The chef that helped Burger King launch the Impossible Whopper and helped comedian Kevin Hart open his plant-based restaurant, Hart House, has come out with a new line of plant-based chicken products designed for foodservice.
Recreate Foods has launched a handful of heat-and-eat items—breaded and unbreaded filets, tenders, nuggets and grounds—made using pea protein, with hopes of expanding in an increasingly crowded market for alternatives to animal proteins.
In an interview with SFA News Daily, Michael Salem, president and co-founder of Recreate Foods and the former head of culinary innovation at Burger King, said his company has focused intensely on the flavor and texture of the line in order to appeal to vegans, flexitarians, and carnivores alike.
“This idea that plant-based is only for vegans is quite dated, and I believe I played a key role in dispelling that notion when I was at Burger King and introduced the Impossible Whopper,” said Salem, who describes himself as a flexitarian who enjoys meat. “That was a very strong product for carnivores.”
The new chicken alternatives come as more and more plant-based protein alternatives have been introduced in restaurants, including products from both Impossible Foods and Beyond, as well as Tindl, another maker of a chicken analog that has gained traction in foodservice, and others.
Sales of plant-based meat alternatives in foodservice have grown significantly in the last two years, and reached $730 million last year, up from $677 million in 2021, according to the Good Food Institute.
Salem said that while he sees the taste and texture of the Recreate Foods chicken products as key differentiators, the products are also made using pea protein, which provides a non-GMO, non-soy-based alternative for consumers seeking to avoid those types of ingredients.
Pea protein is used as a dietary supplement because of its high protein content and in a range food manufacturing applications, including in plant-based meat and dairy alternatives.
Recreate Foods’ products currently have limited availability in a handful of restaurants, but the company recently signed distribution deals with national foodservice suppliers Shamrock Foods Co. and Sysco. Salem said Recreate has been in discussions with some foodservice operators to potentially tweak the company’s core product to make custom plant-based chicken analogs for their menus. The name of company, he said, reflects not only the company’s intention to “recreate” animal proteins, but also to work with restaurant operators to create proprietary products for them.
“We really are looking to both lean on our stock product that we truly believe in, as well as be flexible enough to create custom formulations for the marketplace,” he said.
He also said that while the company is currently focused on the foodservice market, plans call for eventual expansion into retail and direct-to-consumer sales as well.
“I believe in the potential of the brand and our ability to scale, simply based on that one critical component, which is when you sit down and you try it, do you like it, and do you want to come back and try it again?” he said. “With this product, it’s hands down, unequivocally ‘yes.’”
Recreate Foods, which is based in Phoenix, has financial backing from three Arizona-based companies: Creation, a diversified investment company with holdings in real estate, hospitality, and other areas; Flagstaff Ventures, which specializes in early-stage startups, including some food and beverage companies, and M Culinary, a foodservice provider and consulting firm specializing in catering and noncommercial venues such as corporate offices and academic institutions.
M Culinary Concepts introduced Recreate Foods plant-based chicken at the 2022 WM Phoenix Open golf tournament, and customers responded favorably, said Brandon Maxwell, co-founder and CEO of M Culinary, in a statement.
“We doubled quantities for the 2023 tournament, and already are planning to serve even more next year,” he said, adding that M Culinary has also featured Recreate products at several other events and workplace dining venues.
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