Legacy veggie burgers fight to stay relevant in the age of beyond meat

Since Beyond Meat arrived on the scene in 2013, sales of meat substitutes among the nine largest producers have climbed 56 per cent, according to Euromonitor International

The meatless-meat category is facing a renaissance, and legacy veggie burger brands are fighting to stay relevant in the frozen-food aisle.

Frozen bean and veggie-based patties dominated the market for meat alternatives for years. Now, Impossible Foods Inc. and Beyond Meat Inc. have grabbed the attention of vegans and meat-eaters alike by developing plant-based burgers that imitate beef, even using beet powder or other ingredients to make the patties “bleed.”

“It isn’t like this is a totally new space,” said Bob Nolan, senior vice president of demand sciences at Conagra Brands Inc. Veggie patties have been around for years, but they weren’t