Ella Mills, the founder of Deliciously Ella, has bought allplants out of administration, combining it with her business Plants, which she owns with Matthew Mills.
The allplants brand name and associated brand assets have been acquired, following “significant financial difficulty” at the business.
Will Wright and Howard Smith from Interpath were appointed joint administrators to allplants on 22 November 2024.
Based in East London, allplants is a plant-based pre-prepared meal manufacturer. Founded in 2016, the business has grown over the past nine years to develop an omnichannel offering, with its products available online and via over 100 partner retail outlets, as well as via q-commerce operators.
In common with a number of other companies across the plant-based food sector, the company had faced trading headwinds in recent years, including rising food, transport and energy costs and the impact of fragile consumer confidence in the wake of the cost-of-living crisis.
After a period of sustained losses, the directors sought to explore their strategic options, including exploring the possibility of a sale or refinancing. However, when a solvent solution could not be found, they took the decision to seek the appointment of administrators.
In a statement, Ella and Matthew Mills and the Plants team said: “We are absolutely thrilled to share that today we have acquired the allplants brand name and associated brand assets out of administration.
“We will bring together Plants and allplants to create something truly special — a new, natural, plant based powerhouse.
“We have long admired the allplants brand, and the brand name has remarkable consumer awareness across the UK. Unfortunately, the business ran into significant financial difficulty, and we know that the resulting administration has been an incredibly difficult time for the community, customers, suppliers, team members and investors.
“As a result of the administration, the joint administrators have been seeking buyers for the Company’s various assets. We are pleased to have signed an agreement to specifically acquire the brand name and associated brand assets, and we’re so excited to build an exciting future for this brand with such enormous promise.
“The plant-based category should be synonymous with real, nourishing food, yet for too long it has been dominated by ultra-processed meat alternatives, a trend now in steep decline. We’re here to try and change that, and to reimagine the plant-based fixture with delicious, natural, quick wins for clever cooks.
“The business will continue to be led by our long-standing colleague, Kerry, who we both worked with for five years at Deliciously Ella. Kerry has a deep passion and understanding of the plant-based space, and we can’t wait to support her as we drive this new chapter forward together with the wider Plants team.”
Natasha Harbinson, director at Interpath who led the transaction, said: “The allplants brand had grown to become synonymous with ethically-produced, healthy, plant-based nutrition, so we’re pleased to have concluded this transaction which will enable it to continue under the direction of the experienced Plants team.”