11.08.2024
News
Upton’s Naturals does not change its course
Upton’s Naturals, an independent plant-based meat substitutes company, is sticking to its strategy with the Seitan brand. Launched in 2006, the brand is available in five varieties of meat substitutes, including bacon, chorizo, ground, Italian and traditional.
In 2015, the company launched a line of meat substitutes based on jackfruit.
“Over the years, we have tried to enter other markets to increase brand awareness to keep the interest in the business alive, because it is always exciting to create something new,” said Daniel Staackmann, founder of Upton’s. – “Despite the fact that the company has not lost interest in its business throughout the ups and downs, it hasn’t lost interest in its business. “Even during the ups and downs of herbal medicine, we didn’t change too much, and I think that’s why we’ve managed to get to where we are today.”
The herbal category has faced a downturn in the last few years, but Mr. Staackmann said Seitan is doing well.
“According to the SPINS data for Q4 2022, our brand position in the natural products category grew by 10%, while the convenience meat category as a whole declined by 15%,” he said. “Upton’s Naturals is now the No. 1 brand in seitan sales in natural and MULO channels.”
Mr. Staackmann noted that they remain cautious.
“I don’t think there is much room for any acceleration right now because of all the negative press the category is getting,” he said. “Maybe we’re at a point now where the hype is more slow and getting back to Seitan is really the core business. At this point, we’re just doing our best to promote what we have and support what we have and continue to offer consumers products with simple ingredients.”
For many years, Upton’s has remained a 100% self-funded company, something Mr. Staackmann has been careful to maintain throughout his tenure in the business.
“We’ve met with countless private investors and venture capitalists at trade shows, and it’s difficult because as soon as you say yes to them, everything changes,” he says. “I’ve known a lot of people who were ruined, for example, because they got into bed with the sharks because they only cared about money.”
As the top brand in the seitan category, Mr. Staackmann is pleased with how things are going.
“It’s nice to know that we’ve been able to survive the ups and downs thanks to the cash flow, and after all these years we’re still on the shelf and haven’t compromised on anything,” he says.