Vegan cheese startup Julienne Bruno has been picked up in a pre-pack administration rescue deal by highly acquisitive chilled supplier Compleat Food Group, The Grocer has learned.
The move adds to the PAI Partners-backed group’s plant-based offering, sitting alongside vegan cheesemaker Palace Culture, acquired in 2023, and the Squeaky Bean and Vadasz brands.
Compleat, which boasts annual revenues of almost £800m, also owns speciality food producer Harvey & Brockless following a deal last year, with the business working with artisan food producers to deliver cheeses, charcuterie, olives and deli products to luxury hotels and restaurants, farm shops, delicatessens and manufacturers.
The Harvey & Brockless subsidiary bought the assets of Julienne Bruno from administrators at insolvency firm Interpath this week (11 November 2025).
Julienne Bruno had grown significantly since its formation, developing a reputation for producing market-pioneering plant-based products, a statement from Interpath said.
But the business needed additional investment required to reach sufficient scale and move into profitability. It recently kicked off a process to explore sale and investment options.
“Unfortunately, despite a competitive process, with a number of parties showing interest in the brand, a solvent outcome could not be found, and the company was placed into administration,” Interpath added.
All 14 members of staff were made redundant on administration.
Tom Swiers, head of food and drink for Interpath, said: “Since its launch, Julienne Bruno had developed a great reputation for its innovative and high-quality plant-based products. Known as a pioneer within the sector, it had generated a loyal customer base both in the UK and internationally. We’re pleased to have achieved this sale, which will enable the brand to continue under new ownership and deliver to its customers.”
Julienne Bruno gastronomic foundations
Launched in 2020 by chef Axel Katalan to put a gastronomic spin on the vegan cheese category, Julienne makes premium soy-based burrata, cream cheese and stracciatella alternatives (Burrella, Crematta and Superstraccia) as part of the Collection 01 range.
Earlier this year, it unveiled a “world first” with a plant-based mozzarella pearls product, dubbed Mozzafiore Pearls, as the first in a line of NPD under Collection 02.
Julienne Bruno had so far raised £6m in funding, including an £1m pre-seed round and £5m in angel investment in 2022, from funds such as Seedcamp, Cherry Ventures and Nicoya.
The brand was listed by the likes of Ocado, Whole Foods, Harrods and Selfridges, as well as supplying wholesalers and restaurants and cafés such as Pizza Pilgrims and Gail’s.
However, filings at Companies House showed heavy losses since launching. Total losses at Julienne Bruno hit £5.1m in the year to 31 December 2024 after extending by £1.2m during the period.
Howard Smith, MD at Interpath and joint administrator along with Sam Birchall, added: “Our immediate priority is to support those employees who have been made redundant, including supporting them with claims for redundancy pay and other monies owed.”
Compleat has struck close to 10 deals, including the two latest to buy Freshpak in July and The Real Yorkshire Pudding Company in March. The group was created in 2021 when PE firm PAI merged Winterbotham Darby and Addo Food with an ambition to build a chilled foods giant.
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