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September 28, 2021 –
From Vegan Life

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Activist brand VFC shares a series of comedic images in celebration of their latest expansion

UK vegan activist brand, VFC, might only have started up less than a year ago, but today it has announced its latest and most significant launch into both the US and Canada.

In celebration of their jump across the pond, the VFC team have been busy recreating scenes from two of their favourite American films: When Harry Met Sally and Ghost, with a comedic cameo role for VFC!

Not one to blend into the background, VFC has led multiple stand-out campaigns along with undercover investigations. Earlier this year, the brand took Harry Potter actress Evanna Lynch and Downton Abbey actor Peter Egan undercover inside chicken farms, to show the reality of poultry farming to the world.

Vegan chicken brand VFC has also banned the term ‘plant-based’ from all its marketing, and they fully engage with their social media trolls only to turn them into a now-iconic ‘Cluckwit of the Month’ feature.

With its unashamed focus on activism and its penchant for dressing up to recreate iconic cultural images, it’s an unusual mix for a food start-up. And yet, it seems to work.

American Gothic: This is how VFC announced on its social channels that it would soon be available in America – founder Matthew Glover and his wife, Jane Land.

The vegan fried chicken brand has seen a rapid rise from direct-to-consumer sales to distribution in Spain and the Netherlands, and now, VFC has a retailer listing about to be announced. All this has been accomplished in less than 10 months.

Yet, North America was always a strategic priority for VFC, given that both the US and Canada are in the top 20 countries when it comes to per capita ‘poultry’ consumption.

Canada and the US

In Canada, VFC has partnered with Gaynor Fletcher’s team at Vegan Foods Wholesale who will be the exclusive broker and distributor for the entire country.

Over in the US, Rick Hirsch will lead the launch, focusing initially on foodservice along the west coast before expanding geographically and into retail.

In a statement sent to Vegan Life, Rick Hirsch said: “VFC offers compassionate and delicious food that is good for the planet, good for animals and good for our bodies.”

“VFC is not just for vegans and vegetarians, but for everyone. That is a game-changer. I think the marketplace is going to respond fantastically to the food and the message.”

“I have been in this industry for almost 40 years and have helped launch many brands, but none as exciting and timely as VFC.”

Gaynor Fletcher also commented: “Our interest in partnering with VFC isn’t just a business decision, it’s more about being part of the VFC ethos and sharing their vision to call a halt to animal suffering and abuse on a global scale.”

“We applaud VFC’s mission to remove animals from an unjust, unevolved food system and feel privileged to be working with a brand, unapologetic in its intention to put an end to factory farming.”

VFC’s director of sales, Stewart McGuckin, added: “I am delighted to be working with both Rick and Gaynor who bring an unrivalled passion and experience to support us on our critical mission to save as many animals as possible in two of the biggest markets for chicken products in the world.”

“VFC’s growth is fast, determined and strategic. The only KPI that matters to us is the number of chickens spared, and our attention is firmly fixed on growing that number as fast as possible.”