Upton’s Natural
Upton's Naturals is a Chicago-based, founder-owned plant-based food company producing seitan, jackfruit, banana blossom, vegan hot dogs, and ready-to-eat foods for grocery retail, foodservice distributors, restaurants, and co-manufacturing clients in the US, Canada, and select international markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Upton’s Natural does
Upton's Naturals is an independently owned, founder-held plant-based food company founded in 2006 by Daniel Staackmann and headquartered in Chicago. The company produces vegan meat alternatives and ready-to-eat foods built on traditional plant proteins — primarily Seitan (wheat gluten), Jackfruit, and Banana Blossom — alongside prepared items including Updogs (vegan hot dogs), Ch'eesy Mac, and shelf-stable soups (Tortilla, Italian Wedding, Seitan and Noodle). The portfolio is positioned for both retail grocery and foodservice channels, and the company's Chicago facility also functions as a co-manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution hub for other vegan and plant-based brands.
Revenue is generated through three distinct streams: packaged retail CPG sales distributed through grocery chains and online marketplaces, foodservice and wholesale supply to restaurants and distributors, and B2B co-manufacturing services for external plant-based brands. Distribution is multi-tiered, leveraging DOT Foods as the primary broadline foodservice distributor, Webstaurant Store for smaller operators, Faire Direct and Airgoods for direct-to-retailer ordering, and international resellers serving Canada and other markets. The company claims the #1 selling Seitan brand position in Natural and MULO channels and holds a seat on the board of the Plant Based Foods Association alongside Impossible Foods, Tofurky, and Bel Brands.
Operationally, the company runs lean with a headcount of 11-50 employees and has taken no disclosed external funding; ownership and control remain entirely concentrated with founder Daniel Staackmann. The combination of consumer packaged goods, foodservice wholesale, and contract manufacturing creates a diversified but small-scale commercial footprint.
Upton’s Natural firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Upton’s Natural
- Website
- https://uptonsnaturals.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Upton's Naturals is a Chicago-based, founder-owned plant-based food company producing seitan, jackfruit, banana blossom, vegan hot dogs, and ready-to-eat foods for grocery retail, foodservice distributors, restaurants, and co-manufacturing clients in the US, Canada, and select international markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Upton’s Natural industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Plant-based meat alternatives
- NAICS
- Food Manufacturing (311)
- SIC
- Food And Kindred Products (2000), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Plant-Based Meat Manufacturers (End-to-End Brands) (AFANAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Finished Meat-Alternative Prepared Foods (Nuggets, Burgers, Sausages, Ready Meals) (AFANAKAO), Plant-Based & Alternative Proteins (Packaged) (CRADAAAH)
Keywords
Where Upton’s Natural is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Upton’s Natural business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations
Revenue model
- Retail packaged goods sales: Sale of packaged plant-based meat alternatives and ready-to-eat foods through grocery stores and retailers nationwide
- Food service and wholesale: Bulk sales to restaurants, foodservice distributors, and retail channels including DOT Foods distribution
- Co-manufacturing services: Contract manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution support for other vegan and plant-based brands using their Chicago facility
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Upton’s Natural product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Upton's Naturals manufactures and sells plant-based meat alternatives and ready-to-eat vegan foods using seitan (wheat protein), jackfruit, and banana blossom as primary ingredients. Its portfolio includes Seitan varieties (Traditional, Mexican, Italian, Smoky), Updogs vegan hot dogs, Jackfruit and Banana Blossom meat substitutes, Ch'eesy Mac, and ready-to-eat Soups, distributed via grocery retail, foodservice distributors, and direct-to-retailer platforms, with co-manufacturing services for other plant-based CPG brands.
Product overview
Upton's Naturals is an independently owned natural foods company offering plant-based meat alternatives and ready-to-eat foods. The product portfolio includes core offerings: Seitan (in Traditional, Mexican, Italian, and Smoky varieties), Updogs (vegan hot dogs), Jackfruit, Banana Blossom, Ch'eesy Mac, and Soups (Tortilla, Italian Wedding, Seitan and Noodle). Products are available in both retail packaging for grocery stores and foodservice quantities for restaurants. The company is the #1 selling Seitan brand in Natural and MULO channels, with distribution in the US and internationally including Canada.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Seitan (Traditional, Mexican, Italian, Smoky varieties) A traditional Japanese food made by rinsing starch away from wheat and retaining the protein, yielding a meat-like texture and robust flavor that is high in protein and low in fat. Available in Traditional, Mexican, Italian, and Smoky varieties for retail grocery and foodservice customers.
- Updogs (vegan hot dogs) Vegan hot dogs marketed as 'the world's greatest vegan hot dog,' sold in retail cartons designed to stand upright in coolers.
- Jackfruit Plant-based meat alternative made from the largest tree-borne fruit in the world, native to Southeast Asia, transitioning to kosher and organic certified source in 2022.
- Banana Blossom The flower at the end of a banana fruit cluster with flaky texture and neutral flavor, positioned as a fish alternative in plant-based cooking.
- Ch'eesy Mac Ready-to-eat vegan macaroni and cheese product.
- Ready-to-eat Soups (Tortilla, Italian Wedding, Seitan and Noodle) Ready-to-eat vegan soups available in Tortilla, Italian Wedding, and Seitan and Noodle varieties.
- Foodservice product line Little-to-no-prep, quick-cooking meat alternatives packaged in foodservice quantities for restaurants, including Seitan, Jackfruit, and other meat alternatives.
- U.S. Retail product line Full line of plant-based options for retail grocery stores in the U.S., including Seitan varieties (Traditional, Mexican, Italian, Smoky) and Updogs.
- Canadian Retail product line Plant-based retail range distributed in Canada, including Traditional, Mexican, Italian, and Smoky Seitan, Updogs, Tortilla Soup, Italian Wedding Soup, and Seitan and Noodle Soup.
- Co-Manufacturing, Warehousing and Distribution services Contract manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution support for other vegan and plant-based CPG and foodservice brands, leveraging nearly two decades of plant-based category experience from the centrally-located Chicago facility.
Companies that use Upton’s Natural
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Upton’s Natural technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Upton’s Natural partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA)coreUpton's Naturals is represented on the board of the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), a U.S. trade group representing nearly 100 plant-based food companies. The company joins leaders from Impossible Foods, Tofurky, and Bel Brands in guiding the association's strategic direction.
- DOT FoodscoreDOT Foods is the primary foodservice distributor for Upton's Naturals products. Restaurants and food service operators order through DOT Foods to access the company's meat alternatives.
- Webstaurant StoreminorSelect food service items are available through Webstaurant Store for smaller foodservice operators.
- Faire DirectminorRetailers without distributor relationships can purchase shelf-stable items through Faire Direct platform.
- AirgoodsminorAdditional direct-to-retailer platform for shelf-stable Upton's Naturals products.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Upton’s Natural competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Alpha Foods: Smaller independent plant-based frozen and ready-meals brand with a similar approachable, omnichannel retail-plus-foodservice positioning to Upton's Naturals.
Direct peers
- Gardein: Plant-based brand offering meatless tenders, burgers, and sausage products via grocery retail and foodservice, competing in the same prepared-meal plant-based category as Upton's.
- Tofurky: Long-established independently owned vegan brand offering plant-based deli slices, sausages, and tempeh with a similar independent, mission-driven positioning and PBFA board membership alongside Upton's.
- Impossible Foods: Direct plant-based meat competitor with retail and foodservice distribution nationwide; co-listed with Upton's on the PBFA board, competing for the same shelf set and restaurant menu slots.
- Lightlife: Plant-based meat brand (owned by Greenleaf Foods/GFA) selling tempeh, burgers, hot dogs, and sausages through grocery and foodservice channels that overlap directly with Upton's Updogs and Seitan lines.
- Beyond Meat: Largest U.S. plant-based meat brand selling retail burgers, sausages, and ground products through the same grocery and foodservice channels Upton's targets, with significantly greater scale and marketing spend.
- Field Roast: Premium plant-based meat and cheese brand (owned by Greenleaf Foods) with grain-based and Chao brand products competing in the same natural-channel grocery aisles as Upton's Seitan offerings.
Broad incumbents
- MorningStar Farms: Incumbent plant-based brand owned by Kellanova (formerly Kellogg's) with deep grocery distribution and a broader portfolio spanning Chik'n, burgers, and breakfast items, competing for the same plant-based shelf space as Upton's.
- Boca: Long-standing mainstream plant-based brand owned by Kraft Heinz, offering burgers and crumbles in the same MULO channels where Upton's competes, with significantly greater corporate backing.
- Sweet Earth: Plant-based brand (owned by Nestlé) producing frozen bowls, burritos, and protein products sold through grocery retail, overlapping with Upton's ready-to-eat Ch'eesy Mac and Soup categories.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Upton’s Natural social profiles
Digital presenceUpton’s Natural financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Upton’s Natural leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Upton’s Natural funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Upton’s Natural M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Upton’s Natural
What does Upton’s Natural do?
Upton's Naturals manufactures and sells plant-based meat alternatives and ready-to-eat vegan foods using seitan (wheat protein), jackfruit, and banana blossom as primary ingredients. Its portfolio includes Seitan varieties (Traditional, Mexican, Italian, Smoky), Updogs vegan hot dogs, Jackfruit and Banana Blossom meat substitutes, Ch'eesy Mac, and ready-to-eat Soups, distributed via grocery retail, foodservice distributors, and direct-to-retailer platforms, with co-manufacturing services for other plant-based CPG brands.
Is Upton’s Natural a public or private company?
Upton’s Natural is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Upton’s Natural founded?
Upton’s Natural was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Upton’s Natural based?
Upton’s Natural is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Upton’s Natural make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Retail packaged goods sales are the primary driver. The others are food service and wholesale and co-manufacturing services.
Who are Upton’s Natural's main competitors?
Alpha Foods is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Gardein, Tofurky, Impossible Foods, Lightlife, Beyond Meat and Field Roast. Broad incumbents are MorningStar Farms, Boca and Sweet Earth.
Does Upton’s Natural have an API?
No public API is recorded for Upton’s Natural.
What industry is Upton’s Natural in?
Upton’s Natural's product category is Plant-based meat alternatives. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFANAKAA, Plant-Based Meat Manufacturers (End-to-End Brands), with a secondary code of AFANAKAO, Finished Meat-Alternative Prepared Foods (Nuggets, Burgers, Sausages, Ready Meals). Its NAICS code is 311 and its SIC code is 2000.