British alt-meat startup Herblabism has signed a deal with caterer Levy UK+I to supply meatless products to major venues across the country. Levy is a caterer for sports stadiums such as Wembley, Aston Villa, and Chelsea F.C., as well as entertainment venues including the O2 Arena.
The company recently completed another collaboration with Herblabism, which involved serving the brand’s meatless sausages and burgers at the COP26 Summit in Glasgow. The menu created by Levy for the summit was 60% meatless and 40% entirely plant-based. 7,500 Herblabism mushroom burgers and 6,000 of the brand’s plant-based sausages were sold over the course of the 12-day event.
Levy says it is committed to a “low carbon, plant-forward strategy”, emphasising that meatless meals accounted for 60% of the company’s total sales at COP26 while beef accounted for just 2%.
Transforming the supply chain
Herblabism’s founder, Dr. Vincent Walsh, is quick to point out that it isn’t just another alt-meat brand. The startup has ambitious plans to transform the way food is produced in the UK, creating a more sustainable and cost-effective model that can be emulated by other companies. This could include circular farming practices, sourcing better ingredients, and innovations in the processing, packaging, and distribution of products.
While Herblabism’s products have previously only been available via caterers, a selection will soon be launching on the startup’s website for consumers to buy directly.
“Our vision is one where Herblabism makes an impact in every part of the supply chain, becoming central to the entire ‘farm to fork’ food journey,” Walsh. “So, while I am incredibly proud that our mushroom burgers and plant-based sausages were so well received at a globally significant event like COP26 – and I’m very excited about extending our fantastic partnership with Levy – our ultimate aim is to create a food business which is clean, transparent, efficient, localised, and decentralised.”
