Beyond Meat® Announces Major Retail Expansions Throughout Europe

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., April 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Beyond Meat, Inc. (NASDAQ: BYND), a leader in plant-based meat, today announced significant product distribution expansion within thousands of European retail locations this spring. As Beyond Meat has grown its retail presence in the region, the European plant-based foods market has seen aggressive growth with sales increasing by 49% over the last two years¹. Beyond Meat’s commitment to making products utilizing simple, plant-based ingredients without GMOs has enabled the brand to rapidly expand product distribution throughout the continent.

Beyond Meat products are available at approximately 122,000 retail and foodservice outlets in over 80 countries worldwide. The new product distribution in Europe includes:

United Kingdom: In April, Sainsbury’s is nearly doubling its distribution of the Beyond Burger^® nationwide. This follows the launch of Beyond Sausage^® in Sainsbury stores this past January. Waitrose also recently launched the Beyond Burger and Beyond Sausage. Between these two retailers, Beyond Meat is entering 445 new retail stores throughout the UK market.

Germany: Throughout April and May, Beyond Meat is expanding its product offerings in over 1,000 new German retail stores through Kaufland, Tegut, Famila and Real.

Austria: In April, Beyond Meat will expand product offerings at SPAR locations throughout Austria and will add products to BILLA and BILLA PLUS locations. The expansion will bring Beyond Meat products to a total of approximately 1,500 new retail stores in Austria.

Switzerland: This April, Beyond Meat will expand Beyond Mince^® distribution to 155 Migros stores throughout the country.

The Netherlands: In March, Beyond Mince became available for the first time in the market through distribution at nearly 1,000 Albert Heijn and Jumbo stores.

With the recent development of Beyond Meat’s European product innovation Beyond Mince, the company continues its retail expansion focus in additional countries such as France, Spain, Belgium, Italy and more at prominent retailers such as Casino Group, Carrefour, Esselunga and Delhaize.

“These new and expanded retail partnerships throughout the continent serve as strong proof points that Europe’s appetite for plant-based meat and Beyond Meat products in particular is on the rise,” said Chuck Muth, Chief Growth Officer, Beyond Meat. “In fact, because of our strict ingredient guardrails, we’ve been able to more easily enter global markets including the EU to make plant-based meat options that are better for people and the planet more accessible to all.”

In June 2020, Beyond Meat announced the opening of its first co-manufacturing facility in Europe in partnership with Zandbergen World’s Finest Meat in Zoeterwoude, as well as the acquisition of the company’s first manufacturing facility in Enschede, underscoring the company’s commitment to serving its global markets. The Enschede facility will work together with the Zandbergen co-manufacturing facility to allow for end-to-end manufacturing capabilities in Europe. Together, the facilities will increase the speed, scale and efficiency with which Beyond Meat can produce and distribute its latest product innovations to its retail and foodservice customers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The move comes as part of Beyond Meat’s effort to meet consumers’ growing demand for delicious, nutritious and sustainable, plant-based meat made without GMOs or bioengineered ingredients. In a study conducted at Stanford University and published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers evaluated the impact of replacing animal-based meat with Beyond Meat’s plant-based meats over an 8-week period on cholesterol levels (including LDL), heart disease risk factors including TMAO levels, and body weight, and found improvement in key health metrics when participants replaced animal-based meat with Beyond Meat’s plant-based meat. The results of the Stanford University study complement the results of the University of Michigan’s 2018 LCA which showed that the original Beyond Burger, compared to producing a ¼ lb. standard 80/20 beef burger, has 99% less impact on water scarcity, 93% less impact on land use, requires 46% less energy and generates 90% less greenhouse gas emissions.

About Beyond Meat

Beyond Meat, Inc. (NASDAQ: BYND) is one of the fastest growing food companies in the United States, offering a portfolio of revolutionary plant-based meats made from simple ingredients without GMOs, bioengineered ingredients, hormones, antibiotics, or cholesterol. Founded in 2009, Beyond Meat products are designed to have the same taste and texture as animal-based meat while being better for people and the planet. Beyond Meat’s brand commitment, Eat What You Love™, represents a strong belief that there is a better way to feed our future and that the positive choices we all make, no matter how small, can have a great impact on our personal health and the health of our planet. By shifting from animal-based meat to plant-based meat, we can positively impact four growing global issues: human health, climate change, constraints on natural resources and animal welfare. As of December 31, 2020, Beyond Meat had products available at approximately 122,000 retail and foodservice outlets in over 80 countries worldwide. Visit www.BeyondMeat.com and follow @BeyondMeat, #BeyondBurger and #GoBeyond on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and @BeyondMeatOfficial on TikTok.

Beyond Meat Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements in this release constitute “forward-looking statements.” These statements are based on management’s current opinions, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or projections regarding future events or future results. These forward-looking statements are only predictions, not historical fact, and involve certain risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions. Actual results, levels of activity, performance, achievements and events could differ materially from those stated, anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements. While Beyond Meat believes that its assumptions are reasonable, it is very difficult to predict the impact of known factors, and, of course, it is impossible to anticipate all factors that could affect actual results. There are many risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements made herein including, most prominently, the risks discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 1, 2021 as well as other factors described from time to time in Beyond Meat’s filings with the SEC. Such forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release. Beyond Meat undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law. If we do update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be made that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

Media Contact

Shira Zackai
Shira.Zackai@beyondmeat.com

¹ Nielsen Smart Protein Report 2021

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1b2f42c7-80a4-4cc7-96e7-d30293ddbca8.