Wessanen UK, the owner of brands such as Clipper Teas, Whole Earth, Kallo and Mrs Crimble’s, is to change its name to Ecotone UK amid its new strategy of focusing on ‘food for biodiversity’.
The planned change comes after its Dutch-based parent company Wessanen rebranded to Ecotone this month and relocated its headquarters to Lyon, France. The group has been a pioneer in vegetarian and organic food with a turnover last year of €625m.
In the UK, Wessanen plans to introduce the new Ecotone name and branding gradually over the coming months. However, the company stated that its focus on ‘food for biodiversity’ is already well underway, with it aiming to “inspire shoppers to make healthier choices for both themselves and the planet”.
Emma Vass, CEO of Wessanen UK commented: “As a business, we’ve long been focused on the all-round goodness our brands can do – for people and for our world. As we evolve into Ecotone UK, we will do more to help promote and restore biodiversity in all areas of our business, preserving our precious natural world.”
As well as supporting environmental projects, Wessanen plans to accelerate the growth of its portfolio of organic and vegetarian products, which it claims are essential in preserving biodiversity. Kallo has recently expanded its plant-based organic stock range and earlier this year launched Veggie Cakes – a vegetarian twist on rice cakes, made with flavoured lentils and peas. All of Clipper Tea’s products are either organic or Fairtrade or both.
Christophe Barnouin, CEO of Ecotone said: “For more than 30 years we have chosen organic and vegetarian food as our main pillars. Becoming Ecotone gives us the opportunity to further strengthen the focus on our mission Food for Biodiversity and make it a visible commitment every day.”
