Tofoo & Co to Double Tofu Production & Support £73M in Sales with New Plant Protein Factory
UK plant protein brand Tofoo & Co has started work on a new facility that will double its tofu production capacity and support annual sales of £73M. It’s expected to complete construction by autumn 2027.
As Brits choose whole-food proteins over ultra-processed options, products like tofu and tempeh could witness a windfall.
Capitalising on this shift is Tofoo & Co (formerly The Tofoo Co), which has broken ground on a large new manufacturing facility at Malton Enterprise Park in North Yorkshire.
Work on the new factory – which will expand the production space by 3.5 times – began last month, and is set to be completed by next autumn. It will enable the company to double its current plant protein output, surpassing 10,000 tonnes of tofu by 2033, and support £73M in sales.
The development and construction are being supported by HSBC UK and majority shareholder Comitis Capital, which are helping the company establish the infrastructure required for long-term growth. It comes months after Tofoo & Co, which is the UK’s leading tofu brand, acquired German seitan producer Topas as part of its European expansion strategy.
“This investment is about creating the foundations for our next chapter and ensuring we have the capacity, capability and flexibility to meet growing demand from both the UK and Europe,” said Tofoo & Co CEO David Knibbs, who founded the firm with his wife, Lydia Smith, in 2015.
New facility builds in sustainability and innovation spaces
Tofoo & Co said the new factory will provide the “capacity, space and flexibility” it needs to meet consumers’ demand for natural sources of protein, as well as support its continued expansion in the French and German markets, where it sees substantial growth opportunities.
Beyond the capacity boost, it will create opportunities for product innovation, customer engagement and future development. It will feature a dedicated space for a development kitchen and pilot plant to support new product development, trials and custoemr customer experiences, and 25% of its non-allocated space will be retained to accommodate future offerings and evolving business needs.
Sustainability is also a central consideration in the design. The building will accommodate measures intended to improve resource efficiency, lower environmental impact, and support eco-friendly manufacturing practices.
This includes opportunities to reduce wastewater, on-site solar generation, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and heat recovery systems. The plant is set to provide space for full effluent treatment processes to give the business greater scope to manage wastewater.
“The new facility will give us twice the initial production capacity and significantly more productive space to enable us to grow. It gives us dedicated space for innovation, product development and customer engagement, with flexibility built in for the products we have yet to create,” said Knibbs.
“We’re equally focused on building a facility that supports our sustainability ambitions. By planning for heat recovery, solar generation, wastewater reduction and effluent treatment, we’re taking an important step towards a more sustainable manufacturing operation.”
Tofoo & Co eyes continued growth after 11% hike in revenue
According to Tofoo & Co, the Malton site represents a strategic investment in its long-term competitiveness and manufacturing future. The company’s existing facilities are increasingly space-constrained and limit the in-house opportunities to fuel future development. And with its leases on existing buildings due to expire in 2028, a purpose-built factory provides a lasting solution.
The factory also presents an opportunity to develop skills and create pathways into food manufacturing, with apprenticeship schemes forming part of the business’s wider ambitions for people development.
Stephen Smith, senior relationship director at HSBC UK, called the company a “great example of an ambitious UK brand investing for responsible, long-term growth”. “The new Tofoo Co facility will provide the capacity and infrastructure the business needs to build on its strong position in the UK and pursue further growth in international markets,” he stated.
The development comes as unit sales of plant-based meat decline in the UK, dipping by 8.6% in 2025, and another 2.7% in the first half of this year. This shift is underlined by the fact that 78% of Brits are worried about ultra-processed foods, driving them to seek cleaner-label, whole-food options instead.
It’s why tofu, tempeh and seitan – all part of Tofoo & Co’s portfolio – are bucking the trend, experiencing a 20.8% hike in unit sales last year, and 10.1% in the first six months of 2026. Sales of tofu alone surged by 7.2% in the latter period.
Tofoo & Co is spearheading this category. It accounts for half of all tofu purchased in UK supermarkets and is the country’s second-largest meat-free brand. It posted a turnover of £26.6M in 2025, an 11.2% increase from the previous year, with gross profit also up by 10.4%, totalling £10.6M.
“We’ve built a strong position in the UK tofu market, and we see significant opportunities ahead as more consumers discover tofu as a natural, versatile source of protein,” said Knibbs.