Food Mogul Heather Mills Aims to Turn UK into “Vegan Silicon Valley” Post-Brexit

Entrepreneur Heather Mills recently took over ownership of a 180,000-square-foot production facility in North East England. The new factory will increase production capacity for Mills’ vegan food brand VBites and create approximately 300 jobs, a move Mills’ hopes will be profitable for the United Kingdom after it officially departs from the European Union. “I knew I had to try to buy it. This was the most important factory in the area. And I want to do something positive in the Brexit situation,” Mills told media outlet The Mirror. “I want this to become the vegan food equivalent of technology’s Silicon Valley in California.” Mills owns two other VBites production facilities in the United Kingdom where she produces 74 vegan products that are distributed to 20 countries. Mills aims to turn the third facility—formerly occupied by PepsiCo-owned potato-chip brand Walkers—into the largest vegan food production plant in the UK, a plan that is welcomed by local officials. “We are delighted that Heather Mills is to invest back in this location and build an exciting new venture with VBites,” James Ramsbotham, chief executive of the North East England Chamber of Commerce, said. “The vegan food market is expanding rapidly, and this has the potential to provide real opportunities for so many good people in the future.”