Beyond Meat drops the ‘Meat’ in rebrand and pivots toward protein-first future

Beyond Meat is going beyond meat – quite literally. In a strategic shift first reported by Fast Company, the Californian plant-based pioneer is dropping ‘Meat’ from its name and rebranding as simply Beyond, signaling a move away from imitating animal products and toward promoting plant proteins on their own terms.

The rebrand coincides with the launch of a new product called Beyond Ground, a fava-bean-based mince set to hit shelves in August. CEO Ethan Brown says the product is not meant to mimic beef or pork but to meet modern consumers’ growing demand for clean-label, high-protein foods.

“If you’re the best in the world at making plant proteins, why confine yourself to the center of the plate?” Brown told Fast Company. “Instead of thinking about a simple replacement for animal protein, what if you just thought about your daily protein consumption, and I started to try to replace as much of that as I can with plant protein, any form that I could?”

The name change reflects both a strategic reset and a response to declining sales. By Brown’s own admission, Beyond had a “disappointing” first quarter of 2025, with year-on-year sales down 9%. The company’s share price has dropped around 95% since its IPO in 2019.

Brown blames a mix of weak category demand and what he calls “intense misinformation” for the downturn. “While Beyond Meat can always and will always seek to improve our products, we believe the central issue impeding our return to sustained growth is perception. Or more accurately, misperception,” he said during the company’s most recent earnings call.

Beyond Ground – a four-ingredient product made from fava beans, water, potato starch, and psyllium husk – is designed to appeal to consumers looking for nutritious, whole-food protein options. Each serving contains 140 calories, 4g of fiber, 1.5g of fat, and 27g of protein. It contains no added oils, cholesterol, or saturated fat.

Brown said he’s been eating the product daily. “I gotta let my body be my argument,” he told Fast Company.

The new product isn’t meant to replicate meat texture or flavor, but rather serve as a functional, protein-rich staple. “It’s not trying to be beef, pork, or poultry,” he said in an earlier interview with Inc. magazine. “It’s simply a very high protein, center-of-the-plate product that can be used in any dishes you’d use any ground meat in.”

The shift builds on a wave of product development over the past 18 months. Beyond has launched reformulated versions of its beef and sausage products, introduced plant-based chicken, and added a mycelium steak to its range. Brown told Fast Company the company is exploring a wide array of new concepts – including post-workout products and lentil sausages – aimed at different protein “occasions.”

“You’ll see us come out with things like, maybe, lentil sausage,” he said. “Or chickpea hot dogs.”

While the company’s core range of meat alternatives isn’t disappearing, the messaging around it is clearly evolving. Brown emphasized that the goal now is to meet protein demand across a wider range of formats and use cases – not just mimic meat.

This repositioning comes amid a broader reappraisal of plant-based meat’s role in the food system. Brown said negative narratives – including comparisons to ultra-processed foods – have distorted public perception of the category and made it harder to win over consumers.

At the same time, consumer demand for protein remains strong. Brown sees this as an opportunity. “There’s a longing for animal protein because we associate it with simpler times,” he told Fast Company. “But how it’s being delivered to us is not [simple].”

Despite the challenges, Brown remains optimistic. Beyond recently secured US$100 million in debt financing, which he sees as a vote of confidence in the company’s new direction. But he also acknowledged the impact that hype and investor pressure have had on the sector’s image.

The shift away from imitating meat and toward a broader protein-first strategy could help reset expectations and clarify the company’s value proposition. 'Serve the occasion, not the imitation', may not be an official tagline – but it’s fast becoming Beyond’s new ethos.