The Vegetarian Butcher

How ethical is The Vegetarian Butcher?

The Vegetarian Butcher is a plant-based food brand which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Vegan & Vegetarian Foods Ratings Table. Although The Vegetarian Butcher has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have extra confidence in The Vegetarian Butcher if it applied for Ethical Accreditation, whereby The Good Shopping Guide would make further detailed assessment and recommendations for ethical improvement.

Find out more about the ethical issues facing the Ethical Vegan & Vegetarian Foods sector.

What does The Vegetarian Butcher do?

The Vegetarian Butcher is a plant-based brand which aims to replicate the taste and texture of meat in a way that is better for the planet. The brand was launched in 2010 by Jaap Korteweg who came from a family of farmers in the Netherlands. It is now owned by Unilever Plc.

In which areas does The Vegetarian Butcher perform poorly?

The Vegetarian Butcher was marked down under our criteria for Organic due to a lack of certification. It was also marked down for GMOs as its parent company, Unilever, believes that GM ingredients are safe to use. Unilever also states that it does use Animal Testing where required by law.

Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of The Vegetarian Butcher’s record

Unilever, The Vegetarian Butcher’s parent company, has come under fire for failing to deliver on its promise to scale back its presence in Russia. Unilever has also been named as one of the companies sourcing palm oil from mills controlled by the Harita Group, who are responsible for the destruction of indigenous communities in Borneo.

In which areas does The Vegetarian Butcher score well for its ethics?

The Vegetarian Butcher’s parent company, Unilever, has an Annual Report and Accounts 2022, which contains a wide range of environmental targets across different areas, giving The Vegetarian Butcher a good score for its Environmental Report.

We found no criticisms relating to; Nuclear, Fossil Fuels or Armaments, therefore The Vegetarian Butcher scores well across these criteria. Find out more about how we rate.

How can The Vegetarian Butcher improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that The Vegetarian Butcher is awarded with on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Vegan & Vegetarian Foods Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, The Vegetarian Butcher has some issues to resolve, including its use of GMOs. If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give The Vegetarian Butcher some guidance to improve on these areas.

Were you aware that your brand could benefit from Ethical Accreditation? Brands accredited by The Good Shopping Guide can display our Ethical Mark, showcasing to consumers that it is an ethical and sustainable brand. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.