Good Morning,
what a week: Fashion Revolution Week & International Earth Day all packed in a seven-day-span!
Happy to have you join us for the Weekly Debrief for week 16 of 2021. As always, we got the latest from the world of plant-based business, food, fashion, travel, and lifestyle, curated and contextualized for you.
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Today we cover our Fashion Revolution initiative, alternative protein news, a new mushroom-leather adidas classic and a Michelin-star chef who turned his London restaurant vegan.
Antagonist teams up with Surge & Collective Fashion Justice for Fashion Revolution Week
Every year for Fashion Revolution Week we remember the Rana Plaza catastrophe; A textile production factory in Bangladesh that collapsed and took the lives of more than a thousand people. A chance to stop and consciously open our eyes to the wrongdoings of the global fashion industry, the Fash Rev initiative offers everyone the chance to start asking uncomfortable questions.
Together with the good people of Collective Fashion Justice and Surge Activism, we did exactly that: Ask some of the questions that are not yet being asked for Fashion Revolution Week, shining a light on the victims of animal material supply chains in the fashion industry.
Check out our Instagram Highlights for a collection of data and keep an eye out for our wrap-up on the website this weekend.
Alternative Protein Market News
The biggest bit of news shaking the alternative protein market this week: JBS SA, the world’s largest meat supplier, apparently signed a binding proposal to acquire Dutch plant-based food producer Vivera BV, expanding its presence in this fast-growing segment.
Meanwhile in Singapore, Eat Just Inc. and Foodpandora announced the first-ever lab-grown chicken delivery service.
US-based vegan meat company Hungry Planet has closed an oversubscribed $25 m Series A financing round, looking to increase production capacity.
Yum Brands fast food chain Taco Bell has been known to be hesitant to add vegan meat products to its menu, citing the many vegetarian options already available (like potatoes and beans). In January, the company changed course and announced to test a Beyond Meat alternative in 2021. This week however, word got out that the chain is testing its own meat alternative ahead of the Beyond Meat trial.
I Can’t Believe it’s Not Milk
Talking about Beyond: Co-founder of the alternative meat MVP Brent Taylor is reported to be targeting an overlooked demographic with new brand Perennial, a dairy free nutrition drink designed for consumers ages 50 and older.
Not exactly news to anyone with an eye on the alternative milk market, but this week, a new Vogue article surfaced, so let’s discuss: According to the fashion magazine, “a curious carton” has been spotted all over Manhattan’s cool cat coffee spots. We’re talking Taché of course, the relatively new pistachio millk, now apparently making a splash outside of the vegan bubble. Well earned!
Adidas Unveils a Stan Smith Made With Mushroom Leather
The German sneaker heavyweight has rendered its iconic Stan Smith silhouette in mylo — the mushroom-based material innovation. Looking and feeling like leather but made from renewable mycelium, the underground root of mushroom, mylo is grown using a cutting-edge vertical agriculture system.
Exciting to see this innovative sustainable material being rolled out by a giant of the industry.
$2 M in Funding for Cell-Based Collagen & Gelatin Innovation
North-California based startup Jellatech is dedicated to develop animal-free collagen and gelatin ingredients and has just announced the closing of a $2 m pre-seed round. The new funds, the company disclosed, will fuel the continued development of its animal-free products for the F&B, skincare and medical industries.
Last but not Least
French Michelin-star chef Alexis Gauthier has turned his London-restaurant 100% vegan, despite protest of regular customers and we dig it!
Gauthier, who previously cooked in the traditional French style (so loads of butter, other dairy ingredients and meat) and had been under fire for serving foie gras in the past, had started experimenting with vegan dishes after he stopped selling the undeniably cruel French staple due to animal activist protests outside of his restaurant. The French chef first replaced foie gras with a plant-based version made from lentils and walnuts, and “now, there is no animal product in the dishes whatsoever, and I am vegan myself”, Gauthier told the Telegraph.
Probably our favorite story of the week.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great weekend. Read you next week!
Yours truly,
Eric Mirbach
(Editor in Chief)
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