v2food, an Australian plant-based meat producer, is crossing the proverbial road into new pastures by launching a line of plant-based crumbed chicken products in three varieties – tenders, nuggets and schnitzel.
The new products mark v2food’s third plant-based protein innovation after the success of the company’s v2mince, v2burger and v2sausage, most recently the launch of pork in Asia.
As plant-based meats continue to gain popularity across the globe, v2food has ramped up research and development through collaboration with CSIRO food scientists to replicate the perfect texture, taste and smell of chicken.
Developing a chicken-like product was the natural next step for v2food.
“Our mission is to help the global population live more sustainably by providing plant-based products, so a great tasting, easy to cook chicken range was always on the cards for v2food,” v2food CEO and founder Nick Hazell said. “We know Aussies love chicken – in fact, data shows that we eat an average of 45 kilos of poultry per year. If you wanted to visualise just how much that is, it’s about the equivalent of 2,250 chicken nuggets a year, per person.”
“Recent data tells us that 63 per cent of Aussies are now open to buying plant-based meat as long as it tastes good. In order to make a real difference to our planet, we need to create delicious, sustainable alternatives of the foods we love to make the switch easy and tasty for meat-lovers. We are thrilled to unveil our delicious plant-based chicken products for everyone to enjoy.”
To celebrate the launch, v2food’s Food Truck will be making a road trip up the East Coast from 18–25 March, giving Australians the opportunity to have an exclusive first taste of the v2tenders and v2schnitzel.
Starting at Melbourne Street Eatz Festival, then off to the hometown of v2’s factory in Wodonga Square, the truck will pop up in Canberra, Sydney, Newcastle and finish off with a final event in Byron Bay. The final stop in Byron Bay will be dependent on weather conditions, and the v2 team hopes to bring some joy back to locals soon. Consumers can follow the truck’s movements via v2food’s website.
v2nuggets, v2schnitzel and v2tenders are made in Australian from soy, with no artificial colours or flavours, non-GMO and with the healthy benefits of protein, fibre and iron. Traditional Southern style v2tenders have a crispy golden layer topped with tasty southern herbs and spices, while v2schnitzel is a rustic style in a crunchy golden crumb sprinkled with delicious herbs and cracked pepper.
The new products all have the juiciness, texture and flavour of chicken and are ready to cook and use in all your favourite recipes.
The v2tenders come in a six pack at a suggested retail of $8.00, and the v2schnitzel comes in a 2 pack at a suggested retail of $8.00. Both products will be available to consumers in early May. v2nuggets will be available exclusively through foodservice in the coming months.