Community
Print
France-based dairy multinational Bel Group has announced plans to discontinue its vegan cheese brand Nurishh by the end of the year.
Bel Group will close the Nurishh production site in Saint-Nazaire, France, where approximately 30 people will lose their jobs. The multinational acquired the site when it purchased 80 percent of plant-based brand All In Foods in 2020. As reported by Just Food, Bel Group experienced difficulties in making Nurishh profitable compared to peers and competitors.
“Today, Nurishh represents 1 percent of the plant-based market in retail. Our main competitor has captured 22 percent of it,” a spokesperson told Just Food, referring to Greek brand Violife. “By arriving second in the market, we have not succeeded in differentiating ourselves enough to secure our clients’ listing and attract new consumers.”
Violife was founded in 1990 and became notably popular in 2019’s vegan boom, going on to become one of the most prominent market leaders. In contrast, Bel Group rolled out Nurishh in 2021, a year when larger companies began to oversaturate the market with their own cheeses. Nurishh and Violife offer similar products and use many of the same ingredients.
“Despite the commitment and the hard work of all teams over the past five years, and despite the numerous investments made with All in Foods, Nurishh has not succeeded in establishing a profitable and sustainable business,” said the spokesperson.
Read more: Lidl and ProVeg Partner For Plant-Based Cheese Competition
‘Plant-based remains a key pillar of our strategy’
Despite the discontinuation of Nurishh, Bel Group’s spokesperson said that “plant-based remains a key pillar of our strategy.” In November 2024, Bel Group announced a collaborative R&D project focused on authentic, fermented, plant-based cheese. The company plans to generate 50 percent of its sales from plant-based products by 2050.
The multinational will also concentrate on plant-based options from its core brands, which include Boursin, Laughing Cow, and Baybel. A new plant-based Boursin is planned for Europe, while plant-based Laughing Cow products are planned for North America. Customers can also expect to see new varieties of plant-based Baybel in the future.
Read more: From Butter To Goat’s Cheese: 9 Homemade Vegan Dairy Recipes
