The Amadori Group is accelerating its presence in the plant-based market and acquiring Unconventional, a brand specializing in plant-based products founded in 2020 within the Granarolo Group. With the transaction, completed on May 8, the Cesena-based company acquires 100% of Unconventional Srl, including the production site in Coriano, near Rimini, and the "Unconventional 100% Vegetale" brand, thus strengthening its growth strategy in the alternative protein sector.
The acquisition allows Amadori to become the third-largest branded player in the Italian plant-based processed foods market, a segment that exceeded €208 million in value in 2025, recording growth of 3,8% in value and 5,9% in volume, according to Circana data. This market continues to expand and now reaches nearly three out of ten Italian households, with a penetration rate of 28,7%.
The acquisition represents a strategic step for the Romagna-based group, which in recent years has expanded its positioning beyond its traditional poultry business, focusing on an integrated offering of animal and plant-based proteins. This direction is epitomized by the corporate brand "Amadori – The Italian Protein Company," through which the group intends to consolidate its presence in the Italian agri-food sector by addressing new consumption patterns and a demand increasingly oriented toward flexible and balanced diets.
"This acquisition represents a significant acceleration in our growth, enabling us to become one of the top three branded players in the plant-based processed foods sector," said CEO Denis Amadori. "Unconventional 100% Vegetale enriches our offering with highly innovative products, responding to evolving consumer needs."
Amadori now aims to enhance the brand by leveraging its national logistics and sales network, while maintaining the brand's Italian production continuity and preserving its identity and quality positioning. All employees of the Coriano plant will be incorporated into the group, which currently employs over 9.400 people in Italy.
For its part, Granarolo, which founded Unconventional in 2020, continues to focus on its core dairy business. "With a view to simplifying our business model, we are focusing on the milk and dairy products market," explained President Stanislao Fabbrino, emphasizing his satisfaction with a move that maintains Italian ownership of the brand.
The agreement also confirms the growing focus of major Italian agri-food groups on the plant-based protein sector, considered one of the most dynamic segments in the contemporary food industry. For Amadori, this represents another step in the diversification process undertaken in recent years, with the goal of covering all major protein categories.
Founded in 1969, Amadori closed 2024 with a turnover of €1,721 billion and a share of approximately 30% of the Italian poultry market. Granarolo, on the other hand, recorded consolidated revenues of €1,813 billion in 2025, confirming its position as the leading Italian milk supply chain owned by cooperative producers.
