Boermarke, a Netherlands-based dairy and plant-based business, has announced its intention to go fully vegan.

The company is transferring its dairy operations to local peer Zuivelhoeve and plans to have a solely vegan line up of products available across Europe by 2026 under its own brand Vairy or via private-label contracts.

Enschede-based Boermarke has been active in the Dutch dairy market for more than three decades but decided to make the transition to just plant-based options following a reported 800% growth in its vegan dairy production over the past three years.

It also said customers “want the strict separation of dairy and vegetable production to avoid mixing”.

The company launched the plant-based brand Vairy in 2015 with coconut yogurt and has since expanded its offering into vegan cheese and ice cream.

Boermarke said the range is available in 80% of Dutch supermarkets and via major grocery chains in Germany.

On transferring the dairy business to a peer, the company said its entire staff of 180 will be retained and will “remain involved in the growth of its own Vairy brand and the production of house brands for other companies”.

It added that it “looks forward to the future as a leading producer and developer of plant-based dairy substitutes and remains committed to providing tasty, affordable and sustainable alternatives to dairy products”.

Just Food has asked Boermarke for further details about the transfer of its dairy business to Zuivelhoeve and queried why the process toward having a fully vegan product range will take three years to complete.