Planted produces between 12 and 15 tonnes of meat substitutes every day at Kemptthal ZH: Duck with vegetables is now served instead of Maggi cubes

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As we drove through Zurich’s Kemptthal, a mixture of scents of bouillon cubes, sauces and soup seasonings would waft through the open car window. The smell was coming from the old Maggi industrial area. The area where its own train station is located has been experiencing a renaissance called The Valley for several years. Although the area still houses food manufacturers in brick buildings, distinctive odors no longer waft through the vehicle interior. Right in the middle: Cultivated Foods. Slogan: “The new standard for plant-based meat.”

Their products are increasingly appearing on supermarket refrigerated shelves, from “Herb Chicken” to “Herb Bratwurst” to “Herb Schnitzel.” Vegetarian meat alternatives are produced based on peas. The company’s online store offers stylish hoodies and t-shirts for the growing Planted community. During their visit to Blick, Judith Wemmer (33) and Pascal Bieri (37) emphasize that serious young entrepreneurs, not “vegetarian freaks”, are at work in Kemptthal. Both are among the founding members of the company, which has been based on the nutrition revolution for three years. In other words: less meat consumption, more plant-based meat alternatives.

Vegetarian meat is also available at Kronenhalle

Various investors have already taken their share from the ETH food engineer and HSG graduate: They have invested 150 million francs in the company so far. The desire for meat alternatives seems to have decreased recently. US giant Beyond Meat and German company Veganz crashed on the stock market. Was it with the nutritional transition?

“Absolutely not,” Wemmer and Bieri agree. “We’re still seeing growth in the nearly triple-digit range.” Half of Planted’s products are purchased by private individuals and the other half by the catering trade. The latter include not only vegetarian restaurants such as Hiltl, but also the Brezelkönig chain, the noble Kronenhalle in Zurich and various kebab kiosks. “The Anytime kebab stand in Zurich already makes 20 percent of its sales with our cultivated kebab,” says Bieri. But he concedes that Planted is more likely to hit open doors in cities than in the countryside.

He only allows himself to eat meat “very occasionally”; Wemmer is a vegetarian. Factory workers don’t have to be vegetarians. However, the modern company canteen in the historic building in Kemptthal only stocks meat-free products.

New sales blow in Great Britain

The company relies on 2,700 sales points across Switzerland, including Coop supermarkets and the Volg village store chain, to reach households. In addition to the Swiss domestic market, it has 6,000 sales points throughout Europe, especially in neighboring countries. A new distribution partnership with retail giant Tesco has been announced in the UK. On October 3, a new product was launched on the shelves of major Swiss retailers: “Planted Duck”.

The target group is not vegans, who are estimated to make up only two to three percent of the population. But “flexitarians”: people who eat a predominantly vegetarian diet, but occasionally eat meat. Among them, according to Bieri, are about 40 percent of the Swiss population. He and his colleagues want to buy them.

The bite must be correct

It is the center of quality and taste. All products are based on several ingredients such as yellow peas, oats, water or rapeseed oil. The plant does not use any chemical additives. How does chicken flavor get into chicken with vegetables? “We make sure the texture and firmness of the bite matches the meat pattern,” Wemmer explains. Spices and herbs are used to help.

The purpose of the animal name is to make the use of the Cultivated product understandable in the kitchen. That’s why Planted is defending itself in federal court about allowing its products to be called “chicken” or “kebab.”

Blick has been testing the meatless kebab and new chicken breast in the on-site demonstration kitchen. The veggie kebab matches the taste of the original very well, the chicken breast can’t quite be described as chicken – but that’s okay.

The company sees itself on the path to success: “We have a very high percentage of repeat buyers, that is, regular consumers of our products,” assures Wemmer. “We are profitable when it comes to products,” adds Bieri. The company as a whole needs to go onshore “in the foreseeable future.” It was not disclosed how deep in the red the initiative is currently.

The focus is on further optimizing plant-based meat. Of the 170 employees in Switzerland (there are more than 200 worldwide), 65 work in the research department. They experiment not only with plants and production methods, but also with fungi and bacteria. An alternative to red meat will soon be available. Young entrepreneurs fear competition because too many “bad” products are being offered for sale, which is damaging the reputation of meat substitutes.

Planted crops are also competitively priced. “We are cheaper than off-the-shelf organic meat in Switzerland,” says Bieri. But Wemmer knows this: “We should be cheaper than meat in the long run.”

Planted continues to expand its production in Kemptthal and currently produces 12 to 15 tonnes of meat substitutes there every day. A common in southern Germany is used only for the sausage variety. Planted exports 70 percent of its products abroad. Becoming an export icon like Lindt or Nespresso still takes some time.

Source :Blick