Local Durban Company is an International Success

Fry’s Vegetarian launches in India!

Fry’s Vegetarian is not your garden variety South African family business. Currently the company, based in Durban, produces thousands of tons of vegetarian products per year, and employs over 250 people. Products are available in over 12 000 outlets, not only locally, but as far afield as the United Kingdom, Australia, and Dubai. In fact, 25% of Fry’s Vegetarian products are produced for the international market. This week the company launched its products into India with Indian cricket team vice-captain, Yuvraj Singh, as its ambassador and biggest fan.

Nineteen years ago two committed vegetarians, Wally and Debbie Fry, began experimenting in their family kitchen to find protein alternatives for their own consumption, and today this company has become an international success, with the whole family involved in the running of the business.

“We create versatile, healthy and satisfying cruelty free products. Fry’s Vegetarian Foods bear a close resemblance to meat in terms of taste, appearance, texture and nutrition, making them an excellent protein replacement for meat. We are very excited to have launched in India, a potentially enormous market and we predict that this will soon become our biggest market for Fry Group Foods outside of South Africa,” says Wally Fry, Managing Director of Fry Group Foods.

At the launch in a top end grocery store in New Delhi called Nature’s Basket earlier this week, star attraction Yuvraj Singh explained how he had regained his fitness and his place in the Indian Cricket team after controversially being dropped from the Asia Cup squad early last month over concerns about his fitness: “Besides proper workouts, I took greater care of my food intake. I have been a hard-core non vegetarian but I’ve started eating vegetarian as well. As the world cup is just round the corner, its important to stay fit and in shape”.

Mohit Khattar Chairman Godrej Natures Basket, Shabnam Singh Mother Yuvraj Singh, Yuvraj Singh,Gurpreet Singh

A journalist for New Delhi newspaper Mail Today, Sourish Bhattacharyya, who attended the launch, reported that the Fry’s Burger was meaty and gently spicy. “All it needed was a bed of lettuce, mayo and onions to get transformed into a zesty burger that I wolfed down in a minute”. She predicts that the spice burger will be the biggest mover in India, followed by the veggie mince.

Fry’s Vegetarian products are manufactured in a dedicated meat free factory and carry endorsements from the highest authorities on vegetarianism in the world. Fry’s entire range of products is approved by the Vegetarian Society of the UK as vegan, as Kosher Parev Mahadrin and by SANHA as Halaal. All products are made using the finest quality ingredients without compromising on goodness and taste.  All ingredients are non-genetically modified and contain no artificial colourants, preservatives or MSG. Furthermore, Fry’s have gone to great lengths to ensure that their products comply with international vegetarian standards, and are one of only 19 companies in South Africa with ISO 22 000:2005 registration, which guarantees adherence to a very stringent food safety management system.

Products available in the Fry’s Vegetarian range include Fry’s Vegetarian Chunky Strips, Fry’s Vegetarian Chicken-Style Strips and Chicken-Style Nuggets, Fry’s Vegetarian Mince, Fry’s Vegetarian Traditional Sausages, Hot Dogs and Braai Sausages, Fry’s Vegetarian Polony, Fry’s Vegetarian Crumbed Schnitzels, a variety of Fry’s Vegetarian Burgers as well as Cottage Pie and Sausage Rolls.  Fry Group Foods also supplies product to Steers, Subway and the catering trade.

Products are available in the freezer section of leading supermarkets. For more information about Fry’s Vegetarian products, please visit www.frysvegetarian.co.za