The Very Good Food Company

The Very Good Food Company was a British Columbia-based food business focused on plant-based meat alternatives and vegan cheese. Established in 2017, the company developed its consumer-facing meat products under the Very Good Butchers name and marketed its cheese products through The Very Good Cheese Company. Its range included plant-based sausages, burgers, and other meat-alternative and deli-style foods intended to reproduce familiar meat formats without animal ingredients. The company’s early development combined direct consumer interest with community-oriented financing. In 2018, it appeared on the Canadian television program Dragon's Den. During the same year, it raised C$600,000 from 240 local investors through FrontFundr, a Canadian equity-crowdfunding platform. This fundraising model helped the business build visibility among consumers and small investors while supporting the development of its plant-based product portfolio. The company later pursued public-market financing and became listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange in June 2020. Reference material also identifies a Nasdaq listing, with the public-market phase beginning with approximately 16.1 million shares. The listing represented an attempt to provide the company with access to capital as interest in plant-based foods expanded in Canada, the United States, and other markets. The business operated primarily through its Very Good Butchers brand, with products distributed through retail and food-service channels as well as its own online presence. Despite its public listing and brand expansion, The Very Good Food Company ultimately did not remain an operating business. On February 2, 2023, it announced that it would cease operations and sell its assets. The announcement marked the end of the company as an active food producer. Its history reflects both the rapid interest in plant-based food companies during the late 2010s and early 2020s and the financial and operational difficulties that could affect smaller publicly traded food businesses. The Very Good Butchers name and website remain useful references to the company’s former consumer brand, but the corporate business itself is classified as defunct.

The Very Good Food Company was a Canadian plant-based food business based in Vancouver, British Columbia. It began in 2017 and developed a portfolio of meat alternatives and vegan cheese. The company's principal meat-alternative brand was Very Good Butchers, while its cheese products were associated with The Very Good Cheese Company. Its products were designed around recognizable food categories such as sausages, burgers, and deli-style offerings, allowing the business to compete in the growing market for convenient plant-based substitutes. A notable part of the company's early history was its use of community financing and media exposure. In 2018, it appeared on Dragon's Den, a Canadian business-investment television program. That year it also completed a C$600,000 raise through FrontFundr, funded by 240 local investors. The financing gave the company additional capital while demonstrating an investor and consumer audience for its plant-based proposition. The company subsequently moved into public markets. It was listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange in June 2020, and reference material also records a Nasdaq listing. The public-market listing began with 16.1 million shares according to the cited account. This transition placed the company within a wider group of publicly traded plant-based food businesses seeking to use capital markets to expand production, distribution, and brand awareness. The company operated in Canada and the United States and presented its consumer proposition primarily through the Very Good Butchers identity. Its second brand, The Very Good Cheese Company, extended the portfolio beyond meat substitutes into vegan dairy alternatives. Available reference material does not provide a complete account of manufacturing facilities, executive leadership, product launch dates, or the detailed distribution network, so those aspects cannot be stated reliably here. On February 2, 2023, The Very Good Food Company announced that it would cease operations and sell its assets. This decision ended the company's activity as an operating food producer and changed its status from an active public food company to a defunct business. The available reference material does not establish the full legal or financial process surrounding the asset sale, nor does it identify a formal bankruptcy proceeding. The company is therefore best understood as a former Canadian plant-based food company whose main historical brands were Very Good Butchers and The Very Good Cheese Company.

1. 2023Operations discontinued

   The company announced on February 2 that it would cease operations and sell its assets.

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2. 2020Public-market listing

   The company began trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange in June. The cited reference also records a Nasdaq listing and an initial public-market share count of approximately 16.1 million.

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3. 2018Dragon's Den appearance

   The company appeared on the Canadian television program Dragon's Den, increasing public visibility during its early development.

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4. 2018FrontFundr equity crowdfunding

   The business raised C$600,000 from 240 local investors through FrontFundr.

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5. 2017Company established

   The Very Good Food Company began operations in British Columbia as a plant-based meat-alternative and vegan-cheese business.

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Plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy products, presented in familiar butcher-shop and deli formats.

• Very Good Butchers plant-based sausagesPlant-based meat

  Plant-based sausages were among the company's core offerings. They were marketed under the Very Good Butchers identity as meat-free versions of familiar sausage formats.

• Very Good Butchers plant-based burgersPlant-based meat

  The company sold plant-based burgers as part of its principal meat-alternative range. The products were positioned as familiar burger-format substitutes for consumers seeking vegan or plant-based meals.

• Very Good Butchers deli-style productsPlant-based meat

  The Very Good Butchers portfolio also included other plant-based meat and deli-style alternatives. Available reference material does not specify a complete product catalogue or individual launch dates.

• The Very Good Cheese Company vegan cheeseVegan cheese

  Vegan cheese products were marketed under The Very Good Cheese Company name, extending the business from meat substitutes into plant-based alternatives to dairy cheese.

• 2018Dragon's Den appearance

  Canada

  The company used an appearance on Dragon's Den to present its business and plant-based food proposition to a Canadian television audience.

  Outcome. The appearance provided public exposure; the available reference does not establish whether a televised investment deal was completed.

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• 2023Cessation of operations and asset saleStrategy

  The company was no longer continuing as an operating plant-based food producer.

  What changed. On February 2, 2023, it announced that it would cease operations and sell its assets.

  Aftermath. The operating company became defunct and its former product business was discontinued.

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• 2020Public listingOther

  The company sought access to public-market capital as it operated in the expanding plant-based food sector.

  What changed. It began trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange in June 2020; the cited reference also identifies a Nasdaq listing.

  Aftermath. The company became a publicly traded plant-based food business, with reference material reporting approximately 16.1 million shares at the start of this phase.

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• 2018Community equity crowdfundingStrategy

  The early-stage company sought capital and investor participation while developing its plant-based food business.

  What changed. It raised C$600,000 from 240 local investors through FrontFundr.

  Aftermath. The financing supported the company's early growth and preceded its later move into public markets.

  Equity crowdfunding raised. C$600,000 (2018)

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• 2023The Very Good Food Company announces cessation of operations and asset sale

  The company announced on February 2, 2023 that it would cease operations and sell its assets, bringing its operating activity as a plant-based food producer to an end.

  BankruptcyOther
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• 2020The Very Good Food Company enters public markets

  The company began trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange in June 2020 and reference material also identifies a Nasdaq listing. The public-market phase began with approximately 16.1 million shares.

  Other
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• 2018The Very Good Food Company raises funds through FrontFundr

  The company raised C$600,000 from 240 local investors through the Canadian equity-crowdfunding platform FrontFundr.

  Other
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• 2018The Very Good Food Company appears on Dragon's Den

  The company appeared on the Canadian television program Dragon's Den during the early stage of its development and brand-building.

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1. The Very Good Food Company
2. Very Good Butchers