Category: Vegan Dining

August 14, 2023

Why US Diners Can Expect More Plant-Based Menu Options Over the Next Year

6 Mins Read

In the US, 95% of foodservice operators expect increased or stable sales of vegan food and beverages in the next year, with 76% aiming to continue or increase the number of plant-based meat options, according to a new report by industry body the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA). It’s in line with consumer sentiment, who have upped their plant-based intake and reduced their meat consumption.

The PBFA’s State of the Marketplace Foodservice Report states that nearly half (48.4%) of all restaurants in the US currently offer plant-based options on their menus, with a 62% increase in plant-based menu items over the past decade. The shift has stemmed from a growing acceptance of vegan food among consumers, with a greater awareness of their health, environmental and animal welfare benefits.

It follows another report by the PBFA earlier this year, which found that the US plant-based market grew by 6.6% from 2021 to 2022, reaching $8B. “The plant-based foods industry’s momentum and resilience – built on robust consumer demand – is evident across 2022 retail and e-commerce sales and foodservice performance,” Julie Emmett, VP of marketplace development at the PBFA, said at the time.

Consumer trends on plant-based eating

Courtesy: Plant Based Foods Association

The report revealed that more than four times as many Americans increased instead of decreased their plant-based consumption, while a third say they’ll eat more vegan foods over the upcoming year. Overall, a third of consumers in the US use plant-based dairy alternatives at least once a week, followed closely by alt-meat.

When it comes to setting, around a quarter of home meals are entirely plant-based, compared to 19% of those eaten outside. And consumers are twice more likely to try plant-based foods in retail settings than foodservice ones, due to factors including convenience, cost and perceived health benefits. This follows the 27% year-on-year growth in plant-based retail sales in the US in 2021.

Meanwhile, 43% of consumers agree that the availability of plant-based food and beverages enhances the restaurant experience – a sentiment that was most prevalent among Gen Z and millennial consumers. The former demographic has a higher proportion of vegans, vegetarians and pescatarians, with 35% falling into the category of ‘meat limiters’.

Courtesy: Plant Based Foods Association

This is highlighted by recent product launches. Taco Bell introduced a vegan Crunchwrap in June, Chipotle added two plant-based options to its Lifestyle bowls as part of its ESG goals for 2023, while Charley’s Steak House collaborated with Chunk Foods to offer the latter’s plant-based whole cut on its Orlando menu.

Plant-based menu options at restaurants

Courtesy: Plant Based Foods Association

Four times as many foodservice operators plan to add plant-based meat to their menus than those who say they’ll remove it, while 8% who currently offer none plan to add vegan alternatives. The reluctance to add a plant-based meat substitute to menus is based on many considerations, including a lack of demand (53%), higher costs (46%), a higher difficulty in predicting demand and purchasing needs (33%), and vegan food not fitting the brand’s image (20%) – as well as factors like food waste and labour requirements.

But within the operators who do incorporate plant-based food into their menus, the fast-casual segment – which often caters to younger generations and those seeking healthy meals on the go – leads the way with nearly 70% menu penetration, followed by mid-scale and casual dining restaurants. Fast-casual chains Fine dining restaurants, meanwhile, are at the bottom of the list.

Courtesy: Plant Based Foods Association

In terms of food types, plant-based seafood and egg options have increasingly been featured on foodservice menus, seeing a 57% and 52% year-on-year growth, respectively. In February, Israeli startup Yo Egg debuted its vegan poached eggs at six Los Angeles eateries, before launching into Veggie Grill stores nationwide. And California’s Impact Food debuted its raw sushi-grade plant-based tuna at Bay Area restaurant Onigilly.

Meanwhile, coconut milk is the leading dairy alternative used owing to its versatility, followed by almond milk. But menu presence of alt-milk is still low, given that more than half of Americans will visit or pay more at establishments that feature specific plant-based dairy alternatives.

Courtesy: Plant Based Foods Association

The report also found that plant-based promotions and limited-time offerings receive higher uniqueness ratings from consumers compared to animal-based counterparts. There is precedent here with McDonald’s, which trialled the McPlant for a limited time before introducing it to the permanent menu, and Shake Shack, which launched its limited-edition Vegan ShackBurger in London in 2020, and debuted its vegan burger in permanent menus in the US earlier this year. Meanwhile, Impact Food struck a deal with Pokeworks for a limited-edition poke bowl in June.

The importance of inclusivity

“The focus of foodservice operators has shifted from simply offering a separate ‘vegan menu’ to creating inclusive dining experiences that highlight the abundance of plant-based choices available,” says Hannah Lopez, director of marketplace development, foodservice at PBFA.

Across all age demographics, the PBFA says there’s a stronger preference for the terms ‘plant-based’ and ‘dairy-free’ compared to ‘vegan’ and ‘vegetarian’. The clear labelling and intentional placement of plant-based food menu options at restaurants is essential for consumer awareness and inclusivity. It echoes a report by food awareness organisation ProVeg International last week, which expressed a preference for ‘plant-based’ over ‘vegan’ on menus.

According to the PBFA, this trend suggests that consumers are open to limiting their animal product consumption without completely eliminating it. It says nearly three-quarters of Americans are interested in blended animal- and plant-based proteins, like pasta dishes with plant-based proteins and dairy cheese. While only about 20% of operators currently offer such dishes, 30% show interest in exploring this idea. This concept has already penetrated the retail sector globally, with brands like Momentum Foods, Mush Foods and Nanka all offering hybrid plant- and animal-based meats.

Courtesy: Plant Based Foods Association

The report notes that inclusive menus are paramount: “As foodservice operators lean into menu innovation and expansion, having plant-based foods as staple menu options and ingredients will allow for more inclusive and wide-ranging customer bases, and a greater feeling among guests that their values, interests, and tastes are being served.”

In a January webinar, the PBFA presented data showing that 60% of US restaurants see plant-based as a long-term trend. This sentiment is mirrored by Jennifer DiFrancesco, director of culinary innovation at Sodexo Campus, which has committed to making its catering menu 50% plant-based by 2025. “Having plant-based foods isn’t a buzz or a trend, it’s a need and a demand that we deliver with creativity and flavour,” she says, adding: “Inclusive options are key – having the 1:1 animal to plant entrée makes it approachable, relatable, and tempting to try.”

The PBFA says it’s clear that the foodservice industry offers stability and reliability as a platform for plant-based food companies seeking long-term success in a rapidly evolving sector: “Key opportunities exist for companies and operators alike to forge meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships to give consumers what they want: delicious, affordable, healthier, and more sustainable plant-based options.”

The post Why US Diners Can Expect More Plant-Based Menu Options Over the Next Year first appeared on Green Queen.

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August 9, 2023

Fast-Food Big Five: Burger King Tops List with Most Plant-Based Main Dishes, Finds New Report
5 Mins Read
The world’s leading fast-food chains – McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway, Pizza Hut and KFC – are offering an increasing number of plant-based options, according to a nine-country report by food awareness organisation ProVeg International. Burger King tops the list with the most vegan-friendly main dishes, with Subway a close second. Meanwhile, the UK is Europe’s leading plant-based market, followed by Germany.

The report ranks these ‘Big Five’ fast-food chains on metrics including plant-based options, menu presentation, and labeling conventions. Food options traversed mains, sides and desserts, and the nine countries surveyed were Belgium, Czechia, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Spain, the UK, and the US. (Spain and the Netherlands, where Pizza Hut has a low market share and doesn’t operate, respectively, featured analysis on Domino’s).

Across countries, 43 menus were analysed, out of which only 22 offered at least one vegan option. And just under 6% (85) of all main dishes (1,473) listed across those menus were plant-based. Similarly, vegan desserts accounted for 4.6% of all sweet options, while sides represented 27% of the total. Burger King and Subway were followed by McDonald’s and Pizza Hut, with KFC performing the worst.

Plant-based fare by fast-food chains

Subway ranks second on the fast-food vegan main dishes list | Courtesy

Vegan menu options represent 12% of Burger King’s overall offering, with 30 main dishes out of 307 across all countries – a 9.8% share. The fast-food chain also trialled its first all-vegan location at its Leicester Square flagship in London last year, and implemented a plant-based-by-default ordering model at a store in Austria.

Like Burger King, Subway also has vegan options that make up 12% of its overall menu, but trails marginally in the share of mains at 9.1%. But it performed the best when it came to the presentation of its menus, which consistently integrate vegan items with their conventional counterparts. ProVeg also lauded Subway’s naming convention (Rockin’ Morrocan and TLC Teriyaki are two examples), which hones in on the culinary theme of the dish.

At McDonald’s, the world’s largest food chain, 9% of the food is vegan. But plant-based main dishes only comprise 3% of the total options, and are only available in the UK, Germany and South Africa among the countries analysed. But the report notes that McDonald’s can make their nearly vegan options – some have dairy cheese and a ‘plant-based’ patty has animal products – plant-based by default.

Plant-based menu items represent 8% of Pizza Hut’s overall range, but out of the mains, only 5.2% are vegan. But ProVeg notes that the chain is making an effort to offer plant-based options, and integrating them into the general menu will likely appeal to a wider range of customers, including flexitarians and omnivores.

The reading is more bleak at KFC, where less than 1% of dishes are plant-based, and a minuscule 0.3% of mains are vegan. Out of all the 325 dishes evaluated, only one is listed as plant-based. But KFC has a huge opportunity to make its menus more appealing to plant-based diners. It already has several vegetarian options, and ProVeg says incorporating even a single plant-based nugget or burger option would significantly aid the chain.

Country-wise vegan fast-food availability

KFC has only one vegan main option out of 325 menu items: the Vegan Chicken Burger in the UK | Courtesy: KFC

In Belgium (Pizza Hut), Poland and the US (both Subway), only one chain offers a plant-based main on online menus. Similarly, Czechia (Subway and Burger King) and South Africa (Burger King and McDonald’s) have only two of the Big Five offering vegan mains.

Meanwhile, Subway, Domino’s and Burger King all offer plant-based mains in the Netherlands and Spain. And in Germany, vegan main dishes are available at four of the Big Five: Burger King, Subway, McDonald’s and Pizza Hut.

The UK is the only country in the report that has vegan options for main dishes in all of the five leading fast-food chains. The aforementioned single plant-based main at KFC is the Vegan Burger in the UK. One reason for this is the strong emergence of meat-free attitudes in the UK. The report mentions figures revealing that 9% of Brits are vegan or vegetarian, making up the largest share of plant-forward eaters in Europe after Germany.

Best-practice recommendations for fast-food chains

Courtesy: McDonald’s

A new report has found that vegan diets can cut carbon emissions by 75% compared to a meat-rich diet. “It is vitally important that fast-food chains play their role in helping society transition to more climate-friendly diets by providing and promoting plant-based foods,” said ProVeg global CEO Jasmijn de Boo. “All five major chains are making strides in the right direction, but there is still room for improvement.”

ProVeg recommends a number of best practices that can help these fast-food chains attract more plant-based consumers – crucial for their climate commitments:

ProVeg’s recommendations include:
- More menu options should plant-based by default, which is a “very effective way of increasing plant-based purchasing among mainstream consumers”. It’s also crucial for chains in many countries to introduce vegan sauces and cheeses.
- Replace animal-based options with plant-based alternatives, instead of just adding the latter. ProVeg argues this helps normalise plant-based eating and increase vegan purchases among the mainstream.
- Integrate plant-based options with similar items and list them first, while repeating them in a separately labeled plant-based section. This will nudge consumers to choose more plant-based options while making it easier to navigate the menu.
- Instead of using the product name as the label, use subtle, easily identifiable labels (like pictograms) to “minimise the deterrent effect that vegan-identifying denominations can have on mainstream consumers”.
- When naming menu items, choose words that focus on the culinary theme, sensory experience or the brand of plant-based meat used in the food. The report suggests minimising the use of terms like ‘veggie’ or ‘plant-based’, and completely avoiding words like ‘vegan’, ‘vegetarian’ or ‘meatless’.
- Use enticing language in product descriptions to highlight the taste experience and cooking technique, as well as frame the plant-based items as equivalent to their conventional counterparts.
The post Fast-Food Big Five: Burger King Tops List with Most Plant-Based Main Dishes, Finds New Report first appeared on Green Queen.
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August 9, 2023

Another Vegan Nugget: Creator of Burger King’s Impossible Whopper Joins Premium Plant-Based Chicken Newcomer

3 Mins Read
Plant-based newcomer Recreate Foods has appointed Michael Salem, creator of Burger King’s Impossible Whopper, as its president. Previously the curator of Kevin Hart-owned restaurant Hart House‘s menu, he joins a vegan chicken brand that faces stiff competition in an increasingly populated category – and he’s betting on taste and texture.

Founded earlier this year, Arizona-based Recreate Foods’ vegan chicken range – which includes filets, tenders, nuggets and grounds made from pea protein – is crafted by chefs to prioritise high quality.

A premium brand in an overpopulated category

The US plant-based chicken sector is over-congested and highly competitive – there are around 20 brands making vegan nuggets alone. Just last week, Californian alt-nugget startup Nowadays announced it is ceasing operations amid a continued decline in plant-based meat sales in the US.

But Salem believes Recreate Foods’ positioning as a high-end company separates it from the crowd. “What clearly differentiates Recreate from others in the category is it’s simply a delicious chicken-based analogue,” he told trade publication Food Dive. “And we’re not a value-oriented brand, we’re a premium brand.”

He doubled down on this aspect by explaining the producer focuses on flavour and texture – two key components of concern about plant-based meat for consumers. “A lot of these big companies have a ton of resources, they have a lot of passion, they have a ton of exposure and media, but they don’t really necessarily have a great product,” said Salem.

“The ethos that we operate under as a company is that we’re not a science-based company. We’re not in the business of creating formulas. We’re in the business of creating delicious recipes.”

Photo: Recreate Foods/Instagram

From Burger King to Recreate Foods

Salem was the head of culinary development at Burger King for four years, and found his love for the plant-based category after launching the vegan Impossible Whopper burger exactly four years ago (8 August 2019). He called the unique impact of product launches one of the industry’s main attractions: “Not to trash the product launch of McCafé – it was a great launch – but it didn’t really change the world.”

He added that some brands prioritise virtue over quality: “We start to see companies position themselves as ‘It’s the right thing to do’ or really leaning in on vegans to kind of shame you into doing the right thing.”

However, he was also quoted as saying: “In the plant-based category, a product can be profitable, creative, incremental, and make perfect business sense. But more importantly, and more impactful for me, is it can have a tremendous impact on the pressure that we’re putting on livestock.”

During the launch of Hart House, he had a similar response: “I’ve seen too many animals die. I’ve been too guilty about the food I’ve been serving the community, making people really unhealthy for a long time, and I just don’t think it’s necessary. I think this is really the future of fast food, so that’s why I took the gig. I just thought it was an incredible chance to really make a difference and leave a legacy on food service and an industry that’s been so good to me.”

Whether it’s virtue- or flavour-first, the jury’s out on how a premium player will perform in an oversaturated and sales-hit category, but Salem is up for the challenge.
The post Another Vegan Nugget: Creator of Burger King’s Impossible Whopper Joins Premium Plant-Based Chicken Newcomer first appeared on Green Queen.
The post Another Vegan Nugget: Creator of Burger King’s Impossible Whopper Joins Premium Plant-Based Chicken Newcomer appeared first on Green Queen.

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August 4, 2023

Robert Downey Jr-Backed Chunk Foods’ Plant-Based Whole Cuts Added to Charley’s Steak House Menu

3 Mins Read
Israeli startup Chunk Foods‘ plant-based whole-cut meat is now on the menu at Charley’s Steak House in Orlando – the first time a steakhouse chain is offering a vegan alternative. Backed by Robert Downey Jr’s VC firm FootPrint Coalition, Chunk Foods’ biomass-fermented filet mignon is priced at $69.

Chunk Foods uses solid-state fermentation and combines plant-based ingredients with food-grade organisms to create its whole-cut beef alternative. Whole cuts have often been described as the “holy grail” of alt-meat, and this collaboration follows the appearance of Redefine Meat’s 3D-printed alternative on restaurant menus in Europe and Israel.

Chunk Foods’ journey

Chunk Foods makes vegan whole-cut steak | Courtesy: Chunk Foods

Founded in 2020 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Chunk Foods raised $15m in seed funding last year – which founder Amos Golan called the biggest seed round ever for an Israeli company. Using solid-state fermentation allows the product to be “highly tunable”, and makes it cheaper than high-moisture extrusion or submerged fermentation, which calls for expensive steel vessels and downstream processing tech.

While its vegan whole-cut beef uses cultured soy and wheat, the company says it is working on products without these ingredients for diners with allergies. After beef, it plans to develop vegan pork, lamb and poultry alternatives. As reported by TechCrunch, this will be aided by the opening of a new factory in Israel, described by Golan as “one of the largest plant-based whole-cuts factories in the world”.

Chunk Foods’ vegan steak has already appeared on the menus of several New York City restaurants, including Coletta, Anixi and The Butcher’s Daughter. And while other plant-based whole cuts – like the aforementioned Redefine Meat and Meati‘s mycelium-based alternatives – have made it to eatery menus, Chunk Foods’ collaboration with Charley’s Steak House marks the first time a steakhouse is offering a vegan option.

Charley’s Steak House’s inclusivity bid

Charley’s Steak House is now serving plant-based whole-cut meat | Courtesy: Chunk Foods

Part of the Talk of the Town Restaurant Group, Charley’s Steak House has been around since 1984. This move marks a milestone moment for the eatery and reflects its commitment to more inclusive dining.

“At our core, we serve the finest steaks and seafood, and we have been searching for over 15 years for a plant-based option for our guests that meets our standards,” said Talk of the Town VP and COO, Seth
Miller. “We are excited to introduce our customers to Chunk steak; this partnership provides a solution that is in line with our quality expectations that we place on every item we serve. If it’s not the best, we won’t serve it.”

Chunk Foods says its steaks are “extremely versatile” when it comes to the cooking method – they can be “pan-seared, basted, grilled, smoked, stewed, braised, BBQ, and baked, the same way beef is prepared”. This affords a greater level of creativity and eschews the need for intensive chef training.

“At Chunk, we’re passionate about pushing boundaries,” said Golan. “Together [with Charley’s Steak House], we’re ensuring that all guests, regardless of dietary preference, can enjoy an exceptional
steakhouse experience.”

More and more companies are successfully debuting their vegan whole cuts to the North American market, with New School Foods‘ salmon filet and Tender Food‘s beef steaks, pulled pork and chicken breasts being prime examples as plant-forward consumers look for texture and format variety beyond mince-based burgers, sausages and nuggets.
The post Robert Downey Jr-Backed Chunk Foods’ Plant-Based Whole Cuts Added to Charley’s Steak House Menu first appeared on Green Queen.
The post Robert Downey Jr-Backed Chunk Foods’ Plant-Based Whole Cuts Added to Charley’s Steak House Menu appeared first on Green Queen.

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July 28, 2023

Sunny-Side-Up Yo Eggs Come to Veggie Grill Locations Nationwide

2 Mins Read
Yo Egg, the creators of the world’s first plant-based sunny-side-up and poached eggs, has announced a partnership with U.S.-based vegan fast-casual chain, Veggie Grill.

Yo Egg and Veggie Grill are launching three new limited-time offerings (LTOs). The award-winning plant-based eggs from Yo Egg will be featured in Yo Poached Egg Avocado Toast, Huevos Rancheros Bowl with Yo sunny-side-up egg, and Yo Egg Kimchi Burger.

Reinventing eggs

“This collaboration with Veggie Grill exemplifies our mission to reinvent eggs and how foodservice operators use eggs in their menus,” Eran Groner, CEO of Yo Egg, said in a statement. “We can’t wait for consumers to taste these innovative dishes.”

Veggie Grill’s vegan spin on the trendy avocado toast, the Yo Poached Egg Avo Toast, combines toasted sourdough, sliced avocado, chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and a Yo Egg poached egg encrusted in everything bagel seasoning.

Yo Egg has debuted in LA | COurtesy

The Huevos Rancheros Bowl, a spicy vegan take on a classic, offers a tantalizing blend of brown rice, ranchero beans, fried corn tortillas, pepper jack cheese, Yo Egg’s sunny-side-up egg, salsa roja and verde, and chopped cilantro.

The Yo Egg Kimchi Burger features a seasoned Beyond Burger topped with sesame aioli, shredded lettuce, pickled cucumbers, kimchi, all nestled in a sesame seed bun and crowned with a sunny-side-up Yo Egg.

‘Compelling additions’

While Yo Egg is not Veggie Grill’s first vegan egg alternative — the first was San Francisco’s Just Egg — it is the first to get this many iterations.

Yo Egg is now on the Veggie Grill menu | Courtesy

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Yo Egg,” T.K. Pillan, Founder and CEO of Veggie Grill, said about the collaboration. “Yo Egg’s sunny-side-up and poached eggs create uniquely compelling additions to our 100% plant-based menu and further our goal to bring guests the best of the plant-based world.”

Yo Egg’s plant-based egg products have garnered significant recognition, earning the company two of the National Restaurant Association’s 2023 Food and Beverage Awards for the “world’s first and only” plant-based poached egg and sunny-side-up egg.

T
The post Sunny-Side-Up Yo Eggs Come to Veggie Grill Locations Nationwide first appeared on Green Queen.
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July 13, 2023

‘Menu Anxiety’ Mirrors Sustainability Concerns Among Gen Z, Millennials

3 Mins Read
Recent data indicate that dining decisions are increasingly causing stress for younger Americans, with nearly one-third experiencing ‘menu anxiety’ when ordering at restaurants.

A study of 2,000 adults revealed that 41 percent of Millennials and Generation Z (individuals aged between 18-43) are prone to this anxiety, starkly contrasting with only 15 percent of their older counterparts from Generation X and Baby Boomers — those aged between 44-77.

Menu anxiety

Widespread concern for the environment and sustainability has significantly marked Generation Z. Aided by social media and access to global information, they are acutely aware of climate change and its impacts, sparking a greater interest in sustainable consumption. This consciousness about the planet has been reflected in their dining preferences and anxieties.

Photo by Alex Haney on Unsplash

This menu anxiety appears to stem from an array of factors, according to the research commissioned by Avocado Green Mattress and conducted by OnePoll. Generation Z and Millennials, the survey noted, often defer their order until they’ve seen their companions’ choices, with 47 percent admitting to doing so, compared to only 30 percent of older participants. Digital habits also play a role, as 24 percent of younger respondents regularly review the restaurant menu online prior to their visit, compared to 15 percent of older participants.

The study also discovered that terms such as ‘vegan’ and ‘vegetarian’ on menus significantly influence younger generations’ choices, with 39 percent and 34 percent respectively more likely to opt for such items. Additionally, a commanding 77 percent of younger respondents wish for restaurants to be more transparent about the environmental impact of their offerings, against 58 percent of older participants.

The environment seemed to play a larger role in younger generations’ decisions overall, with 20 percent of them factoring in the ‘environmental impact’, against just 7 percent of older participants. Moreover, 62 percent of Gen Z and millennials are conscious of their meal’s environmental footprint when eating out, compared with only 42 percent of older generations.

“Understanding our environmental impacts shouldn’t just be a younger generation thing,” Hann said. “We should all be pro clean air, pro clean water and pro healthy climate. We’re all responsible for the planet we leave behind for our kids and grandkids.”

A panoply of dining preferences

The research delved deeper than just ordering anxiety. When asked about the decisive factors while ordering food, taste (71 percent) and cost (57 percent) predictably emerged on top. However, the time taken for food preparation (22 percent), messiness of the meal (16 percent), and environmental impact of the food (15 percent) were also considered.

Courtesy Sander Dalhuisen via Unsplash

“Our individual choices matter,” Jessica Hann, Avocado Green’s Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing and Sustainability said in a statement. “From how we eat to how we sleep, our collective decisions are inextricably linked to the health of our communities.”

Research published last spring found 70 percent of Gen Zers say they plan to pursue a vegan diet in the next five years. The main deciding factor in that research was their health more than concerns about the environment.
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July 3, 2023

Stockeld Dreamery’s Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Spreads Into NYC’s Iconic Ess-a-Bagel

3 Mins Read

Stockeld Dreamery, the Swedish alternative dairy startup, is expanding its presence in the United States with a new partnership in New York City.

Stockeld has teamed up with New York City’s iconic Ess-a-Bagel to offer customers a plant-based sandwich featuring Stockeld Dreamery’s non-dairy cream cheese. This collaboration marks Ess-a-Bagel’s first-ever foray into plant-based sandwiches in its 47-year history.

‘Healthier and more sustainable foods’

“I am personally responsible for this [Ess-a-Bagel] partnership, having cornered, stalked, and politely pushed this New York institution to partner with us,” Sorosh Tavakoli, CEO and co-founder of Stockeld Dreamery, said in a statement.

“When I finally got to meet Melanie, whose aunt initially started the company, we hit it off immediately! We could instantly appreciate the contrasts between the new meeting tradition and the newcomer meeting the established. We could also instantly find alignment and energy in the desire to push boundaries to deliver healthier and more sustainable foods to the masses,” Tavakoli said.

Stockeld launched a vegan feta cheese in 2021 | Courtesy

Visitors to Ess-a-Bagel’s 3rd Avenue store can now indulge in the “Fire in the Hole” sandwich, featuring Stockeld Dreamery’s cream cheese. Additionally, customers can opt to add this cheese alternative to any bagel, with two flavor options available: Smoked Paprika & Chili and Garlic & Herbs.

Stockeld Dreamery’sStockeld Dreamery Makes Good On Ambition To Launch Plant-Based Cream Cheese non-dairy cream cheese has already gained popularity at three other esteemed New York City establishments: Ground Support Cafe, Kossar’s Bagels & Bialys, and Zucker’s Bagels & Smoked Fish. Soon, it will also be launching at Zaro’s Family Bakery, further expanding its reach across the city.

Novel vegan cheese

Stockeld Dreamery’s ambitious cheese project was made possible by a successful €16.5 million Series A funding round in 2021. This financial support has allowed the company to accelerate the expansion of its team and product portfolio, fueling its mission to revolutionize the cheese industry.

Oatly’s new cream cheese is available across the U.S. | Courtesy

The cream cheese from Stockeld Dreamery is crafted using a unique blend of fermented chickpeas and lentils, complemented by ingredients like coconut oil and spices. Launched last year after more than two years of product development, the company aims to provide a plant-based alternative that rivals traditional dairy cream cheese.

It joins a growing vegan dairy cream cheese category that’s expanding beyond nuts and soy as the base. In March, Israel-based food tech start-up, ChickP Protein, Ltd., announced it had also developed a chickpea isolate that can be used in making plant-based cream cheese.

Last month, Swedish oat milk brand Oatly announced that its oat-based cream cheese was available nationally across the U.S. for the first time.

The post Stockeld Dreamery’s Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Spreads Into NYC’s Iconic Ess-a-Bagel first appeared on Green Queen.

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June 21, 2023

Vegan Ready-Meal Review: I Tasted Sunday Supper Every Day For A Week And I’m Sold

8 Mins Read
Our resident vegan food reviewer tastes frozen vegan ready-meal brand Sunday Supper and shares her honest feedback.

I felt I was letting down my Italian heritage when I went from vegetarian to vegan. As a vegetarian, I could still eat all of my mom’s amazing home-cooked Italian dishes like lasagna, cannelloni, and ravioli. As a vegan, not so much. My mom was a trooper and, though she never changed her own eating habits, she learned how to make the world’s best vegan meatballs. When I bit into the TiNDLE Meat Balls made by Los Angeles award-winning Chef Celestino Drago at Sunday Supper’s five-course “Una Festa Italiana” Plant-Based Pride Celebration earlier this month, I got the same melt-in-your-mouth texture and nostalgia hit really hard.

It was a perfect way to kick off the evening hosted by Sunday Supper in partnership with TiNDLE, Vertage and Gaingels at Los Angeles Drago Centro to showcase two new additions to their range.

The first course (and my favorite) was the Vertage Mozzarella In Carrozza reminded me of a Brazilian pastel de queijo. Next came an heirloom tomato salad with arugula, veggies, hearts of palm and Vertage Mozzarella. For the third course, we were served Sunday Supper Ravioli With Ricotta, Saffron, Thyme, Butter & Zucchini, a chef recreation of the brand’s raviolis without tomato sauce, followed by Sunday Supper’s Manicotti Al Forno. The manicotti was a highlight- particularly the creamy and nutty ricotta. TiNDLE Petto Di Pollo Con Crosta Al Tartufo followed, which consisted of the plant-based chicken patty served with a decadent truffle cream sauce. At this point, I could have used a doggie bag, but I managed to save a bit of room for the last course, a no-bake Sicilian Cheese Cake made with tangy Vertage Cream Cheese.

It’s no secret I’m a huge fan of both TiNDLE and Vertage. The latter’s mozzarella is featured in Chef Tal Ronen’s pizzas at his LA Crossroads restaurant and it’s actually one of the cheeses used in Sunday Supper’s ready meal lasagnas. What these three plant-based brands have in common, aside from being mouth-wateringly delicious in their own right, is that they were all chef-inspired, created by chefs, for chefs.

Courtesy Sunday Supper

Sunday Supper FTW

I can’t believe this was my first time trying Sunday Supper. As a longtime vegan with Italian heritage, this vegan Italian ready-to-eat brand has got my name written all over it. I can’t think of another brand of 100% plant-based handcrafted frozen Italian meals that are family-style and made with fresh herbs, farm-grown veggies, and authentic San Marzano tomatoes. Long story short- any Italian nonna would approve.

The startup was co-founded in 2021 by Richard Klein and Florian Radke. A veteran in the plant-based space, Radke also co-founded vegan pet food brand Wild Earth and vegan cinnamon bun chain Cinnaholic. and it outshines the competition when it comes to gourmet frozen foods. Sunday already has the support of industry heavy-hitters like Daniella Monet and Wild Earth’s Ryan Bethencourt. The brand is backed by Gaingels, one of the largest and most active LGBTQIA+ private investment syndicates supporting diversity and inclusion within the venture capital ecosystem.

The company launched with two flagship frozen lasagnas- the Italian Sausage and the Three Cheeses- and has expanded its range to include a Mushroom Ravioli, a Cheese Ravioli, and a Baked Manicotti.

The last two were showcased at the tasting event I attended. Sunday Supper collaborated with Chef Celestino Drago, dubbed “one of the best-known Italian restaurateurs in Southern California” by both Bon Appétit and the LA Times, to veganize much-loved Italian dishes without sacrificing one iota of flavor. The evening was a delicious feast and everyone who attended seemed to rave about the food.

The question still remained: how would Sunday Supper’s food hold up without a fancy chef to prepare it? A 5-course menu prepared by a veteran Italian chef at their own restaurant is one thing, but the real question is: how do the dishes taste when the average person prepares them at home?

Luckily for you, I did the hard work of reviewing Sunday Supper’s entire frozen meal range and here’s what I thought.

Sunday Supper’s Italian Sausage Lasagna

Preparation: if you’ve ever made lasagna, you know it takes hours of preparation. You have to make the sauces, cook the pasta, put it all together, and then finally bake. Sunday Supper does all the heavy lifting for you. All you have to do is open the box, pop the lasagna in the oven, and 90 minutes later, voila! No need to defrost it because it cooks straight from frozen. Keep in mind, it does take 90-95 minutes to fully cook so make sure you get it going about an hour and a half before you want to serve it.

Taste: 10 – I broiled it for the last 10 minutes of cooking, per the instructions on the box, and the top layer of mozzarella was bubbly and completely melted. All the cheese in between the layers of pasta oozed out when I cut into it. I would have liked a little more Italian sausage and a little less marinara sauce, but it was still delicious and my entire kitchen smelled of lasagna yumminess. Think lasagna from plants for anyone who loves lasagna (yes, I’m shamelessly plagiarizing the Impossible Foods slogan). If you feed it to non-vegans, I guarantee they’ll never know it’s not the real deal.

Ease of Preparation: 10

Overall: 10 out of 10

Retail Price: $26.99

Sunday Supper’s Three Cheeses Lasagna

Preparation: It also cooks from frozen and it takes the same amount of time to fully cook as the one above, but it’s worth every minute!

Taste: 10 – the blend of parmesan, mozzarella, and ricotta makes this lasagna way cheesier and richer than, but just as tasty as the Italian Sausage version. It’s more versatile because it has no “meat” and can be served as a companion dish to other plant-based entrees like meatballs, sausages, or even seafood.

Ease of Preparation: 10

Overall: 10 out of 10

Retail Price: $26.99

Courtesy Sunday Supper

Sunday Supper’s Cheese Ravioli

Preparation: The ravioli cooks from frozen exactly as you would cook any regular ravioli. You add it to boiling water and cook it for about 5 minutes. The sauce comes separately and needs to be defrosted before being heated on a stovetop. Technically, it’s not ready-to-eat, nor it is ‘heat and serve’, but I didn’t mind the prep and it’s probably why it tastes so good.

Taste: 10 – this is by far the best vegan ravioli I have prepared at home; it knocked Kite Hill’s down to number two on my list.

Ease of Preparation: 8

Overall: 9 out of 10

Retail Price: $18.99

Sunday Supper’s Mushroom Ravioli

Preparation: same as the Cheese Ravioli

Taste: 9 – you definitely get a rich umami-packed flavor from the mix of shitake, nameko, oyster, porcini and portobello mushrooms. I’m not a big fan of mushroom dishes so I enjoyed this one a little less but fungi lovers will rejoice.

Ease of Preparation: 8

Overall: 8.5 out of 10

Retail Price: $18.99

Courtesy Sunday Supper

Italian Baked Manicotti

Preparation: Have you ever tried to stuff pasta tubes? Exactly. It’s hard work. Thanks to Sunday, all you to do to prepare Manicotti is open the box, pop it in the oven, and 55 minutes later, it’s ready to serve.

Taste: 9 – I grew up eating Cannelloni; Manicotti is the Italian-American version of it. Both involve cooked pasta tubes that are stuffed and covered in sauce in pretty much the same way. There’s nothing else in the market like Sunday Supper’s Manicotti. In fact, I don’t know of any restaurants that serve a vegan Manicotti or Cannelloni- not even Pura Vita, my favorite LA vegan Italian spot. Sorry Chef Drago, but I liked the Baked Manicotti I made at home better. The sauce was creamy but light, and it really allowed the taste of the spinach ricotta stuffing to shine. It does have a black pepper kick to it, which makes it not as kid-friendly as the other meals, and it’s the only reason I’m not giving it a 10.

Ease of Preparation: 10

Overall: 9.5 out of 10

Retail Price: $24.99

Overall, the suggested 4 servings for each meal seemed off. Depending on how much you eat and whether or not you’re serving it with other dishes, a Sunday Supper meal will likely feed 2 to 3 people, rather than 4. There are also 5 Manicottis in the Baked Manicotti, so you may have to resort to rock paper scissors to decide who gets the last one!

Bonus Points: I really like the innovative cool packaging and my entire kitchen smelled of yummy Italian food when I made one of the Sunday Supper meals. I think the lasagnas and ravioli will be a hit with most little ones, making them a meal the entire family can enjoy.

Sunday Supper is definitely going to be a staple in my freezer from now on. According to co-founder Florian Radke, the frozen food market is having a moment, as consumers choose the products as a healthier and more nutritious alternative to highly processed foods. Radke cites industry data suggesting the sector is worth $55 billion in the US alone, and of that, frozen Italian food accounts for $22 billion. “Sunday Supper is here and ready to disrupt this major category,” he says. I think he’s onto something. Here’s hoping they add a Baked Ziti or even a Tortellini into their lineup.

Sunday Supper is available at Fresh Markets, Erewhon Markets, and Plum Markets. In addition, online retailer GTFO It’s Vegan stocks the Italian Sausage Lasagna. The company says it is on track to expand to 2,500 additional retail outlets by the end of 2024.
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June 19, 2023

The 5 Best Restaurants for Vegan Food In Shanghai

4 Mins Read
Shanghai is surprisingly full of great vegan eats! While Buddhist-inspired vegetarian food has long been a cradle of Shanghainese food culture, the city has seen more new modern plant-based offerings appear of late.

From high-end veggie fine dining to casual bowls of dumplings served on the side street or modern eateries with burgers and wraps, Shanghai is for sure friendly to vegans! Are you ready to taste all the delicious dumpling noodle soups that Shanghai has to offer? Below is Green Queen’s guide to the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in China’s financial hub.

Source: HappyCow

1. Hui Yuan Vegetarian Restaurant

Hui Yuan Vegetarian Restaurant is a vegan Chinese restaurant full of meat-free Shanghainese classics. The no-frills diner is usually crowded, a testament to their delicious menu. Most of the food contains mock meats with an array of fresh vegetables cooked in all ways – braised, stir-fried, steamed. And don’t miss out on tasting the dumplings Shanghai is famous for, meat-free of course!

Address: Hui Yuan Vegetarian Restaurant, 49 Huaihai East Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai, China. Open Daily: 11.00am – 9.00pm.

Source: TripAdvisor

2. If Vegan

If Vegan is an all-vegan restaurant serving fusion dishes inspired by both Western and Chinese cuisine. Part coffee bar, part flower shop and part restaurant, If Vegan is the ideal place to drop by for a plant-based meal when you have some time and need a place to hang out. You will find some classic Shanghainese tofu-based dishes on their menu, as well as a range of healthy international fare, from salads to pastas.

Address: If Vegan, 408 Shaanxi Bei, Jing An District, Shanghai, China. Open Daily: 11.00am – 9.00pm.

Source: TripAdvisor

3. Jujube Tree

If you’re looking for more veganised Shanghainese food, then check out Jujube Tree, a vegetarian restaurant with many animal-free options. They have an extensive menu comprised of many modern dishes, featuring ingredients like wild mushrooms, mock meats, tofu, seitan and yams. Make sure to try the visitor-fave: Deep Fried Monkey Head Mushroom with Satay Sauce. Yum!

Address: Jujube Tree, 258 Fengxian Road, Shanghai, China. Open Daily: 11.00am – 9.30pm.

Source: Maya Shanghai

4. Maya

Craving Mexican cuisine in the middle of Shanghai? Don’t fret – Maya, a Mexican-Californian restaurant is the perfect spot to get your salsa and mole fix. Though the restaurant does serve meat, it does have an entirely separate vegan menu catering to plant-based folk. Expect Lentil Enchiladas, Veggie Fajitas, Mushroom Tacos, and more. Oh, and don’t forget to try dairy-free ice cream for dessert.

Address: Maya, 568 Julu Road, Grand Plaza, 2/F Clubhouse, Shanghai, China. Open Weekdays: 5.00pm – late; Weekends: 11.00am – 4.00pm.

Source: HappyCow

6. Wu Jie

Another upmarket restaurant suitable for a romantic dinner date is Wu Jie. They offer various set menus comprised of completely meat-free Chinese dishes presented with a creative modern twist and using only seasonal fresh ingredients. The restaurant has been featured on the Michelin Guide before and is highly popular, so make sure to book ahead. While Wu Jie is vegetarian, they are happy to accommodate fully plant-based diners if you call ahead. Bonus for Buddhists: the menu is entirely leek- garlic and allium-free.

Address: Wu Jie, 405-7, 4/F Bund 22, 22 Zhongshan Dong Er Road, Huangpu, Shanghai, China. Open daily: 11.00am – 2.00pm, 5.00pm – 10.00pm.
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June 1, 2023

Green Rebel’s Vegan Chicken Launches At Nando’s Singapore

3 Mins Read
Indonesia’s whole-cut plant-based meat brand Green Rebel has announced a partnership with Nando’s Singapore for a limited menu collaboration.

The announcement marks the first time Nando’s, the South African-based chicken chain, has launched a plant-based menu option in Singapore. The new meatless Green Rebel Chick’n Steak is part of Nando’s “The Great Pretender” campaign.

Green Rebel x Nando’s

The new sandwich contains 18 grams of protein per serving and 7 grams of fiber — about the equivalent of 250 grams of spinach. The sandwich is rolling out to all six Nando’s locations in Singapore.

The partnership marks a milestone for Green Rebel, which launched in Singapore last year. The company’s products are available in 1,500 locations across Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Green Rebel at Nando’s | Courtesy

“The way to convince more people in Asia to try plant-based foods is with products that work great in favourite local dishes,” Michal Klar, general partner at Better Bite Ventures told Green Queen last year following Green Rebel’s Series A funding round. “Green Rebel is doing exactly that by offering plant-based meats with authentic flavours like Indonesian beef rendang, chicken satay and more.”

Last November, the company announced its expansion into the nondairy category with the launch of cheese, sauces, and dressings.

Singapore as a vegan launchpad

Singapore is increasingly cementing itself as a launch pad for vegan products. A confluence of increased consumer consciousness about environmental sustainability and ethical consumption has seen a rise in the demand for plant-based and alternative protein options across the nation. Singapore’s innovative, tech-forward business climate is ideal for the development and promotion of such products.

Most recently, Dutch food technology pioneer Meatable hosted its first-ever cultivated meat-tasting event in Singapore — the only country that has approved cultivated meat for sale and consumption.

Courtesy Meatable

Startups and multinational corporations alike are capitalizing on the opportunity. Recognizing Singapore’s potential, they’re launching an array of vegan alternatives, from lab-grown meat to plant-based dairy and egg substitutes. The government is also supportive of this burgeoning sector, contributing funds and resources for research and development in the food-tech industry.

Crucially, Singapore’s status as a cosmopolitan city, with its diverse population and culinary tastes, makes it a fertile testing ground for new vegan products. Businesses are able to reach a broad spectrum of consumers and gain insightful feedback to continually improve their offerings.

Furthermore, Singapore’s strategic location in Asia allows companies to expand into other markets in the region easily. Its role as a launch pad for vegan products underscores its broader ambition to become a leader in sustainable and innovative food solutions. This trend is likely to continue as the global demand for vegan and plant-based products grows.
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June 1, 2023

Hong Kong’s DayDayCook Partners With Nestlé on Shelf-Stable Vegan Meal Range

2 Mins Read
Hong Kong-based DayDayCook and Harvest Gourmet, Nestlé’s strategic brand, have joined forces to create a new range of plant-based meal options.

The new collaboration brings to market a line of shelf-stable products that incorporate Harvest Gourmet’s vegan ingredients sourced domestically. DayDayCook has traditionally focused on meal delivery kits for the home chef.

“I am super excited to see this collection launch and come to life,” Norma Chu, Founder and CEO of DayDayCook, said in a statement.

‘Special yet accessible’

The focus of the new vegan meat product range is to create something “special yet accessible” DayDayCook says. “We want to wow [customers] and bring them back to the fundamental of eating delicious and healthy meals with a dash of nostalgia for flavor.”

According to the company, the partnership with the Nestlé R+D Accelerator worked to develop foods that will resonate in a positive way with the Chinese audience as well as create a buzz within the plant-based market.

“We have been so honored to have the privilege of working with Nestlé, the largest food company in the world,” DayDayCook said. “During this process, we tried the full range of [plant-based meat] ingredients produced domestically by Nestlé China. With such a strong root in R&D, we were impressed by how much variety of plant-based ingredients were readily available. Then, we took it upon ourselves to create the most delicious and easy-to-make meal kits with these Harvest Gourmet ingredients.”

Float Foods’ OnlyEg looks, cooks, and tastes like chicken eggs | Courtesy

Last December, Singapore’s Float Foods, known for its egg replacement OnlyEg, partnered with DayDayCook to bring its vegan egg to its Hong Kong consumer base.

“People have enjoyed the experience of cooking and eating at home but are also hard-pressed for time and energy. The OnlyEg Meal Kits offer the chance to elevate the dining experience by introducing clean, contemporary, healthy meals,” Norma Chu, Founder, and CEO of DayDayCook, said in a statement. “Eating a healthy protein-rich meal should be accessible to everyone and bring a sense of celebration at the same time.”
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May 31, 2023

Hong Kong’s Plant-Forward Restaurant Chain Treehouse Expands

2 Mins Read
Hong Kong’s vegetable-forward restaurant Treehouse has opened its third location in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.

With its third location now up and running, Hong Kong’s Treehouse doubles down on its commitment to bring sustainable, delicious food to the region.

The new location is located in the heart of the city’s business district, where Treehouse says it hopes to reach consumers in need of a fast-casual dining experience with a focus on sustainability and a plant-forward ethos.

‘Systemic errors’

“The main contributors of ecological and climate destruction are largely tied to consumer and industry behavior,” Treehouse says. Founder and chef Christian G. Mongendre puts a focus on fixing these “systemic errors” by making delicious, nutritional food using high-quality, local ingredients that he says are accessible to everyone.

Christian G. Mongendre, Treehouse founder | Courtesy

“From the smallest details in menu development to technological upgrades in the venues,” Treehouse says Mongendre has his finger “on every pulse of innovation, covering eco-sustainability, health, and efficiency.”

The new Treehouse location offers guests a unique dining experience in a restaurant location that integrates and pays homage to nature. The new location was designed by the award-winning studio Stefano Tordiglione Design. The restaurant features a blend of mirrors, aluminum, and stainless steel that help guests feel suspended in a treehouse.

The menu is free from processed foods including preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and other unhealthy ingredients. New menu items include Spruce Pho Soup made from anise-clove broth, avocado, kelp noodles, bean sprouts, seasonal vegetables, Thai basil, lime, and chili.

Sustainable food in Hong Kong

The attention to detail is crucial, according to Mongendre in order to bring quality, conscious businesses to the mainstream. Mongendre is behind eight Hong Kong restaurants and one in Portugal.

Treehouse pizza | Courtesy

Hong Kong has seen a recent rise in sustainable food efforts. Last month, the Sustainable School Summit saw students and industry leaders convene to explore options for reducing the carbon footprint of regional school meals.

Also last month, Planet for All, a Hong Kong-based non-profit animal protection organization, launched its first public education campaign to promote plant-based milk. That partnership will see it work with 30 regional restaurants to make dairy-free options more accessible.
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May 31, 2023

Lewis Hamilton-Backed Neat Burger Secures $18 Million Series B: ‘A Major Milestone’

4 Mins Read
The U.K.-based Neat Burger, the plant-based restaurant chain supported by influential figures like Lewis Hamilton and Leonardo DiCaprio, is set to expand its global reach following a successful $18 million Series B fundraising round.

Despite the challenging macroeconomic backdrop, Neat Burger has emerged as a leading player in the plant-based food industry. The recent fundraise saw Formula One Champion Lewis Hamilton reinvest, alongside Chimera Capital. Notable new investors include LionTree, New Theory Ventures, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, and model and actress Sara Sampaio.

Since its launch in 2019, Neat Burger has rapidly grown to become one of the world’s fastest-growing plant-based food groups and has garnered a reputation for its pioneering approach to appeal to both flexitarian and plant-based consumers.

‘A major milestone’

The company’s focus on high-quality, fresh ingredients without compromising on taste has helped to make plant-based eating accessible and enjoyable for its customers. Neat Burger’s purpose is to offer ethical, sustainable, and delicious plant-based food served with passion and style.

“We are thrilled to have reached this major milestone in Neat Burger’s journey with a successful fundraise from previous investors alongside an impressive group of new investors,” Tommaso Chiabra, Co-Founder of Neat Burger, said in a statement.

“This is a pivotal moment for our business, and it allows us to accelerate our growth plans. With the successful launch of our New York location and record first quarter under our belt, we have demonstrated the strength of our brand, and are now well-positioned to bring our award-winning plant-based food to the growing number of consumers in the U.S. and worldwide who are embracing a healthier and more flexitarian lifestyle,” said Chiabra.

Neat Burger is exceeding sales projections | Courtesy

Leading the round is B-Flexion, a private institutional investment firm founded by Ernesto Bertarelli, which focuses on sustainability.

“I love how Neat Burger is on a mission to make plant-based eating more accessible to everyone,” Chiara Bertarelli said om a statement. “Our generation is paving the way and driving this change, with research showing once Gen-Z adopt a vegan or flexitarian diet, 70 percent stick with it. So, the key is getting people to try it and integrate it into their daily lives. First impressions count and Neat Burger’s approach, combining fun and sustainability, has the potential to change the world.” Bertarelli is a recent Harvard University graduate and will now serve as Neat Burger’s Sustainability Advisor.

The investor support not only recognizes Neat Burger’s growth potential but also acknowledges its unique and innovative approach. Neat Burger prioritizes an engaging restaurant experience that inspires consumer curiosity and encourages the adoption of a meat-free and flexitarian lifestyle. The group’s London restaurants have shown record-breaking performance in the first quarter of this year, with like-for-like sales up by 20 percent.

Central to Neat Burger’s menu are its fully plant-based offerings, providing health-conscious consumers with guilt-free options for enjoying all-American burger classics. The Neat Burger patty is crafted with a blend of nutritious superfoods such as mung beans, quinoa, and chickpeas, and is rich in healthy fats and protein.

Neat expansion

Earlier this year, Neat Burger made its U.S. debut in New York. “We see New York as a tastemaker gateway to the U.S. and by all metrics it has been our most successful launch to date,” said Zack Bishti, Co-Founder and CEO of Neat Burger. First-month sales exceeded expectations, making it the best-performing store in the entire Neat Burger portfolio.

Neat Burger New York | Courtesy

“New Yorkers have good taste and strong opinions and we’ve been thrilled to see customers continually return,” said Bishti. “We’re at the heart of the growth in plant-based diets and our proximity to the customer voice sets us apart. In response to the growing demand for cleaner ingredients, we’ve incorporated healthier options into the New York menu, while continuing to serve our growing community food that’s as sustainable as it is delicious.”

The chain is also expanding with restaurant launches in Italy and the Middle East. Additionally, the company is growing its business-to-business vertical by forming partnerships with hospitality groups and businesses aiming to achieve net-zero targets by shifting to plant-based offerings.

The success of Neat Burger is reflected in its growing fanbase and also in widespread industry recognition. The company has been honored with the prestigious U.K.’s Best Vegan Restaurant of the Year award at the Deliveroo Restaurant Awards for two consecutive years. These accolades highlight the positive response and acceptance of Neat Burger’s innovative approach to plant-based dining.

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April 13, 2023

The Vegetarian Butcher Taps Michelin Chefs for Its First Cookbook

2 Mins Read
The Vegetarian Butcher, the Unilever-owned Dutch plant-based meat brand, has launched its first cookbook “New Meat.”

The new cookbook builds on the success of the Vegetarian Butcher’s offerings since it launched in 2010. “New Meat” features 100 classic meat dishes made for “open-minded meat lovers.”

The book builds on the success of The Vegetarian Butcher, which started out in The Hague, offering meat-free options out of a butcher shop after ninth-generation farmer and meat lover Jaap Korteweg gave up eating meat. The company has been a leader in replicating sausage, mince, and burgers, with placement in 55 countries and more than 40,000 retail outlets.

The Vegetarian Butcher’s New Meat cookbook

“I was hooked on the taste of meat and my idea was how we can produce meat without animals with the same taste, the same texture, the same experience,” Korteweg told the World Economic Forum in 2019.

“People like meat,” says Korteweg. “But it’s not necessary to live without it, you can eat as much meat as you want, without the use of animals.”

The book features recipes from Korteweg along with a range of contributions from eleven top chefs including those from Michelin-starred chefs Asimakis Chaniotis, the executive chef at Pied à Terre in London; James Goodyear, the head chef at Adam’s; Ricky Saward chef at Seven Swans in Frankfurt, the first vegan restaurant in the world to be awarded a Michelin star and Michelin green star for sustainability; and Andrew Pern, chef and owner of the Star in North Yorkshire.

Vegetarian Butcher sausage rolls | Courtesy

“New Meat” aims to spotlight the diversity plant-based meat offers. It features five of the Vegetarian Butcher products including vegan Chicken Chunks, the vegan Raw Burger, vegetarian Meatballs, vegan Chicken Breast, and the vegan Crispy Chicken Burger.

The book features cooking tips and tricks for working with plant-based ingredients on recipes including vegan Wellingtong, Bourguignon, and Indian Butter Chicken. “All of them showcasing the best of plant-based, sacrificing nothing in terms of taste, texture and traditions.”

Recipes cover five categories: Weekdays; Breakfast, Brunch & Lunch; Weekends; Snack Time; and Classics. Most of the recipes were developed by recipe developers, food stylists, and lifelong cooks José van Mil and Fleur van Mil, and photographed by Remko Kraaijeveld.

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March 27, 2023

Chipotle Charts a Sustainable Course for 2023 With ESG Goals and Food Tech Investments

4 Mins Read
Fast casual restaurant chain Chipotle has announced its 2023 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals, which will be tied to an executive compensation bonus of up to 15 percent.

Chipotle’s new ESG goals include increasing the pounds of local produce purchased, improving diverse employee retention — Chipotle says it increased its diversity from 60 percent to nearly 64 percent last year — and increasing the number of restaurants with composting programs. The announcement also comes on the heels of notable investments into food tech.

ESG Goals

“Chipotle’s ESG goals are a direct reflection of our commitment to inspire real, sustainable change with a potential impact far beyond this Company,” said Laurie Schalow, Chief Corporate Affairs, Chipotle. “We hold our executive leadership team accountable to make business decisions that Cultivate a Better World, and we want to continue to transparently showcase the steps we’re taking to help meet these objectives.”

The restaurant chain, which has more than 3,000 U.S. locations, says it is committed to increasing the total pounds of produce purchased from local farmers year over year. It defines local produce as a 350-mile radius of one of its distribution centers.

Chipotle puts a focus on locally sourced produce. Courtesy

For this year, Chipotle’s goal is to purchase at least 37.5 million pounds of local produce, up from 36.4 million pounds purchased in 2022. The organization also met its 2022 goal of purchasing more than 57 million pounds of organic, transitional and/or locally-grown ingredients, with 58.3 million pounds in total minus rice and beans, which were excluded due to external crop factors.

Chipotle is also leveraging its new venture fund, Cultivate Next, to make early-stage investments in companies that can help further its mission and meet its ESG goals. This includes increasing its local produce supply through its latest investment in Local Line, a leading local food sourcing platform for regional food systems, serving farms, producers, food hubs, and food buyers by helping them digitize their operations and sell products. That investment will also support Local Line’s U.S. expansion.

Chipotle will also be increasing its focus on composting with a goal of reducing waste to landfills by 5 percent by 2025 and increasing the number of restaurants participating in its compost program by 23 percent this year. The chain said it exceeded its 2022 goal of reducing Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5 percent, achieving a 13 percent reduction against 2019 emissions.

Food tech investments

Cultivate Next is also investing in Zero Acre Farms, a food company focused on healthy, sustainable oils and fats. Zero Acre Farms uses fermentation to make oils that are more environmentally friendly than conventional vegetable oils, namely palm and soy.

Chipotle invested as part of Zero Acre Farms’ Series A extension round in an undisclosed amount. A spokesperson for Zero Acre Farm told Green Queen that the investment is not necessarily an indicator that the chain will be using the company’s oil in stores anytime soon. “This news is only in regards to a financial investment in ZAF by Chipotle,” they said. “That said, Chipotle makes investments through its Cultivate Next fund in companies it thinks can help it achieve its mission to cultivate a better world.”

Zero Acre Farms | Courtesy

However, the move could signal the chain is warming up to food tech. Chipotle has eschewed plant-based meat products such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods in the past, opting instead for tofu in its Sofritas instead, and a limited-edition plant-based chorizo made “using all real, fresh ingredients grown on a farm, not in a lab.”

In 2019, Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol told Yahoo Finance that the company spoke with the brands and “unfortunately it wouldn’t fit in our ‘food with integrity’ principles because of the processing, as I understand it, that it takes to make a plant taste like a burger.

“If there’s a way for them to do this that would match our ‘food with integrity’ principles, I’m sure we would continue talking with them.”

Chipotle’s Cultivate Next did invest in fellow Colorado-based company Meati Foods — a clean-label vegan meat made from mycelium.

“We are excited to support new ways to bring vegetables to the center of the plate though plant-based alternative protein options that mirror Chipotle’s Food With Integrity standards,” Curt Garner, Chief Technology Officer at Chipotle, said in a statement at the time. “Meati is producing responsibly grown plant-based protein that tastes delicious.”

The chain has yet to make any announcements about adding Meati to its menus, though. But a trial could be on the horizon as the startup has just started its retail rollout, landing in 380 Sprouts Markets earlier this month.

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March 20, 2023

Where To Get The Best Bowl of (Vegan) Dan Dan Noodles In Hong Kong

3 Mins Read
Is there anything better than slurping a bowl of classic Sichuan dan dan noodles (also known as Bang Bang Noodles, or Dan Dan Meen)? Piling thin noodles on top a spicy chili oil, nutty peanut sauce, mouth numbing peppercorn, and a sprinkling of sesame…. ooh! Traditionally including minced pork and scallions, it used to be so hard to find a restaurant that served a meatless version. However, times have changed and so have the ingredients in our favorite fiery snack. The golden age of veganism has spawned master chefs to craft delicious plant-based options. Bring a little heat to your life with the best vegetarian dan dan noodles in Hong Kong!

1. Pure Veggie House – Vegan-Friendly

A Buddhist vegetarian restaurant located up in Mid-Levels, in addition to serving one of the best meatless dim sum, Pure Veggie House is a great spot to grab a bowl of those Sichuan style noods. Served all day long with tantalizing peanuts and sesame sauce, if you have time after your meal, head out for a walk at the Botanical Gardens right next door.

3/F, 51 Garden Road, Coda Plaza, Mid-Levels, +852 2525 0552

2. Din Tai Fung – Vegan-Friendly

Taiwan’s accidental dumpling empire is a great place to get your dan dan mien fill at one of their many outlets. We love how their chewy, handmade noodles are cooked to order every single time, perfectly doused in spicy sesame (which isn’t that spicy, in our humble opinion) and vegan peanut sauce.

For a full list of Din Tai Fung locations in Hong Kong, see here.

3. Crystal Jade – Vegetarian

One of our favourite traditional omni Chinese restaurants, we love the extensive vegetarian menu at Crystal Jade. Their Green Selection Series features their signature Sichuan Dan Dan La Mian complete with nutty richness and mild spiciness. Please note: the noodles do contain eggs, making this dish a no-no for vegans.

For a full list of Crystal Jade locations in Hong Kong, see here.

4. Chili Fagara – Vegan-Friendly

For something more complex and compelling, look no further than the dan dan noodles at Chili Fagara. While the components of sesame, scallions and chili may appear familiar, it’s their homemade peanut sauce that makes this spicy and savory combo memorable. Be sure to let your server know you’re here for the veggie version upon ordering!

G/F, 7 Old Bailey Street, Soho, Central, +852 2796 6866

Images courtesy of Crystal Jade (lead), Confusion Kitchen, Macau Lifestyle, and Chili Fagara.
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February 21, 2023

Latin America’s First Vegan Fast Food Chain Embraces the Joy of Plants

3 Mins Read
As the demand for vegan food continues to expand across the globe, Joy Burgers & Plants is the first vegan fast food chain to open in Latin America.

Joy Burgers & Plants opened its doors in Argentina last October. Joy offers a range of animal-free burgers, chicken, mac and cheese, nuggets, and more fast-food staples, all served in compostable and recycled packaging.

‘Franchising in mind’

According to Patricio Lescovich, one of the founders of Joy, the brand was developed with franchising in mind, leveraging the extensive experience of the founders of Hell’s Pizza and SushiClub. Lescovich is also behind the Argentinian burger restaurant named after (mostly vegetarian) actor, Kevin Bacon.

Joy is adding two more locations before the end of the fiscal quarter, with two other openings slated for later this year.

Joy Burgers & Plants is expanding in Argentina | Courtesy

In addition, Joy has partnered with Argentina’s leading plant-based alternatives company, Felices las Vacas, to develop its burgers and chicken alternatives.

Felices las Vacas has the logistics and production capacity to supply Joy’s rapid expansion plans. The company started selling soy milk in Buenos Aires in 2016 and now has an award-winning plant-based portfolio with nearly 40 products, including dairy, meat alternatives, ice cream, snacks, sweets, and drinks.

LATAM embraces plant-based

The popularity of plant-based protein in Latin America is on the rise. A study by Innova Market Insights found that 57 percent of Latin American consumers are trying to increase their consumption of plant-based protein, citing health and environmental concerns as the main motivators.

As the demand for plant-based protein continues to grow, food companies are taking notice. Leading LATAM’s shift is the Chile-based NotCo, which recently partnered with fast-food giant Burger King in LATAM. It also recently joined forces with Kraft Heinz.

Kraft Heinz and NotCo have signed a joint venture agreement earlier this year

Founded in 2015 by Matias Muchnick, Karim Pichara, and Pablo Zamora, NotCo uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to create plant-based products that taste and feel like their animal-based counterparts.

NotCo is also providing vegan chicken for Joy.

Both NotCo’s and Joy’s success in the plant-based food industry highlights the growing demand for sustainable and healthy food options outside of the U.S. and Europe.

“Sometimes you can have an excellent product and a market that is not ready to receive it,” Lescovich told Forbes Argentina last year. “But is not the case. Ours is a country that is always innovating in terms of gastronomy, on par with what happens in other parts of the world. We are prepared for a 100% vegan fast-food chain. Because Joy, in addition, is not just a hamburger restaurant for people who do not eat meat. A good part of our consumers are flexitarians, people who like the taste of meat but who try to reduce their consumption. Not only for a matter of food but also for awareness of animal care and the environment.”

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February 13, 2023

60% of US Restaurant Operators See Plant-Based As A Long-Term Trend

4 Mins Read
One-third of US consumers say they like/love plant-based foods, and restaurant operators are increasingly likely to add plant-based menu items, with price and taste still key attributes for diners.

In a January webinar titled ‘The State of Plant-Based in Food Service’, the Plant-Based Foods Association (PBFA), a US-based trade association representing leading plant-based brands, shared some data about how US restaurants are thinking about plant-based meat and plant-based dairy products and what their plans are for 2023.

The PBFA report, produced in partnership with Datassential, US restaurant industry menu database MenuTrends to gather data from a nationally representative sample of 4,800 US chains and independent restaurants. The report features some key data and insights. Below, we highlight what you need to know.

Close to two-thirds of fast-casual restaurants plan to offer plant-based menu items in 2023

Almost half (48.4%) of all restaurants currently offer plant-based alternatives. Trend-forward restaurants are most likely to offer plant-based options (64.7% fast-casual restaurants) with fine dining restaurants the least likely (31.6%) and QSR restaurants coming in at 41.8%. Since 2012, growth in plant-based food menu penetration across all operators stands at 62%.

‘Plant-based’ as a diet and menu descriptor is growing

In terms of menu descriptions and dietary terms, ‘plant-based’ as a descriptor has grown by 20% across national restaurants, compared to 7% for ‘vegetarian’ and 11% for ‘vegan’ over the past year. ‘Dairy-free’ is also up 20%. Over the past 4 years, ‘vegan’ is up 98%.

One-third of US consumers like/love plant-based foods

According to the survey, 28% of the US population has an affinity for plant-based foods (this is defined as consumers who love/like plant-based), with younger consumers (Gen X and Millenials), Asian and Black ethnicities, and fast-casual restaurant consumers especially likely to support these products.

Price and taste are still the biggest concerns for plant-based meat consumers

When polled about the concerns around eating less meat in restaurants versus eating more plants and plant-forward foods, 40% of consumers said they were worried about not being satisfied with the taste of the alternative meat, while 30% were concerned about paying too much for such dishes. Not getting enough protein (27%) and plant-based foods being too processed (18%)were much further down the list.

60% of restaurants operators see plant-based as a long-term trend

Four times as many operators plan to add plant-based to their menus over the next twelve months than those who said they would drop these products from their menus. 28% of operators plan to add more plant-based menu items (21% for QSR chains), while 29% said they don’t feature them at all and don’t plan to (46% for QSR). 7% said they plan to remove some or all from their menu (8% for QSR).

When asked whether plant-based meat substitutes were a long-term trend or a short-term fad, 60% of operators said long-term.

Plant-based meat burgers restaurant launches double that of whole veggie burgers

Despite the many headlines around the processed nature of plant-based burgers, the latter are expected to double their penetration on restaurant menus, compared to veggie burgers (defined by the survey as traditional plant-based burgers including black bean burgers, chickpea burgers and burgers from brands like Morningstar Farms and Boca).

Consumers are ready for other categories of plant-based like eggs and seafood

That being said, beyond burger patties, other plant-based food products and formats were highlighted as having strong YoY growth potential including plant-based crumbles (87%), seafood (57%), fish (44%), and eggs (52%), as consumers were getting used to burgers (14%) and sausages (24%).

Plant-based meat is doing well overseas

While no exact numbers were shared, PBFA noted that overseas markets have become a key focus for plant-based meat brands, highlighting Burger King’s plant-based menu across many European countries. The USDA’s Foreign Services Agency recently published a report directed at US plant-based brands calling for them to export to Germany where the plant-based foods category is popular and growing.

Plant-based dairy is showing strong growth across all types of products

Dairy-free menu offerings are up over 20% across all restaurant segments and 31% at fast-casual operators. Almond milk is the most popular alternative drinking milk offering on menus, with 3.6% penetration and 41% growth over the past four years. Oat milk comes in at 1.9%; the report notes that oat milk had almost no menu appearances four years ago but is now experiencing strong growth. Coconut milk is by far the most popular alternative milk for savory cooking applications (i.e. used in another dish like a curry). Plant-based cheese has 4.5% menu penetration across all restaurants, with a y-year growth of 110%; mozzarella is the most popular. The report suggests that there is a great deal of potential for this sub-sector.

Plant-based menu launches can offer restaurant menus ‘uniqueness’

The report says that while general monthly menu launches are almost back to pre-Covid levels, uniqueness ratings are declining so there is an opportunity for plant-based food to help operators get those numbers up. January and September are the most popular months for restaurants to launch limited-time plant-based menu offerings.

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February 13, 2023

As South Korea Imports Vegan Papa John’s Pizza, It Exports Almond Cheese

3 Mins Read
Papa John’s expands its South Korea vegan presence while a national brand pushes ahead with U.S. almond cheese expansion plans.

U.S. pizza chain giant Papa John’s has brought two new vegan pizza options to 220 locations across South Korea for the first time.

Papa John’s South Korea

The new Papa John’s pizzas, Green Eat Vegetable Margarita and Green Eat Vegetable Garden Special, feature vegan cheese and a certification pass from the U.K.-based Vegan Society.

“Although the domestic market is still small compared to the overseas vegan market, the role of a premium pizza brand is to respond to preferences of each consumer,” Jeon Joong-gu Papa John’s Korea head, said in a statement.

Papa John’s brings vegan pizza to South Korea | Courtesy

South Korea has been steadily expanding its stake in the vegan market. Last November, Red Baron pizza’s parent company, South Korea’s food giant CJ CheilJedang, invested in New Culture Foods, a precision fermentation cheese startup. CJ CheilJedang’s holdings accounts for about 25 percent of the U.S. frozen pizza market.

“CJ CheilJedang has invaluable experience and connections in the food and pizza industries that will provide New Culture pivotal scale-up momentum as we push forward our go-to-market strategy,” Matt Gibson, co-founder and CEO, New Culture, said in a statement. “This partnership brings New Culture one step closer to being America’s favorite cheese, animal-free or not.”

Almond cheese comes to the U.S.

The news comes as Armored Fresh, the U.S. subsidiary of South Korea’s Armored Fresh Inc., says it is expanding its U.S. headquarters in Tysons, Virginia for its vegan cheese. Armored Fresh makes dairy-free almond milk-based cheese.

“Northern Virginia and Fairfax County has a rich history in dairy and is advancing in tech innovation. We’re glad to make Fairfax County our home and be part of the vibrant business and innovation community,” Andrew Yu, CEO of Armored Fresh, said in a statement.

“I am thrilled to see an innovator like Armored Fresh expand its Fairfax County headquarters, creating jobs and growing its business capacity,” Jeff McKay, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, said in a statement. “Their environmentally sustainable approach to healthy food is an example of the type of forward-thinking companies that make their home here, and I especially appreciate the expansion of our economic ties with South Korea.”

Armored Fresh almond cheese is expanding in the U.S. | Courtesy

The expansion also earned praise from Virginia’s governor Glenn Youngkin (R).

“It is gratifying to support the growth of an international company like Armored Fresh, whose success further strengthens Virginia’s standing as a prime global business destination,” Youngkin said in a statement. “The company is advancing food technology with its vegan cheese products, and we are proud that this industry innovation is happening right here in the Commonwealth.”

Armored Fresh says it’s investing $125,000 into the expansion, and plans to add 27 jobs to the region. According to the company, its dairy-free cheese “comes super close to matching the taste and texture that people expect in cheese.”

The company, which launched in 2021, says it’s the first to commercialize almond milk cheese. It offers a range of slices, shreds, cubes, and cream cheese. Armored Fresh is targeting retail opportunities in New York City, with plans to expand from there.

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February 9, 2023

Hong Kong’s Plant Sifu Pork Comes to Nosh’s Meal Plan Menu

3 Mins Read
Plant Sifu, Hong Kong’s first locally established and produced plant-based food brand, has announced it will be the exclusive plant-based meat partner with the regional meal delivery service Nosh in a limited-edition menu running from February 9th to April 30th.

The Nosh partnership marks the first time Plant Sifu dishes can be made at home, the company says.

‘Healthy and delicious eating’

“We’re very excited to launch a list of exclusive dishes with Nosh, Hong Kong’s leading healthy meal plan company,” Plant Sifu co-founder Joshua Ng said in a statement. “The new menus are all about healthy and delicious eating, combining Plant Sifu plant-based meat with a wide range of nutritious superfoods such as shirataki noodles, quinoa and mixed grains. This is what good food is all about.”

Ng co-founded Good Food Technologies with Dr. Andrew Leung in 2020. The company debuted with its first consumer brand, Plant Sifu, and its plant-based pork. The startup went on to raise HK$12 million in a seed round last March.

Plant Sifu is making its meal kit debut | Courtesy

According to Nosh’s executive chef Kevin James the demand for alternate proteins has boomed in recent years. “We’ve seen a rise in demand for our Nosh Veggie and Flexi meal plans, and we understand the importance of offering a variety of meal options that would appeal to everyone, especially when it comes to plant-based diets.”

Nosh is leading a new wave of meal delivery, using premium and sustainable ingredients with products featuring transparent calorie counts. It’s the first in Hong Kong to offer flexitarian meal plans that highlight plant-based protein along with leafy greens and mixed grains. Nosh says its meal kits come in biodegradable packaging, further underscoring its sustainability commitments.

Plant Sifu x Nosh menu

The Plant Sifu Nosh meal plans will feature two or three weekly meals. Sample menu items include a Thai Basil and Plant Sifu Mince with Broken Rice Bowl, which Nosh says is a healthy take on the Thai street food staple, Pad Kra Pao.

Plant Sifu Mince Chili with Quinoa Brown Rice “brings a new kick to the moreish Mexican must-have dish.” The company says its mince is stewed for two hours to soak up the sauce.

Courtesy Plant Sifu

The menu also includes a Hamburg steak with Japanese Curry rice, Plant Sifu pork slice with Goan curry and basmati rice in a spice-filled creamy curry with rice.

“Given our philosophy of providing customers with healthy meal plans, we appreciate the absence of MSG, preservatives, additives and colouring in Plant Sifu,” James said.

The launch follows Plant Sifu’s debut in seven Chinese Hong Kong restaurants last August.

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February 3, 2023

2023: The Year of Vegan Sushi

3 Mins Read
Another Veganuary has come to a close but the vegan options continue to roll in. And one category is set to see big growth this year: vegan sushi.

Supermarket sushi giant Kikka Sushi has announced vegan tuna and salmon sushi coming to Whole Foods Markets’ sushi counters, Konscious Foods comes to freezers, and restaurants go all-in on plant-based fish.

Vegan supermarket sushi

Kikka, a Whole Foods partner for more than 30 years, is using the vegetable root konjac in proprietary preparations to replicate the taste and texture of raw salmon and tuna. The launch is part of Kikka’s five-year mission to create vegan sushi offerings that mimic the taste and texture of conventional seafood. The sushi is rolling out to select locations nationwide.

Kikka’s launch comes on the heels of the November launch of Konscious Foods, a Vancouver-based vegan sushi brand coming to freezer sections. The company is the brainchild of Yves Potvin who launched the popular vegan brands Yves Veggie Cuisine and Gardein.

Kikka sushi comes to Whole Foods | Courtesy

Konscious Foods marks the first time a sushi range comes to freezer sections. It will feature eight products including four sushi and four onigiri rolls for retail and food service.

“At Konscious, our chefs create plant-based seafood that people can choose over traditional options for their own health and the health of the planet,” Potvin said in a statement. “We saw a gap that wasn’t being filled. People want choices, regardless of whether that’s for meat or seafood. Here we match the delicious taste of plant-based sushi and onigiri with the convenience of ready-to-eat meals and snacks.”

Last month, Dutch-based Vegan Zeastar announced “the world’s first” range of vegan sushi and poke bowls, which it served up at a regional food service trade show. The range included palm-oil-free vegan nigiri, sashimi, uramaki, gunkan, handrolls, or poke bowls.

Plant-Based sushi restaurants

Vegan sushi isn’t just coming to supermarkets, though. Restaurants are increasing their options. Vegan sushi bar Kusaki in West Los Angeles is bringing the city its first plant-based omakase experience. Kusaki is offering a mix of appetizers, sashimi, nigiri, and hand rolls with plant-based salmon nigiri and a crispy garlic tuna carpaccio made from tapioca.

Kusaki is bringing plant-based sushi to Los Angeles | Courtesy

Jeffrey Best and Ken Jones, two longtime bar and restaurant operators, are also opening a vegan sushi restaurant, APB (All Plant Based), coming to West Hollywood. APB will be a vegan sushi bar with a menu by Niku Nashi.

Plant-based sushi offerings aren’t new to LA — Shojin in Little Tokyo and Culver City have been vegan destinations since 2008. And other sushi spots including Highland Park’s Ichijiku and Fiish in Culver City’s Platform mall offer a range of vegan items.

Asian-inspired Planta Queen recently opened in New York City near the Empire State Building. It offers a range of sushi items as well as other Asian dishes including bao, dumplings, and noodle dishes.

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January 13, 2023

Project Eaden Lands €10M for Vegan Steak That Eliminates ‘Every Single Reason’ for Animal Meat

4 Mins Read
German food-tech startup Project Eaden has announced a €10.1 million seed funding round for its novel fiber technology used to create plant-based steak.

Creandum, Atlantic Food Labs, Shio Capital, Trellis Road, and several angels including former Rügenwalder MD Godo Röben led the new funding. The initial funding round was last June. And last month, Magnetic and Atlantic Food Labs increased their investments by another €2.1m.

Project Eaden says the financing will further the development of its proprietary bio-fiber technology that creates meaty steak that looks, cooks, and tastes like conventional.

Fiber spun meat

“Project Eaden is a technology company, so we’ll be investing in our own R&D activities and the initial production setup,” Project Eaden co-founder Jan Wilmking said in a statement. Wilmking co-founded Project Eaden last year with materials scientist Dr. David Schmelzeisen and Mymuesli founder Hubertus Bessau.

“We’ve built a highly-motivated team of professionals to further develop our unique, proprietary technology over the past nine months, including tissue engineers, food technologists, material scientists, and culinary professionals,” Wilmking said.

Photo by tommao wang on Unsplash

Carl Fritjofsson, General Partner at Creandum says that eating meat is associated with excessive land and water usage and unsustainable levels of greenhouse gas emissions. “But, for most people, it’s simply too much of a pleasure to give up on,” he says.

“Until today, existing plant-based options haven’t solved this dilemma, as they lack compelling taste, texture, and look despite higher prices. Project Eaden has the potential to become the industry’s game changer. That’s why we’re so excited to lead this round, which is one of the largest in the European plant-based meat tech sector,” Fritjofsson said.

“Project Eaden is meaningful innovation at its best, representing our mission to back world-class teams with a maximum possible footprint. We are happy to continue our long collaboration with the team,” said David Rosskamp, founding partner at Magnetic.

Project Eaden says its bio fiber technology recreates the taste, texture, and appearance of animal meat. The tech is similar to fiber spinning for synthetic fiber use across other industries including textiles, aerospace, and automotive. It says it’s using the same technology for meat — noting that it’s highly scalable and affordable.

Fiber spinning is an ancient practice; Egyptians used spindles to turn flax fiber into yarn. By 1665, after the development of the spinning wheel, Robert Hooke explored the idea of producing synthetic threads. It wasn’t until the 1930s that the world saw the first spinning of fully synthetic fiber, giving rise to nylon and polyester, which revolutionized the fashion industry. Project Eaden says it’s now time for another evolution to spinning — this time for food.

Plant-based meat 2.0

“Both plant and muscle fibers are versatile building blocks with fascinating material properties, which is why so many of today’s high-tech materials are natural fiber-inspired,” Schmelzeisen said. “For example, we use carbon fiber for rockets and satellites, and biomaterial-based implants for humans. Now, for the first time, we’re replicating meat, fiber by fiber, using proven and easily scalable textile industry technologies.”

Project Eaden says these fibers can be designed with precision to meet technical requirements including elasticity, water-binding ability, and strength. The ultra-thin fibers are bundled into strands that mimic conventional muscle tissue. The fibers are then combined with vegetable fats for a marbled, plant-based meat nearly identical to its animal-based counterpart.

Courtesy Juicy Marbles

Project Eaden joins Juicy Marbles, another European startup working to displace whole-cut animal meat. But Project Eaden says its tech is unrivaled in taste and texture.

“Our ultimate goal is to offer consumers a product that eliminates every single reason there is to eat animals,” Wilmking said. “We intend to fully recreate and even improve on the sensory profile and the overall pleasure people experience when they eat meat.”

Bessau says a delicious plant-based steak isn’t only associated with benefits for the consumer market, “but also for the planet because livestock are responsible for six percent of all greenhouse gas emissions,” he said. “The ‘carbon hoofprint’ is just as large as the carbon footprint of the entire global transport sector – road, air and sea combined.”

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January 11, 2023

WTH Foods Launches New Filipino-Inspired Frozen Plant-Based Meat Range, Umani

2 Mins Read

Philippines-based plant-based meat manufacturer WTH Foods has launched Umani, a new range of frozen plant-based products drawing on Filipino culture.

The mission-driven WTH Foods says its new range of frozen meals is part of its goal of helping to feed the planet’s estimated population of ten billion people by 2050.

Umani

The new WTH Foods Umani range, a combination of the Japanese word “umami”(“delicious) and the Filipino word “ani” (“harvest”), the frozen range includes sausages, burgers, meatballs, mince, sisig, tapa, tuna, and a holiday ham roast.

Umani’s products are made from wheat, soy, and microalgae. The company says they offer a good source of protein and fiber while being free from trans fats, cholesterol, hormones, and antibiotics common in conventional meat.

“We, at WTH Foods, innovate food experiences and transform the way the world eats one plate at a time,” Carissa Lim, co-founder and chief operating officer, told The Philippine Star.

“We hope to raise awareness on nutrition, sustainability and food security, and find new ways to satisfy the population’s dietary protein requirements,” Lim said.

Diving into plant-based seafood

The company, which Lim co-founded alongside Stephen Co and Carlo Ng, says it will also turn its attention to the booming plant-based seafood category beyond the tuna offered in the Umani range.

“We use microalgae for food applications, such as plant-based seafood, beverages, sauces and high-moisture extrusion,” Lim said.

Umani is taking on traditional meaty Filipino dishes like sisig with plants | Courtesy

“Our R&D will develop our microalgae solutions for biomass supply, extraction of value ingredients, and development and isolation of our own strain,” she said.

WTH has been working with universities, government agencies, and R&D teams to develop new products and expand its reach. It’s eyeing expansion to Southeast Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East over the next few years.

“We expect to grow in terms of distribution and register the products with appropriate regulatory agencies for global expansion and presence in Asia Pacific and Europe. We would collaborate with other businesses and improve accessibility to our products and services,” she said.

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January 11, 2023

South Korea’s Lotteria Adds a New Plant-Based Burger To Its 1,300 Restaurants

2 Mins Read
Lotteria Co. Ltd., the South Korean quick-service restaurant chain with more than 1,300 locations, has added a new version of its Ria Miracle plant-based burger to the menu.

The Ria Miracle Burger II, which follows its Ria Miracle Burger launch in 2020, is now on the menu at Lotteria locations across South Korea.

The chain, known for Korean-style hamburgers and fried chicken, says the new burger is soy based. Its predecessor was made from wheat gluten.

The Ria Miracle Burger II

Lotteria received pushback when it launched its first Ria iteration; the burger buns contained milk and eggs and the sauce had beef extract in it. The chain reformulated to meet the growing demand for plant-based options.

“These days, a growing number of Koreans are interested in plant-based burgers,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “Our new burger would be good for those who eat and have started to eat plant-based food.”

Lotteria’s Ria Miracle Burger || is made from ‘veef’ | Courtesy

Ria Miracle Burger II is made from soy protein, which the company says gives it a meaty texture and flavor. It comes with a soy-onion sauce and tomato. Lotteria also launched ‘Lea Miracle Burger II’ and ‘Double Ria Miracle Burger II’ options.

“Customers who prefer alternative meat are gradually increasing due to the expansion of new consumption trends among customers,” An official from Lotte GRS said in a statement. “We plan to take the lead in the athletic burger market.”

‘Ethical consumption’

Following the 2020 launch of its first Ria Miracle Burger, Lotteria said it sought to reflect the market trend, “in which more people are showing an interest in ethical consumption. We will continue to expand the market, so that customers who care about the environment and their health can enjoy various types of veggie burgers.”

Burger King is launching 2 new vegan burgers for Veganuary

In a LinkedIn post, The Good Food Institute said the menu update “is just the latest sign that alternative proteins are picking up steam among local consumers.” It cited data from The Korea International Trade Association, which has previously predicted that plant-based meat “could overtake conventional meat for market share by as soon as 2040.”

The launch comes as other fast-food chains, chiefly, Burger King, are leaning into plant-based offerings. Burger King just unveiled a new vegan bacon cheeseburger at its U.K. locations for Veganuary.

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January 6, 2023

Sodexo Releases Plant-Based Food Sales Data In Support of Veganuary

3 Mins Read
New data from leading food service distributor Sodexo shows ten percent of all meals sold through its U.K. and Ireland sites in 2022 were vegan or vegetarian.

The number of plant-based meals sold through Sodexo’s nearly 500 U.K. client sites grew from eight percent in 2021 to ten percent last year. Leading the growth were clients in the health care industries, selling an average of 17 percent vegan or vegetarian meals. Clients in the East Midlands saw the biggest proportion of plant-based meals at 21 percent.

‘A shift in consumer awareness’

“Whether people are vegan, vegetarian, or just want to try something new, it’s great to see that more and more customers are trying plant-based meals across our sites. This really demonstrates a shift in consumer awareness, a wider range of options, and a marketplace responding,” Claire Atkins-Morris, Director of Corporate Responsibility at Sodexo, said in a statement.

Sodexo’s vegan options include lentil celeriac chestnut pie, potato mixed bean chilli, tofu summer tart, Southern Indian vegan chickpea curry, vegan mushroom burger, vegan chicken nuggets, and aubergine masala among others.

Photo by Anastasia Shuraeva from Pexels.

Sodexo says its Energy and Resources clients saw the biggest increase in vegan and vegetarian meals year-on-year, growing from two percent in 2021 to 12 percent last year. Schools and universities were surprisingly lower at five percent, despite younger generations driving demand for plant-based options. Government sites grew from five percent to seven percent. Corporate Services client sites made up 13 percent of meals, up from ten percent in 2021.

Veganuary

Sodexo released the data ahead of Veganuary, the popular U.K.-based campaign that encourages people to eat vegan for the entire month of January.

“We’re delighted to see Sodexo reporting an increase in sales of vegan and vegetarian meals across their UK and Ireland client sites,” Toni Vernelli, Head of Communication & Marketing at Veganuary said.

Veganuary is coming

“Veganuary is here to support anyone who wants to try being vegan, but it makes our job a lot simpler when organisations like Sodexo are offering delicious, nutritious, and easily accessible options,” Vernelli said.

“We are a proud supporter of Veganuary, and our community of chefs are encouraging more customers to try our plant-based meals by developing delicious vegan and vegetarian recipes that show the variety of meal options people have at our client sites,” Atkins-Morris said. “As part of our Net Zero commitment, we have set ourselves the goal of increasing the number of plant-based meals and recipes our clients choose from to 33 percent by 2025.”

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January 6, 2023

Vegan Bacon Cheeseburgers Launch at Burger King

2 Mins Read
Burger King has launched a new Bacon King range with two vegan options for Veganuary: The Vegan Royale Bakon King and The Plant-Based Bakon King (Single or Double).

The new burgers, available at U.K. locations, build on Burger King’s growing vegan offerings. The new burgers feature vegan from Natalie Portman-backed brand La Vie and dairy-free cheese from Greek company Violife. Last month, Burger King made La Vie’s vegan bacon a permanent menu item at more than 500 locations.

‘A diverse and innovative range of products’

“We’re incredibly proud of our new menu additions and confident that our customers will enjoy the new plant-based bacon and cheese as much as we have in taste tests,” Katie Evans, a Burger King U.K. representative said in a statement. “The extension of our plant-based offer reflects our ongoing commitment to serve a diverse and innovative range of products, whilst aiming to reach a 50 percent meat-free menu by 2030.”

Courtesy

Romain Jolivet, La Vie’s chief marketing officer, praised Burger King for its “open-mindedness” and its leadership that allows “millions of consumers” to be able to try “our next generation of plant-based bacon.”

“With only 7 ingredients and a product packed with proteins and fibers, this is a bakon for the kings, not for the clowns,” Jolivet said.

Soco Núñez de Cela, brand and communications director at Burger King U.K., said the fast-food chain is thrilled to be joining forces with La Vie.

“The synergy between our two brands and fierce campaign tactics meant this partnership was a match made in heaven.

Nuñez says that after the success of the Bristol and Leicester Square meat-free restaurants, the chain is looking forward to building on its partnership with La Vie “to ensure we meet our goal to become 50 percent plant-based by 2030 in the U.K.”

50 percent plant-based by 2030

Last year, Burger King added vegan nuggets to its U.K. locations. And following its plant-based location in London and Bristol, it hosted similar pop-ups in Portugal, Austria, Spain, and Switzerland. In Germany, the chain now offers a vegan version of everything on its menu

Burger King vegan pop-up | Courtesy

“Adapting to customer preferences is a key focus at Burger King,” the chain’s U.K. chief executive Alasdair Murdoch said in a statement.

“We are committed to helping our guests make good decisions about what they eat and drink and providing them with informed choices.”

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January 5, 2023

After 800 Recipe Tweaks, This Vegan Foie Gras Keeps Selling Out

3 Mins Read
Hello Plant Foods can’t keep its vegan foie gras, Fuah!, in stock.

Following King Charles’ recent ban on foie gras at all royal residences, the longtime decadent favorite food got an ethical makeover. The royal ban follows other efforts to restrict foie gras including bans in California and New York.

Spanish plant-based meat brand Hello Plant Foods first announced its vegan foie gras last month, several weeks after King Charles announced the royal ban. The brand says it’s also the first vegan foie gras for food service distribution.

Fuah! Gras

Hello Plant Foods didn’t take the responsibility of recreating the popular luxury food lightly; the company says it tested 800 recipes over the course of a year before its launch.

The market appeared to be ready; just 12 hours after it launched 5,000 units of the product, it sold out at supermarkets and specialty stores across Spain. A second production round of 30,000 units also sold out.

Fuah! Gras is the first vegan foie gras for for food service | Courtesy

Hello Plant Foods is capitalizing on a market gap; only Nestlé’s limited edition vegan foie gras has widespread European placement, but demand is high.

“We’re absolutely gobsmacked,” Javier Fernández, Hello Plant Foods founder, told The Guardian. “Our plan was to start slowly … but we’ve just increased our production sevenfold. It’s crazy.”

Fernández launched Hello Plant Foods during the pandemic with the goal of developing vegan products that mimic organic meats; foie gras is made from duck and geese livers.

Hello Plant Foods says it mimics the taste and texture of conventional foie gras using cashews, coconut oil, lentil flour, potato starch, and spices. The Spain-produced foie gras costs about half as much as conventional.

“Our vegan foie gras is so similar to the traditional animal product that consumers will not notice the difference. Everyone who tries it says that it is hyper-realistic. We are sure that soon many more people will take the step and join our vegan alternative because more and more consumers are becoming aware of the food’s impact on the environment,” Fernández said.

Late last year, Nestlé’s Garden Gourmet laucnhed a limited-edition vegan ‘voie gras’ ahead of the holidays season.

Nestlé’s Garden Gourmet launched vegan foie gras last year | Courtesy

“Hello Fuah! will become the category’s benchmark product and will be available throughout the year,” says Fernández. The company also makes vegan burgers and bacon.

But all focus is now on Fuah! as Fernández says there’s a “hidden” consumer that loves foie gras. “But what happens is that a photo of the ducks with the tubes sticking out of them flashes before them and they don’t want it,” he said. “When they try Fuah! their eyebrows shoot up and they go: ‘Madre Mia.’”

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January 2, 2023

More Than 33% of Brits Will Reduce Meat and Dairy In 2023, Survey Finds

3 Mins Read

A new survey from The Vegan Society shows environmental resolutions are top of mind among Brits, with more than 33 percent saying reducing or eliminating animal products is a priority in the new year.

According to the survey’s findings, 50 percent of British consumers are increasing their environmental commitments in 2023, with reducing animal products playing a key role in their efforts. The findings come from a 2,000-participant survey conducted by The Vegan Society — the world’s oldest vegan charity.

The findings

According to the findings, at least half of participants said they’re making at least one resolution for the planet. Reducing animal products was the third most popular choice out of ten possible actions, with reducing energy use the first choice, followed by minimizing waste.

Fifty-six percent of non-vegan participants said they would decrease animal product consumption. Other options on the list were flying less, exploring greener travel options to fossil fuel-powered vehicles, investing responsibly, donating to climate-related causes, and voting or engaging with their political representatives.

Veganuary is coming in January | Courtesy

Veganuary drove the bulk of the diet-related options, with 28 percent of non-vegans saying they were giving it a go in 2023. Seven percent of participants, largely falling in the 18 to 25 age group, said they plan to go vegan for good. Older participants, those over age 58, were most likely to say they would reduce meat and dairy without giving it up entirely.

“It’s really encouraging to know that so many people are committing to doing their bit for the planet by reducing their intake of animal products,” Hannah Coyne, Campaign Manager at The Vegan Society, said in a statement. “Our Plate up for the Planet campaign aims to help people take this further and make one of the most effective changes possible to lower their carbon footprint. 

New year, new habits

“January is a prime time to get started, particularly with so many exciting Veganuary treats and menus on offer and, for those looking for a healthy new start, a well-planned vegan diet is the perfect tonic,” she said.

The Vegan Society says January is the perfect time to eat less meat. Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash

 The Vegan Society says reducing or eliminating animal products is the most effective action to reduce one’s environmental footprint. The campaign points to an Oxford University study that found that if everybody followed a plant-based diet, food-related climate emissions would be cut by 70 percent. 

The group says research by Health Psychology Research Associate Phillipa Lally shows that it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit. The month-long Veganuary will get people about halfway there, The Vegan Society says. It is an official partner of the campaign.

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January 2, 2023

Trying Veganuary This Year? 7 Things You Need to Know

4 Mins Read
Veganuary, the month-long plant-based challenge for January is more popular than ever. Whether it’s your first time or you’re a seasoned Veganuaryer, we’ve got some facts about the campaign you need to know.

Climate scientists and health experts have been urging people to reduce their animal product intake for years. But forging new habits can be tough. It’s why campaigns like Meatless Monday or Veganuary prove so successful. Knowing you’re not alone in your efforts can make a difference.

What is Veganuary?

Veganuary is a U.K.-based campaign that encourages people to go vegan for the entire month of January. It offers tips and resources to help people keep that goal. But within the commitment, there is no set diet — participants can eat whatever they like, as long as it’s vegan.

VFC’s co-founder Matthew Glover co-founded Veganuary

For some participants, that means going fully vegan for the whole month. For others, it can mean dabbling a few days a week, or committing to other vegan plans like Meatless Monday or Vegan Before 6 pm (VB6).

Veganuary facts

If you love trivia, these Veganuary facts may make it a more fun month.

1. Veganuary is entering its tenth year

That’s right, the campaign is ten years old already! It launched its first campaign in 2014, with just 3,000 participants. More than 600,000 signed up last year.

2. Veganuary’s founders are pretty vegan-famous

The campaign was founded by Matthew Glover and Jane Land. They had gone vegan years before (the couple met on a vegan dating site) and were looking for a way to encourage others to do the same. The idea was sparked by Movember — the month-long campaign in November where men grow mustaches to raise awareness about men’s health. While Glover and Land exited the campaign in 2018, they’ve since supported some noteworthy vegan efforts including another campaign, Million Dollar Vegan, VC fund Veg Capital, and the vegan chicken brand, VFC.

3. Companies love launching new vegan products during Veganuary

Veganuary has become a landmark launch date for a number of brands. The campaign reported that last year alone, more than 800 new products and more than 740 restaurant menu items were launched in support of Veganuary. Already ahead of Veganuary 2023, Starbucks has added new sandwiches, Burger King put vegan bacon burgers on the menu, and Heinz turned its iconic Tomato Soup vegan. Keep your eyes peeled for a lot more!

Heinz tomato soup goes vegan for Veganuary

4. Vegan product staying power

While some of these vegan product launches are limited-edition runs for Veganuary, many become permanent menu items and portfolio products, showing the campaign’s influence on helping consumers eat healthier plant-based food.

5. Veganuary is a global event

What started in the U.K. has quickly become the biggest annual vegan event worldwide. More than 228 countries participated last year. This year will see New York City run a concurrent Vegan Dining Month for all of January. Some of the city’s best restaurants will offer vegan menus, special dishes, and more, to encourage city-goers to give vegan food a try during Veganuary. The campaign’s top cities last year in order of sign-ups:

1 U.S.
2 U.K.
3 India
4 Germany
5 Italy
6 Mexico
7 Argentina
8 Colombia
9 Chile
10 Brazi

Lewis Hamilton is a Veganuary ambassador

6. Celebs love Veganuary, too

The campaign has drawn support from a range of celebrities including Billie Eilish, Joaquin Phoenix, Sir Paul McCartney, Lewis Hamilton, Alicia Silverstone, and Alec Baldwin. This year, McCartney features in the official Veganuary Vegan Kit alongside Hamilton. There’s also a vegan celebrity cookbook, featuring recipes from Venus Williams, Jane Goodall, and more.

7. Veganuary is entirely free to join

Granted, a month-long campaign all about food may see you spend a bit more on groceries and restaurants if you’re feeling adventurous, but there is no cost to participate in the campaign. It’s entirely free.

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December 19, 2022

Ikea Ups Its Sustainability Efforts With a Plant-Based Food Hall

3 Mins Read
A new food hall concept from the company behind Ikea spotlights local, plant-based cuisine with a focus on regenerative agriculture.

Swedish home furnishings giant Ikea has not been shy about its sustainability commitments. It’s made sweeping changes to operations as part of its 2030 target to become a circular and climate positive business. It’s working to regenerate resources and says it wants to “play our full part” in contributing to a “fair and equal society by respecting human right, creating a positive impact for people across our value chain and contributing to resilient societies.”

Part of that focus has included a gradual overhaul of its in-store cafes, increasing its plant-based offerings including vegan versions of its popular meatballs and hot dogs.

Now Ikea’s parent company, Ingka Group’s latest effort includes the launch of Saluhall, a “bold and fresh Nordic take on the food hall concept.” The food hall will initially be 80 percent plant-based, the company says, but its plan is to make the entire menu plant-based and zero-waste.

Saluhall

“Our food offering has long been a key element of our meeting places, and with Saluhall we will go beyond dining to inspire the many people with more sustainable food choices, like plant-based dishes,” Ingka Centres’ Commercial and Digital Director, Jens Nielsen, said in a statement.

“We want it to be about a whole lot more than what’s on the menu — a modern and original twist on the traditional food hall; providing local communities with a place to meet, while eating delicious food and socializing together in an even more inclusive and sustainable way,” Nielsen said.

Saluhall concept is coming to 3 cities | Courtesy

Ingka currently has three cities targeted for Saluhall: Changsha, China, San Francisco, California, and Gurugram, India.

Much like Ikea’s current cafe offerings center around a few key items such as its iconic meatballs, the food halls will also have a narrow focus. Saluhall’s menu will center on bread, burgers, ice cream, and beer, taking inspiration from Nordic street food.

A community focus

All items on the menus will be made with seasonal and local ingredients. And the third-party vendors selling at Saluhall must also meet Ingka’s principles of regenerative and sustainable agriculture.

“We are teaming up and connecting with other visionary minds who are eager to reinvent the traditional food court idea and bring a taste of local culture to Saluhall,” they company said.

Saluhall will focus on local food and regenerative agriculture | Courtesy

According to Stéphane Keulian, F&B Concept Development Leader at Ingka Group, the concept is more than just a place to eat and drink. “It is inspired by the New Nordic Food Manifesto movement that began nearly twenty years ago,” he said.

“Through lectures, cooking experiences and a cookery school, Saluhall will be a natural location that brings people and local businesses together. And we are not doing this alone,” Keulian said. “We are teaming up and connecting with other visionary minds who are eager to reinvent the traditional food court idea and bring a taste of local culture to Saluhall.”

Ingka Group says Saluhall will operate “as an ethos as well as a physical space.” The principles reflect “the explosive growth and influences of the sustainable Scandinavian dining scene over the past two decades, making quality food that is kinder to people and the planet more available,” the company said.

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