Former Manchester United footballer Chris Smalling invests in plant-based meat company Heura

Chris Smalling, the former Manchester United footballer, has become an investor in Spanish vegan meat company Heura.

The 31-year-old is believed to have invested a six figure sum in Heura. This is his second investment in a plant-based food company. In 2020 Smalling became an investor in vegan meat brand THIS, winners of Food Matters Live Awards 2020’s Best Plant-Based Product of the Year for their THIS isn’t bacon vegan bacon.

The footballer is also an investor and ambassador of Ananas Anam – manufacturer and seller of Piñatex – a natural material derived from pineapple leaf fibre used as an alternative to leather. Smalling has also invested in London start-up Virtue Drinks, a sugar-free and zero-calorie drink company.

Smalling, who plays for Italian Serie A football club Roma and has been vegan for five years, is quoted by Heura saying:  “Heura’s mission for change mirrors my own personal mission. They go above and beyond as a brand to leave an imprint on the way people think about plant-based diets and animal welfare, alongside creating amazing products”.

This week Heura – which makes vegan meat chunks, strips and tacos to resemble the taste and texture of beef and chicken – also raised €4m in less than 24 hours after launching an equity crowdfunding campaign on investment platform Crowdcube.

The Spanish plant-based meat company is also backed by V Capital and New Crop Capital.