Fenn Foods trading as The Aussie Plant Based Co - Liquidation

Fenn Foods trading as The Aussie Plant Based Co, a plant-based food company, has been rescued out of liquidation by rival Smart Foods.

Based on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, the company was founded by Michelin star chef Alejandro Cancino in 2015. The company supplied plant-based and meat-free products, including under the Veef and Love Buds brands, to the likes of Woolworths and Coles. It merged with a competitor in 2023 but faced undisclosed challenges.

Ken Whittingham and Mark Robinson of Fort Restructuring were appointed liquidators of the company on 9 October and said that they had to move quickly due to the perishable nature of the goods in question, as well as the “very real risk that consumers could have faced product shortages” given the company’s status as one of the largest suppliers of plant-based and meat-free products to major supermarkets in Australia.

Smart Foods reportedly plans to continue production at the Sunshine Coast facility, offering roles to up to half of Fenn’s 32 employees.

The transaction was completed within seven days of the liquidators’ appointment.