New Age Meats, a startup producing hybrid plant-based and cultivated meat, is re-branding to New Age Eats. The new name and tagline “The Joy of Pig” reflects a long-term strategy to offer consumers a large portfolio of products, ranging from sausage and dumplings to pizza toppings. Pending regulatory approval, New Age plans to begin commercial production in 2023.
“Emphasizing the joy”
According to founder and CEO Brian Spears, New Age reached out to consumers to guide its brand refresh. “We’ve been working on this rebrand for a while,” Spears shared online. “It’s the result of speaking with hundreds of our potential consumers and finding out what matters to them. New Age Eats is big enough to hold the vision of where we’re going while emphasizing the joy we feel today eating the meat we know and love — made in an entirely new and better way.”
Focus on pork
Founded in 2018, New Age Eats produces slaughter-free meat using a combination of cultured meat and plant-based protein, with a focus on pork products. In September 2021, the startup raised $25M in Series A to double its workforce and build a 20,000 sq. ft. pilot manufacturing facility in Alameda, CA, which is slated to open Fall 2022.
As part of its Series A, New Age hired Chief Marketing Officer Kati Karottki, formerly of Kraft Heinz, Ocean Spray and alt protein brands Meati and Tovala, to lead the company’s branding evolution. “When it comes to brands and innovation, it’s either working with something familiar and conveying what’s new and better, or, working with something new and better and conveying what’s familiar. With New Age Eats it’s the latter,” said Karottiki.
New advisor
The brand first plans to release a variety of pork sausage products. New Age is additionally welcoming Greg Belt, long-time Supply Chain, Innovation and Sustainability executive with AB InBev, to its Advisory Board.
“Greg’s unique background operating and executing at global scale, combined with experience in alternative proteins as he builds and scales Evergrain, lends to strong counsel and advisory as we move forward to the next phase of New Age Eats,” said Spears. “We’re thrilled to have him join us on this journey.”
