Fry's Family Foods: 30 Years of Vegan Goodies

At the forefront of the plant-based movement for decades, Fry Family Food Co. is celebrating its 30th birthday this year.

Tammy Fry is the marketing director at global plantbased brand The Fry Family Food Co and marketing & communications director for the LIVEKINDLY Co.

“When I first went veggie then vegan Frys Vegetarian was (and still is) a go to fully vegan brand – and I was delighted to work with the UK team headed by Pat and Lisa Drummy to promote the products in the UK nearly 20 years ago. I was delighted to be one of the first people to try their vegan fish at a media event a few years ago – they went down incredibly well with everyone there!

Tammy’s father, Wally Fry, grew up as a meat lover, making meaty ingredients a part of his dayto-day life. Her mother, Debbie, on the other hand, was a long-time vegetarian. After Wally decided to join Debbie and Tammy in embracing vegetarianism, he started creating tasty high-protein meat replacements for himself and his family – a year later the Fry Family Food Co. was born.

Beginning as a small family business in South Africa, Fry Family Food Co. has since grown to become a global company.” - Karin Ridgers, Plant Powered Planet Editor.

The Fry’s Story

We have been on such a journey with Fry’s over the last 30-years. There are so many memorable moments that, in hindsight, helped us define who we are. I think some of the most memorable landmarks would be when we sold our first products to the general public (nearly 30 years ago). Up to that point we’d only been feeding friends and family with our sausages and Chicken-Style burgers, so it was quite extraordinary that people outside of our circle were responding to the products.

The first time we imported to another country was very significant for us, and it was the UK - our first international market. And of course, signing our deal with the LIVEKINDLY Collective, which is helping us take the Fry’s brand to new markets, was a hugely exciting time. There have been many milestones in between those – winning some wonderful awards, creating some ground-breaking products and more – but those three are real cornerstones for us. Exciting things are happening at the moment with Fry’s globally, and the biggest growth for the company is in the USA and Africa.

in the USA, we are starting from a zero base, and are experiencing unprecedented growth. South Africa is our home base, and we have significant brand equity and brand awareness here, so our growth here comes from new consumers being introduced to the category.

Tammy is a crossfitter, 5th Dan Karateka and has been South African National Champion multiple times, a self-defence coach, surfer, businesswomen, public speaker, and mum of two little boys.

Her successful book Made with Love and Plants is now available on Amazon. The book includes helpful support and tips to make dieting easier. The recipes encompass a full range of meals from breakfast through to treats, and for family and entertaining.

Product Development

New product development is one of the most exciting aspects of the job and coming up with ideas for new products is so much fun. Being a family of vegans, we often look at the types of products we want as a family, and then we start developing them. Often new ideas will come from a conversation over dinner or suggestions from friends or consumers.

When it comes to testing the latest products, our consumer research has always been tried and tested on our own family first! Our kids are the best with feedback as they are so honest. If they like the new product, it stays and they can be the best food critics, so we completely trust them.

In the future we would like to continue with our consumer research and have sensory evaluation panels to test any new products.

Aside from new product development and testing, we also constantly optimise and improve our current ranges, to ensure they taste the very best for our customers.

Best Sellers

Our most popular products are our Chick’n Burger, Chicken-Style Nuggets and Schnitzels – the all-time greats! But personally, the Fishless Fillets gives me the most satisfaction. As a surfer and diver, I am very passionate about ocean conservation, and the Fishless Fillets are so important as they provide an alternative option to consuming fish.

They contain all of the protein and Omega 3 that fish contains, without the impact of commercial fishing. They are so versatile and can be used in a multitude of recipes including fish tacos, fish curries and even fish and chips!

Xmas dinner at the Fry’s household

We live in the Southern Hemisphere, it means a Summer Christmas for us, so we also tend to eat a little lighter, and we love grazing tables, so a table filled with yummy veggie dishes and fresh salads is what we enjoy, and family meals are very important to us.

Carbon Footprint

Over the past 20 years, we have implemented many processes to reduce our carbon footprint and our efforts include sourcing raw materials which are sustainable, and changing to more eco-friendly packaging solutions.

Currently, we are looking at local manufacturers and vertical integration, an example of which is growing our own raw materials.

The Future

The future for Fry’s is simple. Now, more than ever, change is needed in the world and we want to be a part of the solution. We have been fighting a lonely fight for 30 years, but times are changing and awareness is at an alltime high. So, for now, it’s about staying focussed on our purpose and maintaining the excellent quality of our products.

Also, we have SUCH an exciting product launch coming up and I cannot wait to share it with you… watch this space!

Tammy Fry

International Marketing Director for Fry’s Family Food Co.