The Very Good Food Company
A former Canadian producer of plant-based meat alternatives and vegan cheese.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
The Very Good Food Company was a British Columbia-based food business focused on plant-based meat alternatives and vegan cheese. Established in 2017, the company developed its consumer-facing meat products under the Very Good Butchers name and marketed its cheese products through The Very Good Cheese Company. Its range included plant-based sausages, burgers, and other meat-alternative and deli-style foods intended to reproduce familiar meat formats without animal ingredients. The company’s early development combined direct consumer interest with community-oriented financing. In 2018, it appeared on the Canadian television program Dragon's Den. During the same year, it raised C$600,000 from 240 local investors through FrontFundr, a Canadian equity-crowdfunding platform. This fundraising model helped the business build visibility among consumers and small investors while supporting the development of its plant-based product portfolio. The company later pursued public-market financing and became listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange in June 2020. Reference material also identifies a Nasdaq listing, with the public-market phase beginning with approximately 16.1 million shares. The listing represented an attempt to provide the company with access to capital as interest in plant-based foods expanded in Canada, the United States, and other markets. The business operated primarily through its Very Good Butchers brand, with products distributed through retail and food-service channels as well as its own online presence. Despite its public listing and brand expansion, The Very Good Food Company ultimately did not remain an operating business. On February 2, 2023, it announced that it would cease operations and sell its assets. The announcement marked the end of the company as an active food producer. Its history reflects both the rapid interest in plant-based food companies during the late 2010s and early 2020s and the financial and operational difficulties that could affect smaller publicly traded food businesses. The Very Good Butchers name and website remain useful references to the company’s former consumer brand, but the corporate business itself is classified as defunct.
History
The Very Good Food Company was a Canadian plant-based food business based in Vancouver, British Columbia. It began in 2017 and developed a portfolio of meat alternatives and vegan cheese. The company's principal meat-alternative brand was Very Good Butchers, while its cheese products were associated with The Very Good Cheese Company. Its products were designed around recognizable food categories such as sausages, burgers, and deli-style offerings, allowing the business to compete in the growing market for convenient plant-based substitutes. A notable part of the company's early history was its use of community financing and media exposure. In 2018, it appeared on Dragon's Den, a Canadian business-investment television program. That year it also completed a C$600,000 raise through FrontFundr, funded by 240 local investors. The financing gave the company additional capital while demonstrating an investor and consumer audience for its plant-based proposition. The company subsequently moved into public markets. It was listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange in June 2020, and reference material also records a Nasdaq listing. The public-market listing began with 16.1 million shares according to the cited account. This transition placed the company within a wider group of publicly traded plant-based food businesses seeking to use capital markets to expand production, distribution, and brand awareness. The company operated in Canada and the United States and presented its consumer proposition primarily through the Very Good Butchers identity. Its second brand, The Very Good Cheese Company, extended the portfolio beyond meat substitutes into vegan dairy alternatives. Available reference material does not provide a complete account of manufacturing facilities, executive leadership, product launch dates, or the detailed distribution network, so those aspects cannot be stated reliably here. On February 2, 2023, The Very Good Food Company announced that it would cease operations and sell its assets. This decision ended the company's activity as an operating food producer and changed its status from an active public food company to a defunct business. The available reference material does not establish the full legal or financial process surrounding the asset sale, nor does it identify a formal bankruptcy proceeding. The company is therefore best understood as a former Canadian plant-based food company whose main historical brands were Very Good Butchers and The Very Good Cheese Company.
- 2023
Operations discontinued
[1]The company announced on February 2 that it would cease operations and sell its assets.
- 2020
Public-market listing
[1]The company began trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange in June. The cited reference also records a Nasdaq listing and an initial public-market share count of approximately 16.1 million.
- 2018
Dragon's Den appearance
[1]The company appeared on the Canadian television program Dragon's Den, increasing public visibility during its early development.
- 2018
FrontFundr equity crowdfunding
[1]The business raised C$600,000 from 240 local investors through FrontFundr.
- 2017
Company established
[1]The Very Good Food Company began operations in British Columbia as a plant-based meat-alternative and vegan-cheese business.
Products and positioning
Plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy products, presented in familiar butcher-shop and deli formats.
Plant-based meat
Very Good Butchers plant-based sausages
Plant-based sausages were among the company's core offerings. They were marketed under the Very Good Butchers identity as meat-free versions of familiar sausage formats.
Plant-based meat
Very Good Butchers plant-based burgers
The company sold plant-based burgers as part of its principal meat-alternative range. The products were positioned as familiar burger-format substitutes for consumers seeking vegan or plant-based meals.
Plant-based meat
Very Good Butchers deli-style products
The Very Good Butchers portfolio also included other plant-based meat and deli-style alternatives. Available reference material does not specify a complete product catalogue or individual launch dates.
Vegan cheese
The Very Good Cheese Company vegan cheese
Vegan cheese products were marketed under The Very Good Cheese Company name, extending the business from meat substitutes into plant-based alternatives to dairy cheese.
Marketing campaigns
- 2018Dragon's Den appearance
Canada
The company used an appearance on Dragon's Den to present its business and plant-based food proposition to a Canadian television audience.
Outcome. The appearance provided public exposure; the available reference does not establish whether a televised investment deal was completed.
Brand decisions
2023
Cessation of operations and asset saleStrategyBackground
The company was no longer continuing as an operating plant-based food producer.
Action taken
On February 2, 2023, it announced that it would cease operations and sell its assets.
Aftermath
The operating company became defunct and its former product business was discontinued.
2020
Public listingOtherBackground
The company sought access to public-market capital as it operated in the expanding plant-based food sector.
Action taken
It began trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange in June 2020; the cited reference also identifies a Nasdaq listing.
Aftermath
The company became a publicly traded plant-based food business, with reference material reporting approximately 16.1 million shares at the start of this phase.
2018
Community equity crowdfundingStrategyBackground
The early-stage company sought capital and investor participation while developing its plant-based food business.
Action taken
It raised C$600,000 from 240 local investors through FrontFundr.
Aftermath
The financing supported the company's early growth and preceded its later move into public markets.
Equity crowdfunding raised. C$600,000 (2018)
Recent events
Very Good Food Company partners with Copper Branch[3]
Reported:
The Very Good Food Company announced a partnership with Copper Branch under which Copper Branch will make The Very Good Butchers' plant-based products available in branded in-store freezers, initially at eight Canadian locations starting in summer.
The Very Good Food Company partners with Green Spoon Sales[4]
Reported:
The Very Good Food Company announced a partnership with Green Spoon Sales to expand its reach into U.S. grocery and retail. The announcement also noted its first U.S. sales order from online vegan grocery store GTFO It's Vegan.
The Very Good Food Company appoints Kevin Callaghan as U.S. sales director[5]
Reported:
The Very Good Food Company announced Kevin Callaghan's appointment as its Director of Sales for U.S. markets. He is to focus on building wholesale and food-service partnerships and distribution points.
- Unconfirmed
The Very Good Food Company launches a U.S. e-commerce website[5]
Reported:
The Very Good Food Company said it had recently launched a separate U.S. e-commerce website for U.S. consumers.
The Very Good Food Company increases Victoria Facility production capacity[6]
Reported:
The Very Good Food Company announced that its Victoria Facility had increased average production capacity to 20,000 pounds per week, an 82% increase from October 2020.
The Very Good Food Company works with a new 3PL logistics partner[6]
Reported:
The Very Good Food Company said its new Canadian third-party logistics partnership helped increase production capacity and fulfill ecommerce orders at a third-party distribution centre.
- Unconfirmed
The Very Good Food Company completes its IPO[7]
Reported:
The Very Good Food Company announced the successful completion of its initial public offering, issuing 16.1 million common shares for gross proceeds of $4.025 million. The release said the shares would begin trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange on June 18, 2020.
Very Good Butchers products enter select Whole Foods Market stores[8]
Reported:
Very Good Butchers plant-based meat products became available at select Whole Foods Market stores in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia.
Sources8 sources
- 1The Very Good Food Companyen.wikipedia.org
- 2Very Good Butchersverygoodbutchers.com
- 3Very Good Food Company与Copper Branch建立合作finanznachrichten.de
- 4The Very Good Food Company与Green Spoon Sales建立合作finanznachrichten.de
- 5The Very Good Food Company任命Kevin Callaghan为美国销售总监finanznachrichten.de
- 6The Very Good Food Company 提高维多利亚工厂产能finanznachrichten.de
- 7The Very Good Food Company 完成首次公开募股finance.yahoo.com
- 8Very Good Butchers 产品进入部分 Whole Foods Market 门店finanznachrichten.de
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