My MBA Career: Insights from Heather Mills Vegan Food Company Going Into Administration

Last Updated on December 12, 2023 by Robert C. Hoopes

VBites, the renowned vegan food company founded by Heather Mills, has recently faced a devastating blow as it collapsed into administration. The company, which has been a prominent player in the plant-based food industry since 1993, cited rising costs and supply issues as the leading causes for its failure.

In an official statement, VBites highlighted the increasing prices of raw materials and energy as major hurdles that became increasingly difficult to overcome. The business initially thrived as the demand for vegan alternatives in the meat, fish, and dairy-free sectors surged. So much so, that VBites even acquired supplier Redwood Wholefood in 2009.

Heather Mills, who poured “tens of millions of pounds” of her personal investment into the company, expressed her devastation over its collapse. She paid tribute to her dedicated team who had worked tirelessly for many years to ensure the success of VBites. Despite her efforts to keep the company afloat by proposing various solutions, Mills was unable to steer it away from administration.

The sales of vegan food have been affected by skyrocketing prices, as consumers face higher costs for groceries overall. This fact is further evidenced by the struggles faced by other prominent companies in the vegan food industry, including Beyond Meat and sausage maker Heck, who have also experienced declines in sales.

Nevertheless, vegan food still remains popular among the approximately 700,000 vegans and vegetarians in the UK. VBites’ administration process has been assigned to administrators from Interpath Advisory after attempts to secure new funding proved fruitless. While searching for a buyer for the business and its assets, VBites plans to continue trading at its Peterlee site.

Luckily, 29 employees from the Peterlee location and 25 employees from Corby have been retained to fulfill outstanding orders. Unfortunately, the remaining employees have been made redundant.

This unfortunate turn of events marks a significant setback for VBites and its founder, Heather Mills. However, with the enduring appeal of vegan food, there remains hope that a new chapter will unfold for the company in the near future.