Vegan Finest Foods goes bankrupt in yet another setback for plant-based sector

Vegan Finest Foods surged into mainstream supermarkets around the world thanks to the success of its popular brands Vegan Zeastar and Beastie Plants.

Now the six-year-old startup has been declared bankrupt by an Amsterdam court, with trustees citing softening consumer demand and lingering post-pandemic woes.

The company itself has yet to comment on the bankruptcy.

"It's still too painful to talk about," co-founder Rosella D'angeli told Dutch newspaper AD.

Nicky Jansen, who represents bankruptcy trustee Fyrm Advocaten, is now looking for entrepreneurs willing to take over the business.

"Anyone interested in the business operations and inventory can contact me," Jansen told AD.

The collapse of Vegan Finest Foods comes despite widespread initial success for its plant-based food alternatives.

At their peak, Vegan Zeastar and Beastie Plants was selling everything from salmon and crab cake alternatives to vegan bacon and burgers in stores from the United States to Australia.

Wider collapse for plant-based sector

But the bankruptcy underscores a growing reckoning in the plant‑based sector.

In recent weeks alone, Scottish oat milk liqueur maker Beastly Brews entered insolvency and Canadian plant-based brand Yves Veggie Cuisine was discontinued by owner Hain Celestial. In France, plant-based seafood startup Olala! shuttered in March.

Meanwhile, industry heavyweight Beyond Meat saw sales drop nearly 20% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2025, Impossible Foods is pivoting hard to flexitarians, and major food conglomerate Unilever announced in March that it was selling its plant‑based brand The Vegetarian Butcher.

This shift has even reached fine dining. New York's prestigious Eleven Madison Park made headlines last month when it announced it was putting meat back on the menu after going with all-vegan food for four years.

“It’s hard to get 30 people for a corporate dinner to come to a plant-based restaurant,” the restaurant's chef Daniel Humm told the New York Times.