Whether you’re looking for hearty empanadas to remind you of your last trip to South America, flavorful BBQ mini-patties, Vish fingers or crispy Cheez-Sticks, whether you fancy sweet vegan alternatives to cheesecake balls, crunchy southern fried tenders, or exotic products that taste like they’re from your favorite Asian restaurant... and whether you’re looking for a scrummy side dish, a substantial snack or a topping for your salads and bowls, here at Vantastic, we can offer you a broader range of vegan products than ever before! We offer a wealth of unusual international street food and finger food, as well as vegan store cupboard essentials. And if you’re a snack fan on the lookout for irresistible treats, then look no further! But have you ever wondered how Vantastic’s culinary success story started out?

It all began with the vision for a better life of a dedicated young man by the name of Tobias Graf, who established our company. This pioneer – who died much too early at just 35 in 2014 – had already decided at the tender age of 18 that he wanted to dedicate all his energy towards promoting a 100% vegan lifestyle. Some things he experienced at school made him think about animal welfare and had a lasting effect on him, as a result of which he became a vegetarian. From that time onwards, respect for animals and a sustainable, plant-based diet were his guiding principles.

Tobias’ favorite bands at the time, “Earth Crisis” and “Morning again” – whose lyrics focused on the straight edge movement and the exploitation of animals – also reinforced his resolve in terms of his decision to lead a purely plant-based lifestyle and to promote his vision of cruelty-free food and a new way of dealing with so-called “livestock” animals. After completing an apprenticeship at the department store Hertie (now known as Karstadt) in the German town of Weiden, the staunch pacifist chose to complete a year's civilian service in an old people’s home rather than doing German Army training. This was followed by another year at the department store. Then, in 2001, it was time for Tobias to make his dream of being his own boss a reality when he established AVE (Absolute Vegan Empire, today: Velivery). His aim was to supply people in Germany with vegan foods – at a time when, for many, the word “vegan” was unheard of.

So, how do you make plant-based nutrition appeal to people? Even back then, Tobias was fascinated by the ideas of a good friend of his who had his own vegan shop, and thought it was a very far-sighted endeavor. However, on his friend’s advice, he decided to start by importing vegan products from abroad, and by having them produced there. To begin with, these mainly included vegan bars and snacks – which he sold on the quiet, along with stickers, to headbanging performers at concerts. Later on, this would evolve into a whole range of plant-based delicacies for all. In 2004, he reached the milestone of establishing the brand “Vantastic Foods” (known today as Vantastic). During the early days of today’s established brand, this meant working with soy and other meat/sausage imitation products which he had painstakingly picked up himself, all the way from the Czech Republic. Collaboration with a bakery also played a significant role in allowing Vantastic Foods to include more and more products in its sustainable range. The brand, which stands for both quality and flavor in terms of plant-based cuisine, began to gain more and more fans.

The business’s operations room for packaging and dispatching the vegan treasures was to be found, by the way, in the garage and cellar of Tobias’ parents’ house. Tobias’ childhood bedroom was transformed into a bustling office. In 2007, when the company started to grow successfully and its premises were on the verge of overflowing, he had no option but to have the first warehouse built in Nabburg. Once construction of the company building was completed, Tobias was able to gain the first staff members for the project: one purchaser, one packer, and one office lady. The small team did a huge amount of pioneering work. When the company’s largest client at the time – “alles-vegetarisch.de” – went up for sale, Tobias Graf decided to take over this company too, build a new online shop and successfully bring the – now fully veganized – range up to date. He had managed to break into the market, and the fact that he was getting over 1000 orders a day – at Christmas, of all times – spoke for itself and for Tobias’ vision of the future. Tobias Graf was a visionary and a doer. He’s the one we have to thank for sowing the seeds of our success story. He always made the time to listen to his staff, was full of new ideas, was incredibly fair-minded, generous and – what’s more – a real family-guy at heart. His commitment and power of persuasion made a great impression on everyone he came into contact with, precisely because he was making his dream of an alternative – or perhaps even better – lifestyle a reality at such an early age. And so it was that a tiny seed grew into a delicate plant, and then into today’s unique Garden of Eden with a varied range of products from which anyone who wishes to may now eat...

The Vantastic brand will be unveiling a new look in 2024, with a slightly different strategy for its product ranges in a market which has recently grown very rapidly. Vantastic has been around since the very beginning, and even now, it continues to win customers over with its quality and flavor in the areas of meat, sausage and fish alternatives, vegan store cupboard ingredients, delicious street food and finger food, as well as plant-based sweets and desserts. Never has it been easier for fans of vegan food to eat cruelty-free, healthy and sustainable food, all while making no concessions in terms of flavor. Vantastic is building on its visionary foundations while keeping its eyes firmly on the future: a future that’s both green and vantastic!