Unilever (Part I: Overview and History) — Compiled and integrated Chinese-English Wikipedia entries by Liaoguan Translation

In 1997, Unilever sold its speciality chemicals division, including National Starch & Chemical, Quest, Unichema and Crosfield to Imperial Chemical Industries for £4.9 billion. [24] In 1998, Unilever established a sustainable agriculture programme. [25] In 2000, Unilever acquired the boutique mustard retailer Maille, [26] Ben & Jerry's and SlimFast for £1.63 billion, [27] [28] Bestfoods for £13.4 billion. [29] The Bestfoods acquisition increased Unilever's scale in foods in America, and added brands including Knorr, Marmite, Bovril, and Hellmann's to its portfolio. [29] In exchange for European regulatory approval of the deal, Unilever divested itself of Oxo, Lesieur, McDonnells, Bla Band, Royco, and Batchelors. [30] [31]

Rebranding, Divestment, Focus! Unilever’s Strategic Transformation of Its Food Business Has Officially Begun

Notably, this €1 billion 'asset package' marks the first major initiative under CEO Hein Schumacher’s 'streamlining' strategy for Unilever’s food business—over a year after he assumed office—and represents the largest-scale restructuring of the food division to date, second only to the ice cream business. For context, Unilever’s previous sale of its tea business—including Lipton—generated annual revenue of €2 billion; the food businesses now slated for divestment amount to roughly half that figure. A key backdrop to this streamlining effort is sustained investor pressure over recent years urging Unilever to spin off its 'eat-and-drink' businesses—including ice cream and food—to unlock higher aggregate valuation. Unilever has already initiated the separation of its ice cream business but has insisted on retaining its food operations. 'I want to be absolutely clear: food is a vital part of our future strategy,' said CEO Fernando Fernandez. Unlike ice cream—which operates more independently—food synergizes with Unilever’s other divisions across marketing, infrastructure, and other areas. Although Unilever has confirmed its commitment to retaining the food business, it does not consider the segment immune to optimization. Previously, Schumacher described his impression of the food business as 'positive overall', yet emphasized that it requires 'strong focus and execution'. This time, the focus initiative begins with pruning the portfolio. As the CFO noted, Unilever will pursue multiple parallel tracks. Xiaoshidai observed that within a week of announcing plans to divest nearly €8 billion worth of food businesses, market rumors emerged indicating Unilever was negotiating the sale of several Dutch food brands—including Unox soups, Conimex seasonings, and The Vegetarian Butcher. The Wind Has Shifted The latest rumored divestment target—The Vegetarian Butcher—was actually acquired by Unilever only six years ago. According to public records, The Vegetarian Butcher was founded in 2007 as a Dutch plant-based meat brand. In 2016, Unilever partnered with the company to launch plant-based meatballs under its Unox brand. Two years later, Unilever acquired The Vegetarian Butcher outright—just as the plant-based meat trend surged globally. By the end of 2023, The Vegetarian Butcher operated in 60 countries and regions, offering products such as plant-based burgers and steaks, meatballs, chicken burgers, and sausages. Previously, Unilever set a target for its plant-based food business: €1.5 billion in annual sales by 2025. Under this goal, The Vegetarian Butcher—alongside plant-based ice cream and plant-based seasonings—had been designated a priority product line. However, what was once hailed as a 'crown jewel' under Unilever’s former CEO may no longer enjoy the same status under current CEO Hein Schumacher. Xiaoshidai noted that neither The Vegetarian Butcher nor plant-based meat appeared at all—in either Schumacher’s presentation video or the accompanying slide deck—a stark contrast to prior management eras, when The Vegetarian Butcher was frequently spotlighted individually as a 'high-potential asset'. Beyond corporate transformation, the industry landscape surrounding The Vegetarian Butcher has also shifted significantly since its acquisition. After an initial surge in popularity, plant-based meat has cooled due to factors including relatively high prices and taste/texture gaps compared to animal-based meat. Beyond Meat—the sector’s flagship company—only returned to quarterly profitability in Q3 of this year—the first time in three years—yet its sales for that quarter still declined by 7.1%.

Dutch Regulator Blocks Takeover of Unilever's Unox Brand

19 hours ago

Dutch regulator ACM blocked Zwanenberg Food Group's acquisition of Unilever's Unox brand citing dominance concerns. Unilever remains disappointed while continuing its strategy to divest food assets and focus on beauty and wellbeing.

reuters

2026-10-27

Dutch Regulator Blocks Takeover of Unilever's Unox Brand

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