Vegan investment fund Veg Capital has invested in Vegan Trademark holder Clive’s - a Devon based bakery that produces 100% organic and plant-based foods.
Well known for its innovation in plant-based pies, as well as its growing range of other vegan baked goods, Clive’s was founded in 1986 by Clive Lowe, who began selling the bakery’s signature ‘Creamy Mushroom Pie’ from the back of his bicycle. Today, Clive’s has 23 products registered with the Vegan Trademark and bakes a diverse range of 100% organic pies, savoury tarts, quiches, and nut roasts. Clive’s sells to major supermarkets such as Waitrose, Morrisons and Ocado, as well as exporting to the US, Australia, and Dubai.
Veg Capital will buy out existing majority shareholders Sally and Chris Carson who have grown the business steadily over the past 17 years.
In 2020 Clive’s relocated to a new purpose-built site in Dartmouth, four times the size of its previous home in Buckfastleigh, bringing almost 50 new jobs to the area. With the new investment, Clive’s is aiming to increase production by 400% to reach sales of £10m.
Reacting to the news, Esther Pearson, Managing Director of Clive’s said, “We’re over the moon to have the backing of Veg Capital. It marks a new era for Clive’s, one where we can continue to expand, innovate, and help shape the future of plant-based eating. We’ll always stay true to who we are, focusing on food that tastes good, and does good.”
Ericka Durgahee, Marketing Manager at The Vegan Society, added: “We are always the first to celebrate the amazing achievements of our Vegan Trademark holders. Clive’s first reached out to us in 2016 and officially registered with the Vegan Trademark in 2017. Since then the company has just gone from strength to strength and we’re just excited to see where this investment from Veg Capital takes them. We couldn’t be prouder to work with the team at Clive’s.”
With the continuing rise of consumers choosing to eat vegan food, Clive’s is constantly innovating to create new, tasty options that push the boundaries of plant-based eating. Last week, the team at Clive’s launched Puff pastry pies for the first time, with the ‘Beefy Ale Puff Pie’ and ‘Chicken Puff Pie’ being two of the latest product to be registered with the Vegan Trademark.
