y wa he t g n i Lead The Fry Famil y Food Co.
in plant-based meat alternatives
As the leading plant-based food brand in South Africa, The Fry Family Food Co. know a thing or two about what consumers want. From small beginnings, the brand now supplies eager vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians with tasty meat-free alternatives across the country and globally, and remains one of the drivers of plant-based innovation in many markets. To learn more about the growing consumer demand in South Africa, Just Vegan caught up with Fry’s global brand lead, Tammy Fry.
Q
FIRST A LITTLE HISTORY - WHY WAS THE FRY FAMILY FOOD CO. FIRST
FOUNDED? My parents started the business from our humble kitchen table in Durban just over 30 years ago. My dad was an avid meat eater,
Fry’s Global Brand Lead: Tammy Fry
but had given up meat because my mom and I (both vegetarians from birth) had convinced him to. However, like most meat eaters who are reducing the meat on their plates, he craved the taste and texture of meat. He was also looking for ways to make sure the family had nutritious,
quality (and tasty) alternative protein options. My parents both experimented with making plantbased sausages and burgers until they got it right. The products were always meant to be just for us, but they got such great responses from friends and family they decided to explore selling them. Here we are, 30 years later with 40 plus products in multiple countries.
Q
HOW HAS THE COMPANY’S PRODUCT OFFERING CHANGED
OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS? With the increase in demand, has come an increase in the variety of brands and products. This is fantastic because, of course, it has helped make plant-based eating mainstream and grow the concept of flexitarianism. However, competition is a lot fiercer than it was five years ago, so we must be a lot more in-tune with what consumers want. We have to make sure our products are hitting the taste and texture mark, and we have to make sure we are as available in as many retail outlets as possible.
Meet the entire Fry Family
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Just Vegan
