Categories
News

Navigating the Supermarket

Shopping can be a daunting task, especially when embracing a new way of eating and changing old habits. With thousands of products from which to choose, here are a few ideas to keep you on the right track.

Don’t be scared of the freezer section.

Foods found in the freezer in the supermarket very rarely contain preservatives. Use your home freezer for leftovers, homemade breads, chopped herbs, chopped chillies, homemade dips, smoothie bananas, etc. If you aren’t sure if something is safe to freeze, search online for information.

Keep it simple.

Many staple foods you already buy are vegan. Peanut butter, jams and marmalades, baked beans, dried pasta, rice, almost all bread, many types of gravy granules, vegetable stock cubes, chopped tomatoes, oven chips and hash browns, coconut milk, lots of curry pastes, many breakfast cereals, herbs, spices, tomato sauce, mustard and pickles, olive oil and vegetable oils, soy sauce, fruit juice, tea and coffee, lots of biscuits, crackers and of course fruit and vegetables – fresh, dried, tinned and frozen.

Shop around.

Sometimes the best place to buy veggies may not be the best place to buy dry or frozen foods, so make sure you do your homework when it comes to price, quality and trustworthiness. Shopping online has transformed the way we can purchase our food. You can order organic and locally produced fruit and vegetables from reputable small businesses and have them delivered to your door. Nearly every major retailer offers online shopping, and you can often choose your hours of delivery – no more last-minute, crazy shopping to buy dinner. Pick n Pay ASAP and Checkers Sixty60 have excellent delivery services.

Get vegan versions of your faves.

There are now vegan versions for almost everything, so you can simply switch like for like. In supermarkets, you will find a range of plant-based milks (oat, soya, almond, coconut, hemp, rice, and more) including flavoured milks (chocolate, strawberry, iced coffee) in the refrigerator. There, you will also find a range of plant-based yoghurts in various flavours and styles, and cheeses.

In the freezer section, you will find vegan burgers, sausages, sausage rolls, mince, fish and other convenient products that help you keep the foods you love that just don’t contain the animal parts. Just make sure to double check that they are vegan, a lot of these products contain milk or eggs. All Fry’s products are 100% vegan and are available at all major retailers (Checkers, Shoprite, Spar, Pick n Pay) nationally. You will find them in the frozen vegetarian section, in bright green boxes. x

On the shelf, you will find vegan mayonnaise, chocolate and many more everyday items.

Never forget the golden rule: do not shop when you are hungry.

Avoid pre-prepared meals and convenience meals; they’re often expensive and have very small portion sizes.

Categories
News

Plant-based cookbook represents South Africa at Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

[MEDIA RELEASE – 2 March 2022]

It was announced yesterday by Penguin Random House Publishers that the plant-based cookbook and lifestyle guide, Made with Love & Plants, written by Tammy Fry, has taken the prestigious “Best in South Africa” spot for the category “Corporate Tie-In” at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

Making the awards shortlist of sixteen nominees down to six, Tammy’s book will now compete for Best in World at an awards ceremony in Sweden taking place in early June 2022 at the Umea Food Symposium.

On their website, the Founder and President of the Gourmand Awards, Edouard Cointreau said that the selection of the Gourmand Awards give an overview of the best around the world – showing just how prestigious these awards are. “In total, we estimate there are now over 100 000 food and drink culture books and documents every year, in print or digital, free or paid, with or without ISBN…. There is approximately 1% chance to be selected [on] this Gourmand Awards list!”

Tammy poured years of learning in the plant-based space into Made with Love and Plants. “I am thrilled with this acknowledgment. When writing the book I really tried to tap into my lived experiences as a plant-based athlete, nutritionist, advocate, mom and marketer to create something that was authentic, inspiring and easy to use,” says Tammy Fry.

“My dream was always to create something valuable and accessible that both inspires people to explore their own journey and support those that are already on one,” she adds.

Beverley Dodd, lifestyle publisher at Penguin Random House in South Africa says that a plant-based cookbook created by one of South Africa’s leading advocates for the lifestyle was an obvious choice for them.

“Tammy’s deep experience and understanding of what plant-based living means shone through in this book. It is a beautifully relatable, easy to follow guide for anyone, at any stage of the journey.”

Beverley adds that Penguin Random House, who were also recognised by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards as Best Cookbook Publisher in South Africa, have seen a notable increase in demand for plant-based lifestyle content.

“There has been a definite increase in awareness around health and environment when it comes to food choices and our Best in South Africa winners reflect this. Congratulations to all the authors – we could not be more proud of you.”

Made with Love and Plants is packed with 75-plant-based, whole food recipes and loads of easy-to-follow information for people wanting to introduce more of a plant-based lifestyle. Tammy explains that she created her recipes through trial and error to make them as simple as possible. “I know what has worked for me and my busy family and I have tried to impart those learnings in the book.”

Tammy’s whole life has been fundamentally linked to the growth of plant-based living. As one of the Fry daughters, and a co-founder of The Fry Family Food Company, she has been at the forefront of helping her parents pioneer plant-based foods in South Africa and across the globe.

Chief Marketing Officer of LIVEKINDLY Collective Mick van Ettinger says that this kind of recognition is an incredible acknowledgment of the power of real stories behind real brands.

“I love how this beautiful cookbook, created with such love and passion by Tammy, has been so prestigiously recognised for its corporate tie-in to the Fry’s brand. The incredible work the Fry family have done in building their brand, pioneering plant-based living and supporting new and existing consumers to explore their own journeys grew out of an authentic desire to gently change the world. The brand, the family and their story are intrinsically linked in a truly authentic way – and this award reflects the strength of that.”

LIVEKINDLY Collective is the global plant-based food company that joined forces with the Fry’s brand in 2020.

Made with Love and Plants is available through all major book retailers.

IG – @tammyfry_

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/seedbytammy

Issued by Genevieve Cutts on behalf of The Fry Family Food Co. For media enquiries please contact genevieve@thelivekindlyco.com or 082 546 4043.

About The Fry Family Food Co.

It all began in the Fry family kitchen in South Africa over three decades ago, where Wally and Debbie Fry learnt how to make delicious meat-free burgers and sausages to feed their family.

Debbie and her daughter Tammy (both born vegetarians) had persuaded Wally (an avid meat eater) to give up meat. On a mission to find nutritious and satisfying meat alternatives for his family, Wally started experimenting in their kitchen.

30-years later, the Fry’s award-winning range of vegan products is available all over the world and the brand, under the continued guidance of Tammy, has pioneered the plant-based food space by making tasty meat-free alternatives that are simple and fuss-free.

The Fry’s range of vegan food was awarded Best Vegan Meat in the VegFest Awards in the UK two years in a row (2020 and 2021). In 2021 the brand’s Chicken-Style Burger was the only plant-based chicken burger to make it onto abillion’s Top 10 Plant-Based Burger list and their ‘beefy’ Big Fry Burger won the inaugural Plant-Based Food Award at the Symrise Food Review New Product Competition. In 2022 Tammy Fry’s cookbook, Made with Love and Plants, received a prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Award.

In 2020, The Fry Family Food Co. joined forces with LIVEKINDLY Collective as part of a leading global movement to make plant-based living the new norm. This unique collective is now on track to become one of the world’s largest plant-based food companies.

Fry’s website is www.fryfamilyfood.com

About LIVEKINDLY Collective 

LIVEKINDLY Collective was founded by Blue Horizon Group on the belief that plant-based alternatives have the power to make the global food system sustainable. Its mission is to make plant-based living the new norm.

As a collective of founders, entrepreneurs and business leaders from across the globe, LIVEKINDLY Collective is uniquely positioned to create impact with speed, at scale.

Through its portfolio of brands, Oumph!, The Fry Family Food Co., LikeMeat, No Meat, and The Dutch Weed Burger, LIVEKINDLY Collective is providing consumers around the world with healthy, sustainable and delicious food options.

Furthermore, the company is the voice of the plant-based movement, communicating informative, entertaining and inspiring content through its media and lifestyle platform, LIVEKINDLY, at www.livekindly.com

LIVEKINDLY Collective has 500 employees and sells in more than 40 countries around the world.

LIVEKINDLY Collective was recently awarded Best Plant-Based Business in the World Plant-Based Awards 2021.

To learn more, visit www.thelivekindlyco.com

Categories
News

TOP 5 PLANT-BASED RECIPES TO SPICE UP YOUR VALENTINE’S DAY:

It’s the month of LOVE and whether you are celebrating the Feast of Saint Valentine with a beloved face-to-face or remotely due to pandemic pandemonium or using the day to focus on the most important relationship one can have – yourself! Cooking up a storm can be a great way to show your loved ones how much they mean to you. Ditch the risk of crowded restaurants, light some scented candles, turn up that smooth plant-based-cheesy jazz, throw on an apron – maybe only an apron, who’s there to judge – and go to town with these delicious, vegan, Valentine’s Day recipes. Plant-based eating can be a great way to bond over shared ideals for the good of the planet, a healthy body, and mind, and has the added benefit of improving your energy levels, wink!

PRAWN-STYLE RICE SPRING ROLLS WITH SOY GINGER AND PEANUT SATAY SAUCES


These light and flavourful rice wraps are the perfect meal to make together and a great excuse to get a little handsy with your food. The end result is sure to be Instagram-worthy! Hot-tip: For an extra romantic flourish include some edible flowers and get creative with your placing.
https://www.fryfamilyfood.com/za/our-recipes/vegan-prawn-style-rice-spring-rolls-with-soy-ginger-and-peanut-satay-sauces/

CRAFTED SAUSAGE ON A STICK IN A COUS COUS AND POLENTA HERBED BLANKET


Great for nibbling and dipping and whiling away an evening together these golden crumbed sossies on a stick not only look impressive, but they’re also playful and a whole lot of fun to eat.
https://www.fryfamilyfood.com/za/our-recipes/crafted-sausage-on-a-stick-in-a-cous-cous-and-polenta-herbed-blanket/

VEGGIE NICE TORTILLA CONES

This recipe is super easy with a fun and fancy twist! Bright, colourful beetroot hummus contrasted against some zesty guac is a celebration of colour and life, what could be more romantic than that?
https://www.fryfamilyfood.com/za/our-recipes/vegetarian-tortilla-cones/

SPAGHETTI AND NON-MEAT BALLS


Name a more romantic scene than famous spaghetti sharing scene in the classic Lady and The Tramp! Share in your very own spaghetti kiss moment with the bonus of being animal cruelty-free. https://fryfamilyfood.com/za/recipes/spaghetti-no-meat-balls/

Valentines Day Truffles


Is it ever really Valentine’s Day without chocolate involved? Pull out all the stops with these handcrafted delicacies from The Fry Family’s own Tammy Fry to finish off your evening with a flourish.

Want to get more recipes? Head over to our cookbook page where there are dozens of free creative plant-based recipes for you to download.

Categories
News

We were named Best Vegan “Meat” at the VegfestUK Awards 2021

We were awarded the Best Vegan “Meat” award at the annual VegFestUK awards this week.

Bringing to the fore the best of the best in the vegan community, the annual VegFestUK awards spanned 21 categories, such as best Vegan “Meat”, Vegan Mylks, Media Publications, Vegan Fashion & Footwear and Vegan Community Project all voted on by passionate foodies, vegans, flexitarians, and plant-based eaters from around the UK.

We took just under a quarter of the votes in the hotly contested category from vegan and vegetarian food fans from across the UK. The VegfestUK Awards enter their 15th consecutive year in 2021, spanning an era that has witnessed the explosion of plant-based diets and ethical veganism.

2021 has seen tremendous growth for us, especially after having recently joined forces with other leading vegan food brands Oumph! and LikeMeat as part of the LIVEKINDLY collective.

When announcing the best vegan “meat” substitutes category, VegFestUK founder Tim Barford, said: “The Favourite Vegan “Meat” Category is a hotly contested category to compete in because of the large amount of investment recently in the meat alternative sector.”

Our plant-based meat alternatives are extremely versatile and can be used in a number of vegan recipes. Our range includes our No-Meatballs, Big Fry Boerie, Big Fry Burgers, Chicken-Style Nuggets and Pea Protein Mince.

We are a family of vegetarians and vegans, and since day one it has been our goal to make great tasting, vegan protein sources; initially for ourselves, and now our customers all over the world.

VegFestUK has been such a huge part of our journey as a plant-based brand, from our family kitchen in South Africa, to the shelves of some of the biggest supermarkets in the UK, so it’s an honour to be recognised by such a prestigious institution within the vegan community.

This award gives us great motivation to continue our commitment to creating the best tasting, most innovative, ethical, and plant-based meat-alternatives for our customers. 

Categories
News

Festive Meal Planning Made Plant-based

The festive season is here so it’s time to throw the diet plan out the window, ready the almond milk for Santa’s arrival and start planning your Christmas dinner ideas. Whether you’re plant-based yourself, have vegetarian guests coming or just want some delicious vegetable-based recipes in your festive cooking arsenal, we’ve got you covered with our best meat-free Christmas menu ideas.

There are so many reasons to eat plant-based this festive season. It could be to reduce your carbon footprint, to save animals or for your health. But going plant-based doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on a delicious Christmas dinner. You can recreate what you would normally make, but make it vegan. While meat and dairy are cornerstone ingredients of the traditional feast, your vegan Christmas dinner can include all of your favourites without sacrificing the flavour of the food you love.

Here are our top delicious Festive recipes and tips that will make this season’s eatings full of joy and merriment:

 

Appetizers:

FULLY LOADED BRAAI BOAT

NUGGETS WITH BUFFALO SAUCE & VEGAN BLUE CHEESE-STYLE DIPPING SAUCE

VEGAN GRILLED LAHMACUN INSPIRED FLATBREADS

VEGAN CORN CHOWDER WITH PRAWN-STYLE PIECES

For the Main Table:

GARLIC AND SAGE FRY’S SAUSAGES

GLAZED GAME ON

LASAGNE INSPIRED

MEAT FREE LANIERES DE POULET

 

BIG FRY BOERIE WITH POLENTA AND CHUNKY ROASTED RED PEPPER SALSA

WARM BUTTERNUT AND SWEET POTATO SALAD

Desserts:

VEGAN CHRISTMAS PUDDING – recipe from The Veg Space

VEGAN MINCE PIES – recipe from A Virtual Vegan

The festive season is here so it’s time to throw the diet plan out the window, ready the almond milk for Santa’s arrival and start planning your Christmas dinner ideas. Whether you’re plant-based yourself, have vegetarian guests coming or just want some delicious vegetable-based recipes in your festive cooking arsenal, we’ve got you covered with our best meat-free Christmas menu ideas.

There are so many reasons to eat plant-based this festive season. It could be to reduce your carbon footprint, to save animals or for your health. But going plant-based doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on a delicious Christmas dinner. You can recreate what you would normally make, but make it vegan. While meat and dairy are cornerstone ingredients of the traditional feast, your vegan Christmas dinner can include all of your favourites without sacrificing the flavour of the food you love.

Here are our top delicious Festive recipes and tips that will make this season’s eatings full of joy and merriment:

 

Appetizers:

FULLY LOADED BRAAI BOAT

NUGGETS WITH BUFFALO SAUCE & VEGAN BLUE CHEESE-STYLE DIPPING SAUCE

VEGAN GRILLED LAHMACUN INSPIRED FLATBREADS

VEGAN CORN CHOWDER WITH PRAWN-STYLE PIECES

For the Main Table:

GARLIC AND SAGE FRY’S SAUSAGES

GLAZED GAME ON

LASAGNE INSPIRED

MEAT FREE LANIERES DE POULET

BIG FRY BOERIE WITH POLENTA AND CHUNKY ROASTED RED PEPPER SALSA

WARM BUTTERNUT AND SWEET POTATO SALAD

Desserts:

VEGAN CHRISTMAS PUDDING – recipe from The Veg Space

VEGAN MINCE PIES – recipe from A Virtual Vegan

Categories
News

LIVEKINDLY launches the world’s largest virtual plant-based kitchen including two South African chefs

Our umbrella company, the LIVEKINDLY Collective, has recently launched Collective Kitchen, the world’s largest virtual plant-based kitchen.

The food-focused platform follows eleven experienced chefs from around the world as they recreate local and popular dishes with only plant-based ingredients.

Representing South Africa are two top plant-based chefs, Mokgadi Itsweng and Jason McNamara, sharing the kitchen with top international chefs from Los Angeles, Berlin, and Stockholm.

Chef Jason McNamara

The initiative includes the Top Dish video series, which features, among others, Chef Mokgadi Itsweng’s exploration of sustainable food initiatives around Joburg. Collective Kitchen’s creative chef-driven campaign is the first of its kind, with culinary experts from around the world creating unique, easy plant-based recipes for the home cook. Now everyone can enjoy a plant-based recipes of their favourite dishes.

Our mission at the LIVEKINDLY Collective is to make plant-based diets the new norm, and that’s only possible by making the transition to eating less meat easier for all cooks, no matter who they are cooking for.

Our chefs are using some of our most popular products to encourage home cooks to experiment and find out just how versatile, delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-make plant-based meals can be.

Chef Mokgadi Itsweng.

The recipes are made using some of LIVEKINDLY Collective’s top plant-based meat brands, including Fry’s and Oumph! Products, which are readily available at most leading retailers.

The Collective Kitchen embodies what our mission has always been at Fry’s, which is to inspire families to explore more meat-free meals.

Fry’s turned 30 this year, and seeing our incredible products being cooked by these talented chefs from around the world, on this beautifully inspiring platform fills us with so much pride.

Through Collective Kitchen, you will learn how to easily replace meat in popular dishes such as fried chick’n tacos, German doner kebabs, Swedish meatballsmince stuffed vetkoek or amagwinya or the Jozi kota, and much more. Each recipe comes with cooking videos and instructions on how to prepare the dishes.

Now everyone can be a chef! Check out the Collective Kitchen website.

Categories
News

Tammy Fry’s new book ‘Made with Love & Plants’ is in stores now!

Tammy Fry (Co-Founder of Fry’s) has just launched her first published book, Made with Love & Plants! Tammy is a leading plant-based food advocate as well as a vocal animal rights activist, plant-based nutritionist, high-level athlete, international plant-based spokesperson and mom of two. She was named as one of the “Eight Women Who are Changing the World for Animals Through Food” from Female First UK, and is known for her passionate stance on living kindly in a way that honours both your body and the planet.

Her book, Made with Love & Plants is jam-packed with over 75 delicious, easy-to-make recipes including gluten-free recipes, batch cooks, wholefood plant-based recipes, plants on fire recipes (making the most epic plant-based BBQ), gut health recipes, breakfast yumminess, healthy lunchbox treats and sustainable, edible, homemade gifts!  The recipes have all been chef and mom-tested and are simple to follow, and made with good, wholesome ingredients. 

Tammy - made with love & plants recipe book

The book is also a lifestyle guide that supports the transition to a plant-based life.

Tammy’s hope is that this book inspires people to start their own journey to holistic health and wellness and supports those that are already on one.  The content covers a range of holistic lifestyle tips, the ideal plant-based pantry list and a shopping guide, meal plans and a guide on how to write your own meal plans using the recipes in the book, plant-based cooking on a budget, navigating the supermarket, reading product labels and loads more.

You can find the book in all major bookstores and select Woolworths stores nationwide, or online on Takealot!

Categories
News

10 Things You Can Do for the Ocean this World Oceans Day

Looking out for our oceans has never been this important. If you’ve watched the latest Netflix documentary, Seaspiracyyou’ll know that our impact on the ocean is dire. The film brought up everything from animal cruelty to ocean pollution, and it was tough to watch.  

But before we resign to the idea that making the world a better place is impossible, we should take a collective deep breath. There are many small actions that we can take here.  

 Here are 10 simple things you can do every day, because all our contributions matter. 

1 Try To Eat Less Seafood 

Cutting back or eliminating seafood from your diet is a big one. A reduction in seafood as a protein source will have a massively positive impact on the oceans. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a third of commercial fish stocks are being depleted at unsustainable levels. Ninety percent have been fully exploited. As the demand for fish increases, ocean supplies are becoming depleted more quickly and ecosystems are being radically disrupted. An easy solution is to swap out fish for vegetarian versions of your favourite seafood. Our vegan fish alternative, Fry’s Fish-Style Fillets, are a great option, or for another vegan seafood option, try our Battered Prawn-Style Pieces. These are doubly good for the ocean because we’re donating all the proceeds of our vegan seafood range to Sea Shepherd from May till October 2021. 

2 Reduce Your Energy Consumption 

The ocean has absorbed 90% of the excess heat created by burning fossil fuels in the last half-century. Our beautiful blue has been working overtime for us. Sadly though this means that waters are warmer which is affecting where fish swim and their reproduction cycles. It’s also wreaking havoc on our sea levels which in turn creates more natural disasters on land. You can make a change by being conscious of your energy use at home and work; using public transport (or walking or riding your bike to work); switching to fluorescent light bulbs; turning off lights when they’re not needed and unplugging electronics.  

3 Watch Out for Greenwashing 

Some labels are trustworthy and helpful, while others are misleading and are just there to create a false sense of security. For example, on its own, the word “sustainable” means very little and looking for reputable certifications to ensure the food you buy is sustainable is critical. This is true for all food, not just fish. Learn more about how to spot greenwashing here. 

4 Try Going Plant-Based 

A surprising fact is that pigs, chickens and cows are the world’s leading oceanic predators. The waste runoff of livestock operations on land has caused more than 500 nitrogen flooded dead zones in the oceans. Animal agriculture is also responsible for more greenhouse gasses than the entire transport industry combined. Our appetite for meat is affecting the temperature and cleanliness of our waters.  Buying more sustainable products like plant-based fish or seafood, helps keep them on the shelf, thereby giving others people considering change the option too.  This is a powerful step you can take to be an advocate for change. 

5 Use Less Plastic 

The more plastic we use, the more plastic ends up in the ocean. It is estimated by 2050 there will be more plastic in the sea than fish. Interestingly the main source of ocean plastic pollution is not plastic straws but is actually fishing lines. (See Steps #1 and #4. Plant-based fish alternatives remove the need for fishing lines). As much as possible, reduce and reuse, and then recycle! We’ve been ditching the plastic inners in many of our product boxes and have a plan in action that is moving us towards 96% recyclable or recycled packaging by the end of 2021. 

6 Take Care of the Beach 

Whether you are relaxing on the beach, surfing or diving, always clean up after yourself. Respect the ocean by not interfering with wildlife or removing rocks and coral. Participate in or organise local beach clean-ups. Pick up what you find no matter how big or small. Neglected, lightweight debris will be blown into the sea. 

7 Read Labels Carefully and Educate Yourself 

Don’t purchase items that exploit marine life and choose ocean-friendly products. There are many products on the market that harm fragile coral reefs and marine populations. Avoid purchasing coral jewellery, tortoiseshell hair accessories, cosmetics containing shark squalene and other shark product, as well as fish tank accessories which are often sourced from fragile coastal ecosystems. Don’t buy fish as pets either and take a strong stance against keeping exotic species in captivity.  

8 Support Organisations That Protect the Ocean 

There are many local and global organisations that are fighting to protect ocean habitats and marine wildlife, like the brave people of Sea Shepherd. Consider giving financial support or volunteering for hands-on advocacy. We hope to raise about $15 000 for them in the next 6-months through the global sales of our Fish-Style Fillets and Battered Prawn-Style Pieces (both are available through your local retailers). We’ve been working with Sea Shepherd for years, and truly believe that they are ocean warriors and that they will do so much with this money for our beautiful ocean. 

9 Be the Change in Your Community 

One person can make a difference! Start beach cleanups, ask restaurants and supermarkets to offer more plant-based and fish-free options. Speak up if you notice threatened species on the menu or seafood counter. Take some time to research the ocean policies of government officials before casting your vote. An easy way to make a huge difference is cooking plant-based meals for friends and family to show them how delicious they can be. Have a look at our recipes to get some inspiration. 

10 Share your knowledge with others  

Inspire friends and family to watch Seaspiracy, post plant-based seafood recipes on your own social media pages and share interesting facts.  Be the inspiration for someone else’s change! 

 

 

 

Categories
News

WE’VE TEAMED UP WITH SEA SHEPHERD FOR THE LOVE OF THE OCEAN.

We are overjoyed to announce that we’ve partnered with renowned marine conservationists Sea Shepherd to help them sustain our oceans. The partnership will see around R150 000 donated to Sea Shepherd. The donation will come from the sales of our seafood range – including our plant-based Fish-Style Fillets and Battered Prawn Style Pieces. All global profits from these two products generated between May and October 2021 will go to supporting their marine conservation efforts worldwide!

We’ve been committed to helping families change the world from their kitchen table through plant-based food for 30 years. The work that Sea Shepherd does is critical in raising awareness and educating consumers as to the impact destructive fishing practices have on our oceans. We’re really chuffed that we can support their mission with our plant-based seafood. It’s a beautiful symbiosis.

We’ve considered the human impact on the ocean for a number of years, and in 2019 we decided to provide some relief to overfishing by launching a Fish-Style Fillet, a product that offers the taste, texture and versatility of a piece of battered fish. The idea came from our family’s love for the ocean.

Tammy Fry’s youngest son, an aspiring marine biologist, who at age five realised the boats he saw in the distance from the beach were fishing boats. He is our most passionate ocean and animal lover and has been from a very young age. The realisation deeply saddened him and his plea to help us help him stop the fishing really hit home.  So we decided as a family to create the Fish-Style Fillets – thus offering an alternative for people who loved the taste and texture of a piece of hake but who wanted to keep fish off their plates and in the oceans.

We hope that by offering delicious, versatile plant-based alternatives, we are encouraging families to have conversations around their kitchen tables about the impact their food choices have, and about the power of simple changes once or twice a week.

Educating ourselves is so important. We need to be asking the difficult questions, finding the answers and holding ourselves and our food systems accountable. Reducing fish consumption, or ensuring we know more about where it comes from, can make a world of difference. We do appreciate that in many places fish is a necessary food source, but for many others worldwide, we do have a choice.

The ocean, which makes up around 71% of the Earth’s mass is under threat due to overfishing, pollution, species extinction, habitat destruction, and climate change. As humans, we need the ocean; among other reasons, it’s said to produce more oxygen than the world’s forests. We cannot underestimate her benefits.

Sea Shepherd’s Managing Director in Australia, Jeff Hansen has been incredible to work with.

Their mission continues to be to defend, conserve and protect our ocean and all marine wildlife, and given most of the air we breathe comes from our ocean; ultimately their work benefits all humanity.

They will use the donation to continue their effective work on the frontline, tackling the key threats our oceans face, while raising awareness and encouraging the greater population to consider their individual impact on the ocean, including the consumption of marine wildlife.

Find our Fish-Style Fillets in the frozen section of select retailers nationwide or online through Pick n Pay and Checkers.

Categories
News

Tammy Fry talks about the future of Fry’s, 2020 and beyond.

To all our loyal friends, customers and suppliers,

I wanted to touch base with everyone on what 2020 was like for Fry’s and what 2021, and beyond, promises to be.

2020 was a life-changing year for so many. There was great sadness and hardship, but at the same time incredible stories of resilience and determination. We all learnt so much about ourselves, and the world we live in. We saw the best of humanity, and to some degree the worst.

It was also a really, really important year for us as a family.

In 2019, we realized that it was time to explore ways to future proof our business. The plant-based food sector had grown tremendously, and in order for Fry’s to remain relevant and competitive, we needed to partner with someone to help us grow, but (importantly) grow in the right way.

Fry’s is our family’s legacy – my parents have worked tirelessly to build it from a few products made in our kitchen, to producing for 30 different countries. As you know, despite our growth, we’ve always been motivated by principles over profit – making sure that the business lives our personal values at all times. This is why it was essential that we found the right partner – not just a large corporate that was only driven by profit. We had many offers (as a market-leading, established, plant-based food company we had a lot to offer) and it took us a long time, and many long nights around my parent’s kitchen table, to decide who that partner should be.

In early 2020 we finally settled on the then unnamed LIVEKINDLY Collective. With a few investors on board, and a small team of passionate food industry leaders who are determined to change the global food system (including the esteemed Kees Kruythoff our CEO), the LIVEKINDLY Collective showed us that they were totally aligned with our values. Their vision was our vision continued. We could clearly see that the company would grow, and be enormously successful, but would always live a value system that was aligned with our family’s. Through that success, we could see that we would be able to achieve our mission to make plant-based living the new normal. The Fry Family Food Co. under The LiveKindly Collective would be able to make real, sustainable change in the world.

How could we not be on board with that??

It was an exciting but nerve-wracking time and there were hours of backwards and forwards creating the deal that would keep Fry’s intact as the brand and business we’d grown, while also helping us to achieve new heights, reaching even more people, putting even less meat on plates, changing even more hearts and minds.

It is now almost a year since we signed the deal, and I can comfortably say we made the right choice. Fry’s is about to launch in the USA in the retail chain called Sprouts, we are working closely with LIVEKINDLY Collective’s product development teams to create extraordinary innovations, we have extended our factory at Fry’s which has allowed us to treble our output. We are also finally able to actively roll out what we call ‘Project Green’ which is a greening of all our packaging. It is still a work in progress, and there have been some ups and downs but I believe we are getting there.

However, some things have not changed. We still produce out of our factory in Durban, we are still actively involved in operations and new product development (my sister Hayley heads up our NPD department), and I am still leading the growth of the brand locally and globally. We are the only heritage brand in the Collective and our lived experience growing this business is called upon often to advise other teams in Europe, USA and elsewhere. I am incredibly proud that we can take what we learnt building and running Fry’s and use that to help other plant-based brands grow.

There has been change, and change is often hard. But I believe with all my heart that this change is for the betterment of the world, and all the beings we share it with.

We are celebrating 30-years of Fry’s this year and the Fry family will be front and centre of this celebration and we hope you will join us. We want to honour our loyal customers, our passionate colleagues and teammates and my parent’s legacy that will ultimately be part of something that changes the way we eat.

Yours in hope

Tammy Fry