Unexpectedly, the British Made Tofu No.1 in the UK — and They Sell XXL Sizes Like Clothes

A surprise success story

Who would have thought a small Yorkshire tofu workshop could be reshaped into Britain's leading tofu brand? It has been reported that The Tofoo Co — the rebranded successor to R&R Tofu — grew from about £0.6m in annual revenue in 2016 to roughly £32m by 2025, and reportedly held as much as 62% of the UK tofu market at its 2024 peak. The growth is notable because it happened while the wider meat-free category was softening: The Tofoo Co is said to be one of only three brands in the segment to grow, reportedly expanding around 19% when peers were contracting.

Packaging, product and the “tofu phobia” problem

The company’s playbook is simple and instructive for brand builders: remove friction. British shoppers were described as suffering from a mild “tofu phobia” — unsure what tofu was, afraid it only suited vegans, and annoyed by high-moisture blocks that needed pressing at home. The Tofoo Co fixed that by drying the product so it’s “open-and-use,” introducing bold, toy‑like block packaging, and even offering XXL sizes that the company markets like clothing sizes. One SKU, the Naked 280g, has reportedly become the single best-selling tofu item in the category.

Founders, capabilities and retail know‑how

The founders’ backgrounds explain why this worked. David Knibbs is an ex-Mars (玛氏) sales manager and Lydia Smith spent 17 years at dairy giant Arla (阿尔乐) in retail account roles — experience that translates directly into shelf strategy, retailer negotiations and rapid product iteration. Buying a small craft factory meant they could prototype quickly and control production quality (they retained the traditional nigari-coagulated recipe), marrying artisanal craft to modern FMCG discipline.

Why it matters beyond Britain

For Western readers unfamiliar with the dynamics: this isn’t just a quirky UK success. It shows how product design, packaging and consumer education can mainstream an Asian staple in markets where it was once niche. It has been reported that only about one in twelve UK households ate tofu even once in 2023, so there remains substantial upside. And in a world where trade, food security and domestic manufacturing are increasingly discussed alongside geopolitics, the ability of local brands to scale plant-based proteins has commercial and supply-chain significance beyond one supermarket aisle.