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Beyond Meat

May 16, 2019

Tovala Adds Beyond Meat to Its Meals and Dedicated Cook Program Lineup

Tovala, which makes the connected countertop oven of the same name, announced today that it now offers Beyond Meat as part of its accompanying meal plans. It also has dedicated automated cook programs for the plant-based meat.

The partnership between the two companies will kick off June 3, after which Beyond Meat will be included in six of Tovala’s pre-packed meals for a month. The Beyond / Tovala meals will rotate on a weekly basis and will include menus items such as:

  • Coconut Kale Curry with Beyond Beef Beefy Crumbles & Roasted Vegetables
  • Italian Sausage & Eggplant Pasta with Beyond Beef Italian Sausage Crumbles
  • Sweet Soy Stir-Fry with Beyond Beef Beefy Crumbles, Brown Rice & Chow Mein Noodles

In addition to Beyond Meat getting into Tovala’s pre-made meals, Tovala’s oven will feature automated cook programs for the plant-based fare, so Tovala owners will be able to cook Beyond Burgers and Sausages with the push of a button.

The Beyond partnership comes at a pretty great time for Tovala. Sales of plant-based meat are booming as customers wake up to the ethical and environmental complications of eating traditional meat, and Beyond’s name brand recognition has never been higher thanks to its recent head-turning IPO.

The two companies met because, at the time, both Beyond and Tovala counted Tyson among their investors. Since then, however, Tyson sold its stake in Beyond prior to the plant-based meat company’s IPO.

Investor origins aside, today’s move also continues to transform Tovala into a platform, something the company needs to keep doing to differentiate itself from the many connected countertop ovens coming to market. While Tovala’s oven is (way) less expensive than the June or the Brava or the forthcoming Suvie, it may have been hobbled early on by perceptions like ours, which found the device good for cooking Tovala-brand meals, but not as convenient for regular meals.

Tovala went a long way to remedy this situation with its second-gen oven that it released last November. The company has since expanded its capabilities with a scan-to-cook feature that works with Trader Joe’s frozen foods, and LG appliances will now cook Tovala meals. The scan-to-cook feature, however, does not work with Beyond products yet.

This partnership is also further recognition that Beyond Meat is becoming more mainstream. Tovala is the second appliance to add a dedicated cook program for Beyond burgers and sausages, following a similar move from June earlier this year. This means appliance companies are putting resources into developing specific cook programs for Beyond.

As of now, the Beyond/Tovala menu partnership is only planned for a one month run. Tovala Co-Founder and CEO David Rabie told me during a phone interview that if this initial run goes well, Beyond Meat could re-surface in its meals on more of an ongoing basis. If so, flexitarian Tovala owners will be beyond thrilled.

May 13, 2019

Beyond Meat and Fresh n’ Lean Team Up to Do Meal Delivery

Right on the heels of its much-publicized IPO, Beyond Meat has announced a new retail partnership. Meal delivery service Fresh n’ Lean has announced the addition of Beyond Meat to its online menu, providing yet-another retail path for the alt-protein giant to tread.

Fresh n’ Lean specializes in healthy meals it preps and delivers to your door, sort of like a meal kit without all the work. Customers subscribe to a weekly meal plan to get ready-made meals that just need to be popped in the oven or microwave to complete. The menu, which rotates weekly, offers several different plans, from Keto to low carb to its Performance line, for which it’s partnered with several high-profile athletes. Customers can also order items a la carte.

Beyond Meat patties will be available via the service in bulk or as part of a plant-based version of the aforementioned performance line. It appears Fresh n’ Lean is betting hard on the popularity of Beyond on its menu, with company CEO Thomas Asseo saying in a press release that the company will sell 100,000 Beyond Meat patties in 2019. Good thing Beyond fixed its product shortage issue that was hampering supply and demand a little while back.

Fresh n’ Lean isn’t the first meal kit-like company Beyond has worked with. In April, Beyond announced a partnership with meal-delivery service Trifecta, who also emphasizes health and fitness in its menus.

With the plant-based meat sector poised to explode this year, alt-meat products from major players like Beyond and Impossible are becoming a common option these days on menus and in grocery store aisles. Impossible, who was just valued at $2 billion, has invaded the quick-service restaurant space and is now available at White Castle, Red Robin, Qdoba and, soon, Burger King.

Beyond, too, is in QSRs, including Carl’s Jr. and Del Taco. It’s also maintained a significant retail presence over the last couple years, with products in grocery stores like Whole Foods and Publix. While direct-to-consumer meal delivery is a relatively new area for plant-based proteins, I expect we’ll see both Beyond and Impossible making their way online to more services’ menus throughout the rest of the year.

Fresh n’ Lean’s plant-based Performance meals will launch in summer 2019.

May 13, 2019

Impossible Foods Raises Another $300M, Now Reportedly Worth $2B

Impossible Foods announced today that it has raised another $300 million for its plant-based meat, just over a week after its rival, Beyond Meat went public.

Reuters broke the news, noting that this round brings the total amount Impossible has raised to more than $750 million, though Crunchbase pegs that number at $687.5 million. Whichever is the case, Impossible is reportedly now being valued at $2 billion, while as of this writing, Beyond Meat has a market cap of nearly $4 billion.

Both Impossible and Beyond create plant-based meat that looks, tastes and feels like traditional meat. Impossible’s big fundraise today is another reminder that the plant-based meat sector is, pardon the phrase, sizzling. Restaurants around the U.S. are quickly adding either Beyond or Impossible to reach vegetarian (or flexitarian) audiences. Qdoba, Red Robin, and White Castle all offer Impossible burgers, and Burger King will launch its Impossible Whopper to all of its 7,000-plus locations by the end of this year.

This popularity, however, is putting a strain on Impossible, which is reportedly struggling to keep up with demand. Production was an issue Beyond Meat faced as well before adding a second production facility last year. Presumably, Impossible’s new cash will help it iron out manufacturing wrinkles as it continues to scale.

Impossible will need all the production plant-based muscle it can get as it expands outside of restaurants and into grocery aisles in the second half of this year. Beyond Meat already has a strong foothold at retail and you can imagine the two companies will be ratcheting up marketing and promotion to get consumer attention and dollars.

Today’s funding news also answers another question we’ve been asking here at The Spoon: What does Beyond Meat’s IPO mean for Impossible Foods? Beyond’s initial success as a public company paves the way for an Impossible IPO, but Impossible’s CFO, David Lee told Retuers for its story: “We believe in self-reliance. Being ready to go public is a priority for the company because we need to be operating at the highest level of rigor,” he continued, “but we are not in a rush, nor are we announcing an IPO filing.”

If you want to keep tabs on Impossible and all of the plant-and alternate protein news (trust us, this sector is set to explode this year), then subscribe to our Future Food newsletter!

May 9, 2019

Future Food: How Big a Deal is Beyond Meat’s IPO, Really?

This is the web version of our weekly Future Food newsletter. In it we cover the alternative protein landscape, from plant-based meat to cellular agriculture to insects. Subscribe here!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (no shame), you’ve heard about how Beyond Meat’s IPO is crushing it. At the time of this post, the company’s shares have more than tripled in price — from $25 to $78 — making it the biggest IPO pop since the 2008 financial crisis. Beyond Meat is now valued at almost $4 billion.

You can almost hear the investors drooling.

Beyond’s IPO success has proven that the plant-based protein craze isn’t just a fad; it’s a radical turning point in consumer preferences. Younger generations are demanding more from their foods — Gen Z especially is seeking out dining options that are ethical and environmentally sustainable. And companies like Beyond, who have a mission to halt climate change by reducing meat production, are reaping the profits.

So how big a deal is Beyond Meat’s IPO? Pretty darn big. In fact, I’m betting it will have significant ripple effects on the protein landscape over the next few months.

  • Beyond’s competitors — notably Impossible Foods — will likely follow suit with an IPO of their own (that is, if Impossible can overcome its recent supply issues).
  • Get ready to see lots of new alt-protein startups bring their animal-free eggs/milk/sushi rolls to market. This is where companies like Motif Ingredients, which provides protein R&D services, will soon be in high demand.
  • Mega food corporations like Nestlé and Unilever will invest more heavily in alternative meat products than they already have, possibly even following in Tyson’s footsteps to develop their own line of plant-based proteins.
  • More fast food and fast casual chains — big and small — will add high quality plant-based alternatives to their menus. Burger King went all-in on the Impossible Whopper last week, and I’m betting McDonald’s isn’t far behind.

A chicken patty that’s two-thirds meat, one-third Better Meat Co.’s protein blend.

Stuff is happening in the cell-based meat space, too. Last week Shiok Meats, the Singapore-based cellular aquaculture startup growing shrimp in bioreactors, raised a $4.6 million seed round. That makes them the third best-funded cell-based meat company in the world, after Mosa Meats and Memphis Meats.

Not too shabby for a company that’s only been on the scene for a year.

Instead of making totally new meat products, others are trying to improve the ones we already have. This week the New York Post wrote a story about food scientists in Australia who are incorporating insects into sausages and the like.

It may be a smart strategy to reduce the environmental footprint of meat while keeping a high protein content, but will consumers be okay with eating hot dogs filled with maggots? Probably not. (Though celebrities and celebrity chefs are working on it.)

This brings up an interesting point, though. People might balk at eating bugs, but the concept of replacing some meat with non-meat protein is sound. For example, startup Better Meat Co. makes a wheat protein that can be blended into processed meats, like hot dogs or bologna. It’s a clever way to reduce meat consumption without asking consumers to compromise or adjust their dining habits, at least until cell-based meat gets to market.

Lightlife’s new plant-based burgers.

Plant-based news ’round the web:

  • Lightlife, a plant-based meat company owned by the Canadian meat giant Maple Leaf Foods, brought its new, more realistic line of vegan burgers and ground “beef” to retail shelves this week.
  • Taco Bell U.K. is experimenting with a new plant-based taco filling made from pulled oats (h/t Livekindly).
  • Future Tense (via Slate) posits that cell-based meat is nothing more than “a cotton-candy bedtime story about making a different world through food.” It’s an interesting read asking if cultured meat will actually create a better protein source, or if it’ll continue to promote harmful industrialized agriculture practices.
  • NPR interviews Lou Cooperhouse of cellular aquaculture BluNalu on whether consumers will take to cultured seafood. FYI, they say it’s about 5-10 years from your plate.

Finally, last week Eater staffers brainstormed a list of hilarious (and hilariously bizarre) names for the next unicorn alt-burger company. My personal favorite: Meat Cute.

Eat well,
Catherine

May 3, 2019

What Does Beyond Meat’s IPO Mean for Impossible Foods?

Yesterday Beyond Meat made headlines when it became the first plant-based meat company to go public.

But this is just the beginning. Ever since we first heard rumblings about Beyond’s IPO we’ve been thinking about what this means for the plant-based meat space in general. Sure, Beyond is the first alterna-meat company to go public, but so far the future is looking rosy; Bloomberg notes that the company had the biggest IPO pop since the 2008 financial crisis. Its shares nearly tripled in price on the first day of trading and it’s still up on Day Two.

With its success, Beyond is paving the way for other alterna-meat companies to go for IPOs of their own.

It’s not hard to guess who will be next. The Redwood City, Calif.-based Impossible Foods is Beyond Meat’s most public competitor. Both companies are using high-level technology to create “meat” that’s good enough to fool even hardcore carnivores, making big plays into restaurant chains and grocery (Impossible plans to be in retail by the end of this year). Heck, their CEOs even have the same last name: Brown.

Impossible may have entered the scene later — it was founded in 2011, Beyond in 2009 — but in some ways it seems almost more prepared for an IPO. It has raised $387.5 million, almost triple Beyond’s pre-IPO $122 million. Impossible also has a bigger fast food chain presence: it’s on menus at Burger King, Qdoba, and White Castle, while Beyond has a smaller footprint at Carl’s Jr., Del Taco and A&W (only in Canada). Both Impossible and Beyond recently came out with a revamped meaty recipe 2.0, but Impossible’s won the “Best of the Best” award at CES and has been making much bigger waves in the media.

Outside the startup realm, Beyond’s success could also incentivize Tyson to accelerate its own fledgling plant-based protein program — and even nudge other large corporations like Nestlé or Unilever to start their own.

For its part, Impossible Foods was very supportive of Beyond Meat’s time in the limelight. Impossible’s CFO/COO David Lee tweeted out a nice message yesterday aligning their mission with Beyond’s, starting that “Clearly the mass market is ready for us both!”

Hint, hint.

May 2, 2019

Beyond Meat Becomes the First Plant-Based Meat Company to Go Public

The day has finally come.

This morning Beyond Meat, maker of the popular plant-based burgers, went public. The El Segundo, Calif.-based company raised $241 in its IPO by pricing 9.6 million shares at $25 per share. This is an increase from its original plan to release 8.75 million shares offered at $19-$21. It will have an initial market cap of roughly $1.5 billion.

This move on Beyond’s part is huge news for the alternative protein landscape. As the first plant-based meat company to go public, the success (or failure) of Beyond’s shares will be an indicator for the strength of the alternative meat industry. If it does well, others like Impossible Foods — whose patties will soon be at Burger Kings nationwide — are likely to follow.

It’s too early to make a call on how Beyond will fare, but there’s reason to be optimistic. Beyond’s shares were priced at the higher range, indicating a high level of interest from investors and consumers. There’s also the fact that the alternative meat space been experiencing a meteoric rise over the past few years. According to Nielson, U.S. sales of plant-based meat rose 24 percent in 2018 alone.

The company will trade on the Nasdaq under symbol BYND. So far it has raised $142 million from backers like Cleveland Avenue and Obvious Venturers, as well as celebrities like Bill Gates and Leonardo DiCaprio. It used to count Tyson among its investors, but the poultry giant pulled out its investment once it started developing its own line of plant-based meats.

Beyond’s plant-based meat is available in 30,000 grocery stores and restaurants including fast-food chains like Carl’s Jr., Del Taco, and Canada’s A&W. In addition to Canada, Beyond is also on grocery shelves/menus in Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, the U.K. and Israel.

Though Beyond has yet to turn a profit, the company posted a 20 percent gross margin in 2018, up from a negative margin in 2017. Its gross margin for Q1 of 2019 is just over 25 percent, indicating an upward trajectory. Beyond’s sales also grew by 170 percent in 2018.

Now that the company is public, we’ll see how it reacts to the short-term demands of investors.

If you want to keep up to date as Beyond navigates its IPO, make sure to subscribe to Future Food: our weekly newsletter analyzing the alternative protein space.

UPDATED:

Beyond Meat has dubbed tomorrow, May 3rd ‘Beyond Day.’ Basically, it just means they’re giving you free/discounted Beyond burgers, tacos, etc. We’ve listed all the deals below:

**All offers limit one per person, while supplies last:

  • Carl’s Jr. – Free Beyond Famous Star with Cheese
    • Where: All Carls Jr. locations (Nationwide)
    • When: Friday May 3, 6am-Close
    • How: Redeem with the purchase of a medium or large drink
      • At the register say “Happy Birthday Beyond”
  • Del Taco – Free Beyond Taco or Beyond Avocado Taco
    • Where: Participating Del Taco locations (Nationwide)
    • When: All day Friday, May 3 (12:01am-11:59pm)
    • How: Free Beyond Taco or Beyond Avocado Taco in the Del Taco app with any purchase.
  • Bareburger – Free Beyond Burger
    • Where: All Bareburger locations (Nationwide)
    • When: Friday, May 3, 3-6pm
    • How: Redeem with the purchase of a side and a drink.
      • Download the Bareburger app and show the server the app on your phone
  • Veggie Grill – Free VG Beyond Burger  
    • Where: All Veggie Grill locations (West Coast & Chicago)
    • When: Friday, May 3, 2-5pm
    • How: Redeem with the purchase of a fountain drink
      • Must be a VG Rewards App member
  • Epic Burger – Free Beyond Burger  
    • Where: All Epic Burger locations (Chicago)
    • When: Friday, May 3, 4-7pm
    • How: Redeem with the purchase of a side and a drink.
      • Mention the offer at the register
      • Any additional add ons will be extra
  • Retail Offer – $3 Off Any Beyond Meat Product
    • Where: All participating U.S. retailers where Beyond Meat is sold (while supplies last)
    • When: Friday, May 3
    • How: Download a digital coupon at www.BeyondMeat.com/BeyondDay
    • $3 off coupon good on any Beyond Meat product

April 29, 2019

A Real Whopper! Burger King to Roll Out Impossible Burgers Nationwide

Well, that was quick. Less than a month after testing out the Impossible Whopper in St. Louis, Burger King said today that it will expand the availability of Impossible’s plant-based burger to all of its 7,300 locations by the end of this year.

The BK Lounge becomes the latest in an already impressive list of 5,000 restaurants to go in on Impossible. Other chains using Impossible’s heme-based burger “meat” include Qdoba, Red Robin, and White Castle. For all of these chains, adding a plant-based burger that looks, tastes, feels and even “bleeds” like the real thing opens up new customers bases in the growing market of vegetarians and flexitarians.

For those following the fake meat industry, the Burger King/Impossible announcement comes right before plant-based burger rival, Beyond Meat, is set to go public this week. The two companies have been in a bit of a tit-for-tat news battle throughout this month. While Impossible grabbed headlines for the BK test and now rollout, Del Taco announced it would serve Beyond Meat at all its locations nationwide and Beyond expanded overseas into Belgium and the Netherlands.

Will the BK deal help make Impossible the “king” of plant-based burgers? From the looks of it, we have a Game of Thrones-level battle brewing ahead as the competition between the two fake bleeding burger giants will only intensify over the course of this year. Both companies debuted new burger recipes this year. As noted earlier, Beyond is going public this week, which could raise $184 million for the company to expand its restaurant initiatives more aggressively. But Impossible is also taking the fight to the grocery aisle this year, where Beyond has focused much of its efforts and is well established.

If you’re into Impossible and Beyond burgers, you should definitely subscribe to our new Future Food newsletter, which covers and breaks down all the news in the emerging plant-based food world.

April 26, 2019

Beyond Meat Goes Dutch as it Continues European Expansion into the Netherlands

Looks like Beyond Meat is scheduling a quick trip through Europe before its IPO next week. The company announced via corporate blog post that starting today, its plant-based Beyond Burgers will be available in 700+ Albert Heijn grocery locations throughout the Netherlands. The move comes just days after the company announced similar expansion plans in Albert Heijn stores in Belgium.

The moves come at a critical time for Beyond, which is set to go public next week. Beyond has been plagued with production issues in the past, which delayed its expansion in the UK for a time. Showing the public market that it can plant-based muscle its way into new European markets will be attractive for growth-hungry investors.

The news also comes during the same week that McDonald’s Germany announced it was going with Nestlé’s own plant-based, meat-like Incredible Burger for its new vegan menu item. Being a Swiss company, Nestlé has a leg up in the European market and the money to potentially box out Beyond before it can establish a foothold.

The entire plant-based meat sector is hot right now. According to Nielsen, sales of plant-based meat in the U.S. rose 42 percent from March 2016 and March 2019, with sales totaling $888 million.

Restaurants across the U.S. are jumping on the bandwagon with big chains like Burger King, Del Taco, Qdoba, Red Robin and White Castle all offering some kind of plant-based meat option from either Beyond or its rival, Impossible Foods.

Right now, Beyond’s moves into Europe are still in the grocery aisle, but if its IPO goes well, it will have the money to ramp up and roll out across more countries globally.

April 24, 2019

Days Before Its IPO, Beyond Meat Parts Ways with Tyson Foods

Poultry giant Tyson Foods has parted ways with plant-based protein company Beyond Meat, Axios reported this morning in its newsletter. This news comes just days before the El Segundo, California-based startup is expected to go public with a valuation of up to $1.2 billion.

Tyson had a 6.5% ownership stake in Beyond and had invested a total of $23 million in the company between 2016 and 2017. Axios discovered the break when it noticed that Tyson was listed on Beyond’s April 15 amended regulatory filing, but not in one on April 22.

And things started off so well! We were fascinated to see Tyson, the second-largest meat processing company in the world, invest so heavily in Beyond, a company out to disrupt the industrial meat industry altogether. As Tom Mastrobuoni, CFO of Tyson Ventures, pointed out onstage during our Smart Kitchen Summit Europe last year, they’re very aware of that. “We’re onto disruption now,” he told the audience. “The startups that we’re focusing on are, in some ways, out to get us.”

The meat giant seemed fine with that initially, but things must have shifted at some point. Likely after Tyson announced in February that it would be developing its own line of plant-based protein products, which it plans to have in retail by this summer (see statement below). It makes sense that Tyson wouldn’t want to compete directly with one of its portfolio companies in the B2C alternative protein market, and vice-versa.

We don’t know if Tyson had already decided to develop its own line of plant-based products before it invested in Beyond. Otherwise, maybe they saw the numbers and realized the potential of the protein market, then decided to jump in themselves.

If the latter, it’s no wonder that Beyond Meat got a bee in their bonnet. As we mentioned Tyson is the second largest meat processor in the world. They have an incredible amount of capital, manufacturing abilities, R&D teams, and retail partnerships in place that will let them scale their plant-based protein business quickly. It’s easy to see why Beyond Meat wouldn’t like the idea of having such a giant, well-financed competitor in the meat aisle.

A rep from Tyson sent us the following statement (the same one it shared with Axios):

Tyson Ventures is pleased with the investment in Beyond Meat and has decided the time is right to exit its investment. Beyond Meat provided an early opportunity for Tyson Ventures to invest in plant-based protein products that many consumers are seeking. We wish the leadership of Beyond Meat all the best.

Tyson Foods continues to be committed to providing alternative protein as a choice for consumers and recently announced the creation of a new business focused on combining our creativity, scale and resources to make great tasting protein alternatives more accessible for everyone. We plan to launch an alternative protein product soon with market testing anticipated this summer.

According to Axios, there were multiple buyers for Tyson’s stake in Beyond Meat as no new 5% shareholder was listed in the new statement.

Other Big Food companies have also been investing in plant-based protein. However, instead of buying stakes in prominent startups like Beyond Meat, they’re chiefly acquiring smaller vegan companies (Unilever, Maple Leaf Foods) or developing their own products (Nestlé). Maybe Tyson tried to take over Beyond Meat and were rebuffed, then decided to change course and make their own line of plant-based proteins.

Beyond isn’t Tyson’s only venture into the alternative protein space. The poultry giant has also invested in cell-based meat company Memphis Meats as well as Future Meats, a biotech company creating animal-free fat and muscle cells. Though cultured meat is still a ways away from entering your grocery store, it’ll be interesting to see how Big Food companies like Tyson react once they do get to market — and if they’ll be friend or foe.

It’s also worth asking if the break from Tyson will impact Beyond’s IPO, which is set for just days from now. Potential investors might be more wary to buy stock in a company that was backed by a giant like Tyson, but no longer. Then again, I don’t think this will have too much of an effect. People are still ravenous for plant-based protein, and interested parties attracted by Beyond’s inspiring message or growing revenues will likely still buy shares in the company, regardless of any Tyson drama.

We’ve reached out to Beyond and Tyson for comment and will update this post when we hear back.

April 23, 2019

Beyond Meat Prices Its Public Offering, Could Be Valued at $1.2 Billion

Beyond Meat, maker of plant-based chicken, crumbles, and burgers, just set the terms of its initial public offering.

According to a regulatory filing, the El Segundo, California-based startup could raise as much as $184 million for its IPO. Beyond plans to offer 8.75 million shares priced between $19 and $21 each. If it follows through, the company would be valued at as much as $1.21 billion.

Additionally, the filings show that Beyond’s losses shrank while its revenue grew. In 2018, Beyond lost $29.9 million on revenues of $87.9 million. This is down/up from 2017, when the company lost $30.4 million on revenue of $32.6 million.

This makes sense, as Beyond continued its expansion at grocery stores across the U.S. throughout 2018, launched an R&D new center and added a second production facility to keep up with white-hot demand for alternative protein.

Beyond Meat has raised $122 million, and it’s not just the company’s investors (which include Cleveland Avenue, DNS Ventures, Tyson Foods and celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Bill Gates) watching this IPO closely. Beyond could be a bellwether for other startups and established players in the alternative protein space.

For example: Beyond Meat rival, Impossible Foods, has raised $387.5 million and its ability to go public will be impacted by the success or failure of Beyond’s offering. Additionally, Big Food companies have been upping their investment in alternative proteins: Nestlé is rolling out several new alterna-meat products, Unilever bought the Vegetarian Butcher, and Canadian meat processor Maple Leaf Foods acquired Lightlife and Field Roast. A Beyond Meat bummer on the public market could chill some of the investment heat the sector has.

Beyond no doubt knows the responsibility that’s on its shoulders: not only to its employees and investors but also to the plant-based food space on the whole. And since it announced that it would go public last November, it has been hustling to make sure the IPO goes well. The company has accrued a possé of celebrity endorsers, brought on big name fast-food restaurant partnerships like Carl’s Jr. and Del Taco, released a new version of its Beyond Meat recipe, announced a new ground version of its “meat” to be released this year, and is also prepping new category products like sausage patties. Just today, Beyond announced that it will be on grocery shelves in Canada starting next month.

CNN reports that Beyond plans to start trading in early May, and needless to say all eyes (including ours) will be on that debut.

April 18, 2019

Carl’s Jr. Will Test a CBD-Infused Cheeseburger on 4/20

Yesterday Carl’s Jr. got the internet all giddy when it announced it will sell a CBD-infused burger for one day, in one location.

The Rocky Mountain High: CheeseBurger Delight burger will be available on April 20 (duh), at one location in Denver, CO. The burger will come with pickled jalepeños, pepper jack cheese, and Carl’s Jr.’s famous Santa Fe sauce infused with CBD. Naturally, the burger will sell for $4.20, and according to the press release, will be available from 6 a.m. until supplies run out, which I suspect will happen long before closing time.

CBD — that is, cannabidiol, the non-hallucinogenic element in cannabis — is making its way into everything from beauty products to cold-brew coffee to jelly beans.

Advocates tout so-called “wellness,” like relaxation, as one of the benefits of CBD. As yet, however, there is limited research supporting any of these claims. Meanwhile, regulatory framework surrounding production and sale of CBD is still somewhat murky, though the FDA did release a statement at the beginning of April that said the agency was taking steps to regulating foods and drinks infused with CBD.

The burger will contain 5 milligrams of CBD, which some say is well below the 500 milligram amount that makes CBD “effective.”

In any case, I doubt many people will be buying Rocky Mountain High cheeseburgers for their wellness benefits, and Carl’s Jr. is not trying to promote any of them. But a CBD-infused sauce could be intriguing from a taste perspective, and if we take that view of things, Carl’s Jr.’s 4/20 plans make a lot of sense. Of late, the chain has shown great willingness to embrace new trends and ingredients in the food world. The company recently partnered with Beyond Meat to bring a plant-based “flexitarian burger” to its menu, and not long ago came up with a truffle-infused cheddar sauce that you’d typically expect to find in a fancy sit-down restaurant, not a quick-service chain.

“The new Rocky Mountain High: CheeseBurger Delight ties back to our core strategy of being the first to bring bold and unexpected flavors that are at the forefront of hot restaurant trends to a quick service menu,” Patty Trevino, Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing, said in the press release.

If the burger is a hit when it drops this weekend, and if regulators can craft a more solid framework around the buying and selling of CBD, Carl’s Jr. will be well positioned as a leader in using CBD as another ingredient with which to intrigue our palettes.

April 12, 2019

Beyond Meat Targets Hardbodies with Trifecta Meal Delivery Partnership

Beyond Meat is branching out from grocery stores and restaurants and into a new retail channel — one geared towards all you fitness nuts out there. The plant-based meat company announced today that it will offer its products through healthy, organic meal delivery service Trifecta.

Trifecta offers pre-made healthy meals and also à la carte mains and sides, like flat iron steak and quinoa. As of now Beyond’s burgers are only available à la carte, but Trifecta announced over Instagram that they would soon be adding Beyond products to their pre-selected vegetarian and vegan meal plans.

Though Beyond is already in a boatload of retailers and restaurants around the world, this partnership is the first time that their prepared plant-based products will be available through a delivery service. And I’ve got to say, Trifecta is a pretty interesting choice of partner on Beyond’s part.

Trifecta is geared towards hardcore healthy people who are eating to lose weight or do some serious muscling up. It offers meal plans like Keto, Paleo, and Clean, all of which are gluten- and dairy-free. The Trifecta site even has before and after photos. Basically, it’s meal delivery for hardbodies — or aspiring hardbodies.

Trifecta’s meals are also on the pricier side. The plans start at $109 per week, which gets you seven meals of your choice (breakfast, lunch, dinner, or something called “third entree”). Prices go down as you bundle more meals together.

That shakes out to roughly $15 per meal, which is more expensive than pretty much all of the major meal kit companies out there. Then again, Trifecta’s meals put emphasis on lots of protein, so that explains the high cost.

The Beyond Burger is available in Trifecta’s à la carte section for $23.49 a week, which includes 7 servings. The patties are delivered pre-cooked, which, to me, seems to make the whole point kind of moot. Beyond Meat retails for $5.99 for two patties, which are ready to eat and just have to be heated in a pan. If you’re buying them pre-cooked from Trifecta not only is it more expensive, but since you still have to reheat them you’re basically guaranteeing a rubbery, overcooked burger. But people will pay a high price for convenience.

I was initially pretty surprised to read about this partnership. Why was Beyond Meat, whose whole raison d’etre is to make eating plant-based meat tasty and accessible, partnering with a company that’s all about carefully monitored fats, healthy carbs, and protein?

But then I thought about it for five seconds and realized that it actually makes a lot of sense for Beyond to work with Trifecta. It shows that they’re a serious source of protein fit even for a bodybuilder. Or, you know, Shaquille O’Neill. On Trifecta’s part, adding Beyond Meat to the menu is a smart, easy way to feed the growing demand for plant-based protein.

As Beyond Meat prepares to go public later this year — and continues to compete with other alterna-meat producers like Impossible Foods, who’s heading into retail — they’re smart to branch out into as many markets and distribution channels as possible. We’ll see if the company can bulk up their IPO as much as they can bulk up bodybuilders.

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