Jensen Meat folded Before the Butcher into expanded plant-based brands division

The Jensen Meat Company has integrated Before the Butcher into its expanding plant-based division, bringing the brand alongside Cool Beans and the company’s plant-based co-manufacturing operations under a single organizational structure.

The company announced that the move consolidated its alternative protein activities within Jensen Plant-Based Brands, a division designed to support product development, scale, and growth across plant-based categories while operating alongside Jensen’s conventional meat business.

Jensen said the integration reflected its long-term commitment to meeting consumer demand for nutritious, high-quality, plant-based products, while maintaining the operational consistency that has defined the company since its founding in 1958.

• Jensen Meat has integrated Before the Butcher into Jensen Plant-Based Brands, alongside Cool Beans and its plant-based co-manufacturing operations.

• Before the Butcher was acquired by Jensen in 2019 and previously operated as an independent company within the group.

• Jensen operated separate production facilities for conventional meat and plant-based products as part of its food safety and quality assurance program.

Before the Butcher has offered protein-rich, gluten-free, and non-GMO plant-based products, including burgers and meatless grounds, while Cool Beans has focused on globally inspired plant-based wraps designed for convenient meals. Jensen said the combined portfolio was intended to serve a broad range of consumer preferences and eating occasions.

The integration also aligned Jensen’s co-manufacturing capabilities more closely with its branded plant-based offerings. The company said its co-manufacturing operations have supported plant-based brands seeking to scale production with greater consistency and reliability.

“Bringing these brands together allows us to serve an even broader range of customers while maintaining the flavor, authenticity, and quality that define Jensen Meat,” said Patricia Lavigne, Executive Vice President of The Jensen Meat Company. “We've built a foundation that supports both traditional and plant-based innovation, helping us meet consumer demand across every part of the protein landscape.”

Before the Butcher was acquired by Jensen in 2019 but continued to operate independently within the company’s portfolio until the latest integration. Jensen said the unified structure positioned the company to pursue the next phase of growth in plant-based foods through innovation and scale, while maintaining a focus on taste.

As part of its food safety and quality assurance approach, Jensen said it operated two separate production facilities to mitigate the risk of cross-contamination between conventional meat and plant-based products. The company said this separation was designed to support both regulatory compliance and customer expectations across categories.

Jensen Meat is a privately held processor and marketer of ground beef products, headquartered in the Otay Mesa area of San Diego, California. The company produces millions of pounds of ground beef annually at its 150,000ft2 production facility and manufactures approximately 250 retail and food-service SKUs, including frozen and fresh patties.

In addition to its conventional meat operations, Jensen has invested in dedicated plant-based manufacturing infrastructure. The company said its plant-based production facility has the capacity to produce up to 25 million pounds of alternative protein products annually.

Jensen’s products are sold across retail, foodservice, and club store channels throughout the US. Its conventional meat portfolio includes branded products sold under major retail and foodservice labels.

The company said the integration of Before the Butcher into Jensen Plant-Based Brands strengthened its ability to operate across both traditional and alternative protein categories, combining established manufacturing experience with plant-based product development and co-manufacturing capabilities.