Nestlé has announced it will not sell its plant-based brands Wunda, Garden Gourmet, and Mezeast in the UK due to poor sales and current market conditions, reports The Grocer.
UK supermarkets will begin phasing out products in the second quarter of this year. Garden Gourmet products will continue to be sold to foodservice through Nestlé Professional.
Competitive market conditions and rising production costs, due to the conflict in Ukraine, are the primary reasons for withdrawing products from the UK and Irish markets, Nestlé UK and Ireland Food MD Honja Dusanek told The Grocer.
Nestlé is not abandoning the plant-based category and plans to invest in and leverage brands such as Mindful Chef and Simply Cook, which offer extensive vegetarian and plant-based options, Dusanek added.
UK’s Wunda & Garden Gourmet
In June 2022, the food giant launched pea-based Wunda in the UK and Ireland, set to take on major players in the fast-growing alt milk sector. Wunda sold out quickly upon its limited-edition launch.
“We want Wunda to disrupt the market, stand out and offer something different from what’s already on the shelves,” Nestlé said.
Last October, Nestlé announced a new brand look for Wunda, “with its hero ingredient, the yellow split pea, front and center on the pack.” However, competitors Alpro and Oatly registered much lower sales of milk, Grocer reports.
After entering the UK market in 2018, Nestlé’s Garden Gourmet was listed due to weak sales in 2019. Two and a half years later, it returned to compete in the UK alt meat retail scene with the Garden Gourmet Sensational range. But after a year on the market, sales continue to lag behind competitors like Quorn.
Garden Gourmet has proven more popular for food service, with Subway UK using the brand’s vegan meatballs in its Meatless Meatball Marinara (Subway US serves Beyond Meat meatballs). The Sensational burgers and Cumberland sausages are on the menu at 800 Premier Inn hotels and their 400 associated Wheatbread restaurants.
Middle Eastern-inspired Mezeast
The Middle Eastern-inspired Majeste range includes wrap kits, seasoning mix sachets, squeegee sauces, spreads, falafel and wrap kits for a convenient and easy way to cook flavorful Middle Eastern food.
“We know this food culture is loved by many people and we want to make it available to families everywhere. Mezeast offers the opportunity to cook delicious, authentic and simple meals that bring family and friends together,” Dusanek said when the brand launched in 2021.
however, Mezeast has struggled to gain a foothold in the UK market since launching in Tesco and Morrisons in 2021. The product will now be discontinued.