Samworth Brothers Considers Closure of Plant-Based Revolution Kitchen Business

British food manufacturer Samworth Brothers has entered into a consultation with employees of its plant-based Revolution Kitchen site regarding the possible closure of the business.

Samworth Brothers said it had put significant investment and commitment into the business but was struggling to make it sustainable, incurring significant losses. The consultation process is expected to take at least 45 days, with the company stressing that no decisions have yet been made and alternatives to closure will be explored.

The Revolution Kitchen facility is located in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, and produces meat alternatives for various supermarkets. Samworth Brothers first announced it was opening a dedicated plant-based facility in 2021, following the high demand for meat alternatives at Tesco.

Leaving the plant-based sector?

Though Revolution Kitchen is struggling, the same is not necessarily true of the brands it manufactures for. The business is one supplier for Wicked Kitchen, which continues to expand both in the UK and internationally. It has also supplied Quorn, THIS, and Cauldron, all of which remain very successful.

It does not appear that Samworth Brothers is planning to entirely abandon the plant-based sector; the company backed plant-based meal kit brand The Flavourists when it launched last year and is also the majority owner of pie and quiche producer Higgidy, which has pledged to become 75% meat-free.

“It is with regret that we are beginning a formal consultation with our colleagues regarding the potential closure of Revolution Kitchen in Melton Mowbray,” said Lee Sullivan, MD of Samworth Brothers’ protein division, in a statement seen by The Grocer. “We understand this announcement will be difficult for our colleagues at Revolution Kitchen.”

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