Plant-based cheese brand Violife and supplement producer DR.VEGAN have become the latest vegan brands to announce partnerships with British football clubs, with Violife announcing a sponsorship with Cheddar AFC and DR.VEGAN now working with vegan club Forest Green Rovers.
Violife has become a sponsor of historical football club Cheddar AFC (based in the UK town from which Cheddar cheese originates) just weeks after launching its “unfeasibly cheesy” plant-based Cheddarton. Through the collaboration, the brand hopes to show how easy it is to eat a plant-based diet.
Cheddar AFC players will now sport a cheese-themed strip with a plant-based version of their historic crest, and will be encouraged to adopt a more plant-based lifestyle. Karen Carney, a former professional footballer who played for the Lionesses, will work with the club to share how becoming vegan had a positive impact on her performance.
“Living and growing up in Cheddar, cheese is in the players’ blood,” said Kieran Webster, Captain of Cheddar AFC. “We know what’s key to making the cheesiest, gooiest dishes around, so if we can go plant-based, switching Cheddar for Cheddarton, anyone can!”
“Breaking new ground”
Meanwhile, DR. VEGAN has become the Official Supplement Partner of Forest Green Rovers, a vegan and carbon-neutral football club whose chairman is Dale Vince of Ecotricity that was recently described by FIFA as “the greenest team in the world”. Players will receive DR.VEGAN’s Informed Sport-certified supplements, and the brand will also provide them with advice from nutritionists.
The news comes as plant-based companies increasingly choose to sponsor football teams; just a week ago, Denmark’s Naturli’ became the official plant-based partner of another British football club, Brentford FC. In 2022, alt meat brand Heura began sponsoring the Barça Women’s Football Team in Barcelona, while Forest Green Rovers counts two other plant-based brands — Oatly and Quorn — among its sponsors.
“We are delighted to have partnered with Forest Green Rovers to support the men’s and women’s teams of all ages. FGR’s commitment to high performance, innovating, and breaking new ground in running a professional sports team whilst remaining in harmony with the environment is something to be admired,” said DR.VEGAN co-founder Gordon Lott.