What was once "very good" news for Vancouver fans of Victoria-based vegan food products business The Very Good Butchers has taken a bit of a turn, as the company has cancelled plans to open up a massive retail space in Mount Pleasant.
As revealed in early 2021, The Very Good Butchers was setting up shop at West 5th and Alberta - specifically, the vegan "meat"-maker was heading to 285 West 5th Ave on the ground floor of the new Relic Entertainment building. The exterior of the space was clad in signage for the project. That signage, however, came down several weeks ago.
The Very Good Butchers confirmed via e-mail with Vancouver Is Awesome that the location is not happening, after all.
"At this time, we have decided not to move forward with the location's opening," indicates a representative for the business.
The Very Good Butchers' humble roots go back to selling its plant-based items at the Denman Island Farmers' Market before shifting ops to Victoria and getting a boost from TV's Dragon's Den.
Known for its packaged plant-based meat subs like sausages, burgers, and taco 'stuffers,' The Very Good Butchers' slogan is "We butcher beans."
The company had a retail deli-cafe location in Victoria, which opened in April 2021 at the Old Town’s Ironworks building. That location is listed as "permanently closed" by Google. Additionally, the company's products are stocked by various retailers across Canada and the U.S.
It does appear, however, that the company is undergoing a retail change-up; the website no longer sells products direct to consumers, instead indicating "The Very Good Butchers will soon be available only at grocery stores."
Meanwhile, it does not yet appear another tenant has been announced for the Mount Pleasant space that would have been The Very Good Butchers.
V.I.A. has requested more information from The Very Good Butchers regarding the decision to not open as planned in Vancouver.
