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Plant-based infant food producer Mamamade reports this week that since launching a range of toddler food in May, its average order value has increased by 20% – from £29 to £35. On the week that the new range was launched, the London company saw an increase of 63% in sales over the previous week. The new range launched in response to community feedback regarding post-baby stage products and a continued wish to provide freshly cooked, unprocessed meals for children at the next stage of growth. Overall 175,000 Mamamade meals have been sold since launching in 2020, with this number predicted to grow to 200k by August. First launched in 2019, Mamamade reported in June last year that it had experienced a 300 percent spike in sales due to the Covid-19 pandemic which founder Sophie Baron attributed the rise to an increase in home deliveries during lockdown. In September the company secured £300k in seed funding, stating its intentions to become the “go-to community” for parents. Available via the Mamamade website, the Toddler Range consists of both a selection of full Toddler Meals such as kale pesto pasta and shepherd’s pie, alongside a collection of Toddler Finger Foods which includes some healthy snacks disguised as sweet treats, such as cacao brownies and blueberry ‘muffin’ bites. Founder Sophie Baron said: “With our latest Toddler Range we wanted to expand our product range to encompass a larger age group of children who are able to eat and enjoy our meal boxes. We observed ...

After being voted the best-tasting original oat milk in the US, plant milk brand Silk has launched a campaign claiming the product is the G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time). The campaign features three celebrities that Silk has named the G.O.A.T in their fields. Among them is celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, famous for his no-holds-barred, often expletive-ridden criticisms of anything that falls below his standards. In the campaign, Silk calls him the “G.O.A.T of Yelling in Kitchens”. For several years, Ramsay has harshly criticised plant-based diets, once famously claiming he was “allergic to vegans”. But in 2018, things began to change. The chef added a vegan pizza to the menu at some of his London restaurants, before introducing a plant-based menu at his restaurant Bread Street Kitchen for Veganuary 2019. In March, he added to the menu with a vegan roast dinner, and also began serving the Impossible Burger at the restaurant’s Singaporean location. According to Ramsay, his children helped to inspire the change. “Well, it took my kids getting on me, but now I really enjoy cooking more plant-based dishes at home and in my restaurants,” he said. “Let me tell you, I know greatness when I taste it, and I am loving Silk Oatmilk for both sweet and savory recipes.” Another celebrity featured in the campaign is vegan actress Alicia Silverstone, named the “G.O.A.T of 90s Fashion”, who backed this year’s Veganuary campaign. Gabi Butler, the “G.O.A.T of Cheerleading”, is also involved. “I love cooking and eating, and even ...

At a meeting which took place Tuesday this week, after activism by animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere, or DxE; the Berkeley City Council voted to shift 50% of its current food expenses from animal-based to plant-based before 2024, and in addition has committed to fully omitting animal products as a long term goal. The progressive city will commence the serving of vegan meals at facilities such as public events, jails, and care homes once per week in the style of Meatless Mondays, in an effort to cut carbon emissions and inhumane animal practices. DxE is working for similar policies to be enacted in other cities such as San Francisco and Chicago. The group had initially pushed for a 100% plant based policy but the officials were not ready at this stage for such a leap. The agreement does not include schools, which are operated independently. The efforts were led by Almira Tanner, who stated, “Today’s resolution is a powerful statement affirming the inner voice of decent people of conscience […] “This industry is immensely powerful, but it’s no match for ordinary, passionate people who come together to take collective action,” Tanner said in the email. “This is only the beginning.” The two groups agreed that the city can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve public health through the shift towards plant-based catering. The resolution states: “Streamlining the City of Berkeley’s transition to plant-forward and plant-based meals advances the City’s Strategic Plan Priority of being a global leader in addressing ...

With recent reports showing that 78% of consumers are keen to try alt seafood, along with documentaries such as Seaspiracy making a real impact on global consciousness, alt seafood producers such as Wildtype, creators of cell-based salmon, are set for exponential growth as consumers look for more sustainable seafood options. After recently being announced as semifinalists in the next XPRIZE Foundation Challenge – Feed the Next Billion, Wildtype is one of many companies working on a sustainable alternative to overfishing and environmental destruction. The young startup recently unveiled a new pilot plant in San Francisco to develop its groundbreaking products. Vegconomist talked with Wildtype co-founder Aryé Elfenbein about how a cell-cultured future could help save our oceans. Can you give us Wildtype’s elevator pitch? Wildtype is on a mission to create the cleanest, most sustainable seafood on the planet, starting with salmon. We are pioneering cellular agriculture to grow delicious cuts of sushi-grade salmon outside of the fish, with no fishing or fish farming required. We believe that people should have the option of fresh fish without the harmful metal toxins, microplastics, or antibiotics commonly found in seafood today. With the opening of our new pilot plant in San Francisco, we’re scaling up to bring that option to people very soon. “people should have the option of fresh fish without the harmful metal toxins, microplastics, or antibiotics” You have recently opened your first cell-cultured seafood pilot plant, what will this development mean for Wildtype? It means that we’re prepared to ...

Matias Muchnick of NotCo and Michael Natale of Ingredion join me on The Plantbased Business Hour to discuss the success of their unlikely partnership, each company’s path towards furthering plant-based innovation and their vision for the future. And, of course, we chat about AI platform/program, Guiseppe! Specifically, we discuss: NotCo’s Guiseppe and the company’s incredible growth. Ingredion’s vision for plant-based protein. The unlikely partnership between Ingredion and NotCo and the incredible scaling that has come from same. The benefits of partnering and tips for young start-ups in choosing partners. Below is a highlight clip from the long-form interview and a transcript. For the podcast, click here. Click here to display content from YouTube.Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy. Always display content from YouTube Elysabeth: As you give tips to small businesses, I’m wondering if you could share what you would tell them from your journey of the last five years. Matias Muchnick: What has been very successful is not only having, but relying on partners that are in sickness and in health. This is a marriage, right? So, you need to trust who you have at your side and one of the things that is most important, and it may be cheesy to say, but it’s trust. If you don’t trust someone else, if you don’t share the formulations, if you don’t allow them to look inside your company to understand what is the necessity or the need, then you spend too much time distrusting each other. And that kind of life ruins value, right? ...

New Zealand startup Berkano Foods has moved into the alt meat market, with plans to launch plant-based beef, lamb, and pork, in what it claims to be a New Zealand first. Founded by Kiwi entrepreneurs and Forbes 30 Under 30 listees Britteny Bryan and Nicholas Harlow, Berkano Foods has also revealed plans for export.  Founded in 2017 and starting out in the manufacturing of ready-to-eat meals, Berkano Foods is now expanding into the plant-based meat market, with the core mission of making plant-based foods more accessible and affordable for everyone. The new product line is due to hit shelves in 2022.  After getting the go-ahead from the University of Canterbury’s ThincLab program – a program developed to help validate, build and scale business ideas –  vegan-owned Berkano Foods saw a gap in the market for plant-based beef, lamb, and pork cuts in New Zealand. Previously the company has launched New Zealand’s first macro-controlled health and fitness-based meals into retail and DTC.  Berkano has just moved into a new facility in Christchurch, in preparation for their next stage of expansion and growth. The vegan business scene continues to grow in New Zealand, with the country’s vegan society recently holding its first-ever vegan cheese awards. ...

DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The “Global Plant-Based Food and Beverage Market 2021-2028″ report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering. The publisher, in its report on the global plant-based food and beverage market, estimates the industry to grow with a CAGR of 8.71% in the forecast years from 2021 to 2028. Companies Mentioned Amy’s Kitchen Beyond Meat Inc Blue Diamond Growers Califia Farms Conagra Brands Daiya Foods Inc Danone Sa Field Roast Grain Meat Co Inc Impossible Foods Inc Kikkoman Corporation Morningstar Farms Moving Mountains Pacific Foods of Oregon Quorn Foods Sunfed Sweet Earth Inc The Hain Celestial Group Inc Yofix Probiotics Factors such as the growing shift towards veganism, increase in patients being affected by lactose intolerance, and the benefits of consuming plant-based diets are driving the growth of this market. However, the high cost of plant-based products is a major factor hindering this growth process. Further, the limited awareness among people, as well as the disparity in perception of dairy & plant-based foods & beverages, is also restraining market growth. On a positive note though, the availability of sustainable products & recyclable packaging, innovation in manufacturing procedures, and the introduction of brand new products are creating new avenues for the plant-based food and beverage market growth. The global market for plant-based food and beverage covers the regions of Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, and the Asia-Pacific. The market in the Asia-Pacific is currently the largest in the world, and is expected to maintain its reigning position over ...

The award-winning superfood brand announces its SQF Level 2 Certification achievement SISTERS, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Laird Superfood (NYSE American: LSF) creator of assorted superfood products, has successfully achieved SQF (Safe Quality Food) Level 2 Certification for its powdered vegan creamers, Hydrate drink mixes, and supplements, receiving a score of 92 on its initial audit. SQF Certification marks an important step that allows Laird Superfood to guarantee customers that their products meet the highest food safety standards. The SQF Program is administered by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) in the United States and is benchmarked to the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), a global collection of standards and requirements for food companies to practice food safety management at the same high-quality standards around the world. The SQF certification program ensures that food products have been produced in compliance with international standards for food quality and safety. SQF is recognized by retailers and foodservice providers around the world who require a rigorous, credible food safety management system. The certification strengthens Laird Superfood’s commitment to supply safe quality products and comply with food safety legislation. “As a trusted plant-based superfood brand, Laird Superfood strives to be a trusted source for the safety and quality of our products,” said Paul Hodge, CEO and Co-Founder of Laird Superfood. “Achieving this certification is an important part of our journey and shows our customers and partners that our products reach the highest standards.” “At Laird Superfood we take the safety and quality of our products seriously and SQF Certification ...

Home delivery meal-kit market leader Hello Fresh is expanding its vegan offerings in Australia by entering a new partnership with Fenn Foods. Australian plant-based producer Fenn Foods will be supplying vEEF, its carbon neutral certified, plant-based mince.  Hello Fresh, the largest meal-kit brand in Australia, will be utilising the plant-based meat from Fenn Foods as an ingredient in their ‘Chilli Cin Carne’ recipe. More recipes are set to be released in the near future. The move by industry leader Hello Fresh confirms the growing demand for plant-based options, as well as setting the standard for other meal delivery services. It is not the first time Fenn Foods has collaborated with other food producers, as it recently teamed up with Australian plant-based ready meal company Flave to introduce Fenn Foods’ vEEF into eleven of its ready meals.  Queensland-based Fenn Foods launched its new vEEF product – the world’s first carbon-neutral, plant-based mince – in 2020, with taste and sustainability the core values at the forefront of the brand. Co-founder and CEO Alejandro Cancino explained to vegconomist in a recent interview that: “Our goal is to have the whole company and all of our products carbon neutral by 2022”. Hello Fresh is also a carbon-neutral company, hence its preference to work with Fenn Foods.  Plant-Based in Australia Typically Australia has been viewed as a country of meat-eaters, always ranking among the highest meat consumers on the planet. Fenn Foods’ research however shows that nearly 2.5 million Australians now have mostly or entirely ...

Leading UK tempeh producer Club Cultured has announced a partnership with Asian-themed restaurant Wagamama. The deal means that Club Cultured will bring three new dishes to the UK chain’s menus in selected outlets. “At the time we were dreaming of working with Wagamama, we were experimenting with tempeh in a garden shed” Tempeh – made by culturing and fermenting soybeans – has not yet broken into the mainstream food consumer consciousness in the UK, but Club Cultured hopes that the new partnership will start to change that. Tempeh’s Asian origins as well as Wagamama’s commitment to plant-based dishes make this collaboration a natural fit. This year, Wagamama launched a special Veganuary menu and vowed to make half of its dishes meatless in 2021. Self-styled “Tempeh missionaries and fanatical fermentalists”, Club Cultured was co-founded in 2018 by Harry Watmough, James Dobson, and Connor Jordan before building London’s first-ever Tempeh production facility. The brand then emerged as one of the winners of Vevolution’s Pitch + Plant 2019 and counts successful vegan entrepreneur Loui Blake amongst its investors. The new dishes on Wagamama’s vegan menu: are Tempeh Kobashi Curry (£14.25), Tempeh Ssambap (£5.75), and Sosogu miso udon with tempeh option (£10.95). They will be available at 6 participating locations: London Victoria, London Wigmore street, Brighton, Bolton, Cardiff & Glasgow. “At the time we were dreaming of working with Wagamama, we were experimenting with tempeh in a garden shed. A few years, lots of hard work and belief later, we’re incredibly excited to be ...