Above Food Goes Direct-to-Consumer Route

In response to increasing shopper demand for plant-based foods, Above Food Corp. has launched a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform, which will enable consumers across North America to have more than 40 plant-based food products delivered to their homes. 

According to the Toronto-based company, its offerings boast “unparalleled traceability, qualifiable sustainability and superior nutrient density.” Brands available on the platform include Eat Up! By Above Food, the company’s namesake line of regenerative-natural, plant-based products; Farmer Direct Organic, providing organic pantry staples; Only Oats, consisting of gluten-free oat-based ingredients and consumer products; and Culcherd, a collection of organic plant-based dairy products.

Among the specific items that consumers can purchase are Eat Up! By Above Food Crumbles, Culcherd Cheeses and Butters, and Eat Up! By Above Food Pizza Crusts and Doughs. Eat Up! by Above Food will also roll out plant-based meatballs and mini sliders, additional plant-based dairy products, and plant-based snacks in the coming months. 

“Now more than ever, consumers are looking for quality and accountability when it comes to what they feed their families, and put into their own bodies,” noted Above Food Brands President and Co-Founder Martin Williams. “Our comprehensive e-commerce platform meets that need by not only providing the most premium-quality plant-based goods, but by taking care of every seed from field to fork, because we believe that knowing the whole story of your food’s journey is important.”

All of Above Food’s plant proteins — chickpeas, fava beans, lentils, peas and oats — are grown in the Northern Plains of the United States and the Canadian Prairies region.

“At Above Food, we believe nutritious and sustainable food should be accessible for all, and it was with this in mind that we launched direct-to-consumer with products across the plant-based category,” said Lionel Kambeitz, the company’s executive chairman and CEO. “As a fourth-generation farmer, the movement toward higher-quality, traceable and sustainable food has been a passion in my family for more than 120 years. The entire team at Above Food shares in these core values, and we look forward to providing more offerings to consumers looking for a healthier, more sustainable way of life.” 

Above Food currently ships to all residential and commercial addresses in the contiguous United States and Canada. Other Canadian e-commerce businesses exclusively selling plant-based foods are Kelowna, British Columbia-based Vejji and Vancouver-based Vegano. Plant-based food companies that have launched direct-to-consumer sites include El Segundo, Calif.-based Beyond Meat and Redwood City, Calif.-based Impossible Foods.

According to the San Francisco-based Plant Based Foods Association, plant-based food sales surpassed $7 billion in 2020.