of conventional fried chicken; inputs include soya, wheat, fava bean, sunflower oil, methyl cellulose, and natural flavorings. The product portfolio spans frozen core SKUs (Original Recipe Crispy Fillets, Popcorn, Tenders), chilled extensions (Naked Breasts, Mince, Sausages), ready meals (One Bag Fried Rice and Curry), and bulk foodservice packs, with Vegan Society trademark certification across the range.
VFC generates revenue through one-time retail sales to consumers via major UK supermarkets (Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose, Ocado) and independent retailers, alongside a foodservice channel selling 3x1kg bulk boxes through wholesalers such as Bidfood to restaurants, pubs, and hospitality operators. Geographic reach at the time of input includes the UK and five European markets (Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Iceland, Finland). The company pursues an aggressive roll-up strategy, having acquired Meatless Farm (June 2023, deal valued at £12M in sales), Clive's Purely Plants (October 2023, projected 30% sales uplift), and Tofutown (February 2024, undisclosed), each adding brands, SKUs, or production capacity.
The company has raised approximately $21 million across three rounds (2021, January 2022, April 2023), all led by Veg Capital, to fund international expansion, capacity build-out, and product development. Differentiators are anchored on independent environmental verification (Mondra/Foundation Earth Grade A rating, 20x lower biodiversity impact, 24x less water use than generic southern fried chicken) and brand positioning as a direct challenger to KFC, supported by provocative earned-media campaigns and London Underground advertising.
VFC Foods firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VFC Foods
- Legal name
- VFC Foods Ltd
- Website
- https://vfcfoods.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- VFC Foods is a UK-based producer of vegan fried chicken analogues built from wheat protein and a southern fried corn flake coating, selling through major UK supermarkets, foodservice wholesalers, and European retailers in six countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
VFC Foods industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Plant-based Food
- NAICS
- Food Manufacturing (311)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Finished Meat-Alternative Prepared Foods (Nuggets, Burgers, Sausages, Ready Meals) (AFANAKAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Plant-Based Poultry Alternatives (Analog Chicken/Turkey) (AFANAKAL), Frozen Plant-Based & Vegetarian Meals (CRADADAF)
Keywords
Where VFC Foods is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- York
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
VFC Foods business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Product Sales: VFC Foods generates revenue through sale of frozen and chilled vegan fried chicken products through retail supermarkets and independent stores. Products include Chick*n Fillets, Popcorn Chick*n, Chick*n Tenders, Chick*n Breasts, Chick*n Mince, and Chick*n Sausages.
- Foodservice/B2B: Bulk commercial sales to restaurants, pubs, and hospitality businesses through wholesaler partnerships. Products sold in 3x1kg boxes for commercial food preparation.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
VFC Foods product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VFC Foods manufactures and sells 100% vegan, plant-based chicken alternative products made from textured vegetable protein (wheat, soya, fava bean) with a southern fried corn flake coating. The range includes frozen and chilled fillets, popcorn, tenders, breasts, mince, sausages, and ready-meal One Bag formats sold through UK and European supermarkets plus foodservice customers in bulk 3x1kg packs.
Product overview
VFC Foods is a UK-based vegan fried chicken company offering a portfolio of plant-based chicken alternatives. The core product line consists of Original Recipe Crispy Chick*n Fillets, Popcorn Chick*n, and Chick*n Tenders (frozen), along with chilled variants including Naked Chick*n Breasts, Chick*n Mince, and Chick*n Sausages. The company also offers ready-meal solutions (One Bag Chick*n Fried Rice and Curry) and bulk foodservice products in 3x1kg format. In 2023, VFC expanded through acquisitions of Clive's Purely Plants (Devon-based vegan manufacturer) and Meatless Farm (Yorkshire plant-based brand), significantly broadening its manufacturing capacity and product range. All products are made from wheat protein with a crispy corn flake coating and carry the Vegan Society trademark certification.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Original Recipe Crispy Chick*n Fillets (frozen) 190g pack of vegan chicken-style fillets made from textured vegetable proteins with a southern fried crispy corn flake coating, frozen for maximum flavour and intended for oven, deep-fryer, air-fryer or pan-fry preparation.
- Original Recipe Crispy Popcorn Chick*n 220g pack of bite-sized vegan chicken-style popcorn pieces made from textured vegetable proteins with a southern fried corn flake coating, sold frozen for retail consumption.
- Original Recipe Crispy Chick*n Tenders 200g pack of vegan fried chicken-style tenders made from textured vegetable proteins with a crispy southern fried corn flake coating, sold frozen for retail.
- Naked Chick*n Breasts Plain vegan chicken-style breast pieces made from textured vegetable proteins, offered in chilled format and suited to versatile cooking applications such as creamy sauces and tray bakes.
- Naked Chick*n Mince Vegan chicken-style mince made from textured vegetable proteins, available in both frozen and chilled formats and intended for use in dishes such as tacos, chilli, keema aloo, and Asian recipes.
- Naked Chick*n Sausages Vegan chicken-style sausages made from textured vegetable proteins, available in chilled format and suitable for breakfast, brunch, and shakshouka-style dishes.
- Chick*n Fried Rice One Bag Frozen one-bag meal solution containing vegan fried rice with chick*n pieces, designed to be cooked directly from frozen in a single bag.
- Chick*n Curry One Bag Frozen one-bag meal solution containing vegan chick*n curry, cooked from frozen in a single bag.
- Foodservice Original Recipe Chick*n Fillets (3x1kg) Bulk 3x1kg foodservice version of the Original Recipe Crispy Chick*n Fillets, intended for professional kitchen preparation across oven, deep-fryer, and Merrychef programs and supplied to restaurants, pubs, hotels, and caterers.
- Foodservice Chick*n Tenders (3x1kg) Bulk 3x1kg foodservice pack of the Original Recipe Crispy Chick*n Tenders for professional kitchen use in restaurants, pubs, hotels, and catering.
- Foodservice Popcorn Chick*n (3x1kg) Bulk 3x1kg foodservice pack of the Original Recipe Crispy Popcorn Chick*n for professional kitchen preparation in restaurants, pubs, hotels, and catering.
Quantifiable outcome
- VFC has 20 times lower impact on biodiversity and uses 24 times less water than generic southern fried chicken fillets.
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use VFC Foods
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
VFC Foods technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
VFC Foods partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- MondracoreVFC commissioned independent environmental audit by Mondra to assess and compare the impact of VFC's product range versus generic southern fried chicken. The audit found VFC beat conventional chicken in every environmental category, achieving a Grade A Eco Impact rating.
- Foundation EarthminorFoundation Earth conducted environmental impact assessments that verified VFC as a 'straight A student' across all environmental metrics.
- BidfoodcoreBidfood is a foodservice wholesaler distributing VFC products to hospitality businesses in the Netherlands. The partnership enables VFC products to reach commercial kitchen customers in the European foodservice market.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
VFC Foods competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Quorn: UK market leader in meat-free protein (mycoprotein-based) with broad chilled and frozen retail presence across Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, and major foodservice accounts. Not chicken-analogue specifically but the dominant UK plant-based incumbent against which VFC competes for shelf space and consumer occasions.
- Garden Gourmet (Nestlé): Nestlé's plant-based protein brand offering vegetarian burgers, schnitzels, and chicken-style products across European retail. Operates as one brand within a global CPG giant's portfolio — broader incumbent with similar plant-based chicken analogue offerings.
- Vivera (part of JBS-owned Pilgrim's Europe): Dutch plant-based meat brand offering vegan chicken slices, schnitzels, and burgers across European retail. Owned by JBS/Pilgrim's, giving it industrial-scale backing that contrasts with VFC's start-up positioning.
Direct peers
- THIS: UK plant-based chicken and bacon brand (THIS Isn't Chicken pieces, THIS Isn't Bacon) competing head-to-head with VFC across UK retail and foodservice. Highly comparable target customer (flexitarians/omnivores) and similar Southern-fried positioning.
- Beyond Meat: US-listed plant-based protein company with a flagship chicken alternative (Beyond Chicken Tenders) sold globally through retail and foodservice. Direct category competitor in plant-based chicken, with significantly larger scale, distribution, and brand awareness than VFC.
- Tofutown (Tukas): German plant-based food manufacturer (tofu and vegan meat alternatives) acquired by VFC in February 2024. Prior to acquisition was a European tofu/plant-based peer with overlap in foodservice distribution channels.
- The Meatless Farm Co. Yorkshire-based plant-based meat brand (burgers, mince, sausages) that VFC acquired from administration in 2023. Historically a UK direct competitor in plant-based protein with overlapping retail and foodservice accounts; now a wholly-owned subsidiary of VFC.
- Clive's Purely Plants: Devon-based vegan food manufacturer producing pies, pasties, and ready meals. Acquired by VFC in October 2023 — historically an adjacent plant-based competitor and now a wholly-owned subsidiary brand within VFC's portfolio.
Emerging players
- Alpha Foods: US-based plant-based brand offering vegan chicken nuggets, patties, and tenders in retail and foodservice. Direct product overlap with VFC's core SKU set but operating primarily in the US market, with a comparable plant-based chicken positioning.
- Rebellyous Foods: US plant-based chicken start-up focused on foodservice (Chick'n nuggets, tenders) with a price-parity thesis. Comparable to VFC in stage, product category focus (plant-based chicken), and foodservice-led GTM, though geographically focused on the US.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
VFC Foods social profiles
Digital presenceVFC Foods compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
VFC Foods financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VFC Foods leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
VFC Foods subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
VFC Foods funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VFC Foods M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about VFC Foods
What does VFC Foods do?
VFC Foods manufactures and sells 100% vegan, plant-based chicken alternative products made from textured vegetable protein (wheat, soya, fava bean) with a southern fried corn flake coating. The range includes frozen and chilled fillets, popcorn, tenders, breasts, mince, sausages, and ready-meal One Bag formats sold through UK and European supermarkets plus foodservice customers in bulk 3x1kg packs.
Is VFC Foods a public or private company?
VFC Foods is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was VFC Foods founded?
VFC Foods was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is VFC Foods based?
VFC Foods is headquartered in York, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does VFC Foods make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Retail Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are foodservice/B2B.
Who are VFC Foods's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Quorn, Garden Gourmet (Nestlé) and Vivera (part of JBS-owned Pilgrim's Europe). Direct peers are THIS, Beyond Meat, Tofutown (Tukas), The Meatless Farm Co. and Clive's Purely Plants. Emerging players are Alpha Foods and Rebellyous Foods.
Does VFC Foods have an API?
No public API is recorded for VFC Foods.
What industry is VFC Foods in?
VFC Foods's product category is Plant-based Food. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFANAKAO, Finished Meat-Alternative Prepared Foods (Nuggets, Burgers, Sausages, Ready Meals), with a secondary code of AFANAKAL, Plant-Based Poultry Alternatives (Analog Chicken/Turkey). Its NAICS code is 311 and its SIC code is 2090.