Maple Leaf hopes protein craze will help drive comeback for Yves Veggie brand

MISSISSAUGA – Aromas of Mexican-inspired salad with veggie ground meat and paninis with vegetarian bologna and ham filled the room as the chef assembled everyday recipes with Yves Veggie Cuisine products.

A year ago, that wouldn’t have been possible. Yves was discontinued after 40 years as consumer demand plummeted.

Now, six Yves products are making a comeback under Maple Leaf Foods. The company officially reintroduced three versions of ground round, which mimics ground beef, and soy-based bologna, ham and turkey deli slices during a tasting event at its Mississauga, Ont., headquarters on Wednesday.  

Yves products slowly started returning to some grocery store shelves earlier this month.

But this time, the meat-packaging company seems bullish on the protein-maxxing trend — a viral social-media trend promoting the role of protein in a diet — to help drive the revival of the brand. 

“There is unrelenting demand for protein in general right now,” said chief operating officer Adam Grogan in an interview. 

That demand is only going to grow, he said. “I don’t believe it’s a fad. It’s not like low-carb or another diet trend.”

Maple Leaf Foods bought Yves from its previous owner, Hain Celestial Group, soon after the faux meat brand was discontinued last year. It used to carry a wide range of products from burger patties to sausages.

But consumer demand for plant-based meat has been muted since its heyday about a decade ago, when players like Beyond Meat burst onto the scene and investors poured millions into the category.

Back then, Maple Leaf was also quickly expanding its footprint in the sector, acquiring Lightlife and meatless sausage maker Field Roast Grain Meat Co. in the late 2010s. The surging popularity of plant-based meats was evident in earnings reports: Maple Leaf reported 41 per cent sales growth in its plant protein business in its second quarter of 2020. 

To adapt to the new reality of demand for these products, the company is also making adjustments to its plant-based operations in the U.S. 

On Tuesday, Maple Leaf announced it was consolidating its U.S.-based plant protein production facilities down to a single location — its US$310-million Indianapolis plant, which was built in 2020.

Grogan said the move reflects “the practical reality” of the industry, but added it’s not a retreat from the category. 

“It was about taking plants that were underutilized and bringing them together under our facility in Indianapolis,” he said. 

In this Yves relaunch, Maple Leaf is treading strategically.

Jo-Ann McArthur, president of Nourish Food Marketing, said the relaunch essentially focuses on two types of food — deli meats and ground beef. 

“They’ve eliminated the complexity; I am sure they have upped the profitability and they are super focused,” she said in an interview. 

“I think this launch has a much better chance of succeeding.”

The company is also focusing on Yves’ core consumers — vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians, or those who seamlessly switch between meat and vegetarian diets, Grogan said.

“This is not necessarily about new consumers,” he said.

Grogan said he believes more people will gravitate toward plant-based meat products as high prices for animal proteins have consumers looking for lower-cost alternatives. 

But McArthur said she thinks the target consumer is more flexitarians: “This is the person who wants an easy once-a-week plant-based meal in the meal rotation.”

Nostalgia could also be a lure for shoppers.

“There’s comfort nostalgia behind the Yves’ name. They’ve got that going for them,” McArthur said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2026.

Companies in this story: (TSX: MFI)