The Future of Food could be Meat Free Eats II Vezlay foods

April 2022: Vezlay Foods brings a vision to make a difference in the plant-based meat alternative market, for vegans and non- vegans alike. Vezlay Foods is the leading manufacturer of innovative Ready to Eat (RTE) and Ready to Cook (RTC) Plant Based (meat alternative) food products. “VEZLAY”, the name revolves around the idea of vegetarianism and in many ways laid the foundation of plant-based meat sector in India.

As the first brand to enter this sector, Vezlay has revolutionised the market with over 40 products and a pan-India distribution network in the past decade or so.

Amit Bajaj, the founder of Vezlay, came across the concept of vegan and plant based meats during his days in London and loved the concept. As a vegetarian himself, it struck Amit that such products will receive great patronage in India, with a large vegetarian population in need of better nutrition and protein sources. After 2 years of research, and endless hours of product innovation, Amit set up the first manufacturing unit in New Delhi in November 2010. With approximately 40% of the Indian population being vegetarian, and an increased awareness to live a conscious, compassionate, and impactful life, he realised that the launch of great tasting products would only mean greater consumer demand with the course of time.

Currently Vezlay manufactures around 40 innovative Soy based products under 2 different categories - Frozen and Ambient. In the Ambient range, the brand has Gluten-Free Soya Noodles and Soya Vegget as well as others like Soya Indi-Chop, Soya Chikka and Soya Veg Meat. The Frozen range is larger and includes Soya Seekh Kabab, Shami Kabab, Rogan Josh, Soya Chop, Veg Chicken, Soya Chikka Biryani, Soya Nuggets, Chop Sticks and Soya Bhurji. The brand is also working to launch vegan versions of some of the vegetarian products that currently have dairy products in the recipe. The new offerings would include Vegan Shawarma, Vegan Scrambled Egg, Vegan Mayonnaise, Plant Based Sausages & Salami, Plant Based Grilled Burger Tikki and Momos.

Vezlay has a good distribution network with more than 50 distributors across the country and is present in most online retail and wholesale stores like Flipkart Wholesale, Reliance Retail, Big Bazaar, Spar and Spencer’s. It is also available at all major online marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart, Big Basket etc. and niche stores like Le Marche as well. Vezlay is a preferred vendor to reputed names in the HoReCa sector, that include 5-Star & 7-Star hotels like Hyatt, Radisson, Le-Meridian, Shangrila, ITC, Taj, Leela and multiplexes like PVR.

The aim of Vezlay is to provide an alternative to non-vegetarian food which is not just limited to soy chunks or nuggets. Vezlay has chosen Soy as its main ingredient owing to its health benefits. Soy, a nutrient-dense source of protein, can be consumed on a regular basis and may reduce the risk of various health problems, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, coronary heart disease (CHD), some cancers and improve bone health. It is one of the few known plant foods to contain all the essential amino acids, like those found in meat and is high in fibre, high

in protein, low in saturated fat, cholesterol free, lactose free, a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and a source of antioxidants. Amit has managed to bring forth healthy and nutritious products so comparable in flavour and

texture to its traditional meat counterpart as well as adaptable to the Indian palate, that even meat-eaters would get blown away by the mouth-watering taste. Vezlay is set out to tailor healthier alternatives to comfort food favourites providing something for everyone.

"I spent 3 years in Europe, however when I returned, I realised that despite evidence of negative impacts of junk food on the human body, the consumption of junk food was only growing in India, especially among youngsters. That’s when I conceived Vezlay. However, whichever soy-based product I had in Europe had a very different taste, and I wanted to ensure that our products tasted familiar to the Indian palate. We wanted to create healthier alternatives to comfort food favourites, providing something for everyone. Though it was not easy, we continue to be amazed and encouraged with the positive response from the market. Over the next 3-5 years, we want to share Vezlay with the world and make an impact as the leading name for plant-based meat-alternative food products"

Amit Bajaj.

Under his leadership, the brand has received “Golden Book of World Records”, “Asia Book of Records”, “Emerging Brand Award 2019”, “India Book of Records“, “The SME Icon Award” and also been awarded by the scientists of ICAE- Bhopal due to the innovative nature of the products.

Website: vezlay.com

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