Stong Roots builds on growth in US market

Plant-based food firm’s stateside business expands by over 100pc

Pride: Strong Roots founder Sam Dennigan. Photo: David Sexton

Strong Roots' oven-baked sweet potato fries

Pride: Strong Roots founder Sam Dennigan. Photo: David Sexton

Strong Roots' oven-baked sweet potato fries

Pride: Strong Roots founder Sam Dennigan. Photo: David Sexton

Sean Pollock Email

April 11 2021 02:30 AM

Strong Roots, an Irish-founded food company, said its US business is growing at “over 100pc” as it makes progress to meet and possibly exceed its target of €100m revenue by 2023.

In 2019, the company, which is best known for its frozen sweet potato fries, kale and quinoa burgers and cauliflower hash browns, secured $18.3m (€15.36m) in its Series A funding round to help fuel growth in the US, UK and Ireland.

Speaking with the Sunday Independent, Sam Dennigan, founder of Strong Roots, said the company was well on track to achieve its ambitious targets for 2023.

“We have been establishing ourselves for further growth in the US,” he said. “We are growing [in the US] at over 100pc, and the UK is growing at 50pc.

“All of the goals that we had set out to achieve are still in our sights... We have that 2023 milestone of €100m turnover being the goal. That is still very much in our sights, and we are tracking to be able to achieve that and possibly exceed that.

“Our American launch has gone incredibly successfully,” he added, mentioning the progress he had made with US retail giants Walmart and Whole Foods.

Dennigan spoke after Strong Roots was certified as a B Corporation, adding he believed it was the first Irish plant-based company to be certified.

Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.

Dennigan committed to becoming a B Corp more than a year ago. He focused the business on being more sustainable and environmentally friendly through initiatives including changes to some of its products’ packaging, which moved from plastic to cardboard.

Strong Roots also donated more than six tonnes of surplus products to FareShare, a charitable food redistributor network in the UK.

“A lot of [companies] go out there and say that they plan to do good,” said Dennigan. “Planning to do good is great, but if you never do it, then it’s just hot air.

“I’m really proud that this wasn’t something that was ideated by me. I’m proud that the company and its employees pushed me to do this.”