Blackbird Foods

A plant-based pizza topped with Beyond Meat's pepperoni

Image courtesy of Blackbird Foods
Investments & Acquisitions

Blackbird Foods Announces Acquisition by Ahimsa Companies

US-based vegan food brand Blackbird Foods has announced an acquisition by plant-based investor Ahimsa Companies. Blackbird Foods is well-known for its New York-style hand-tossed frozen pizzas, available US-wide at retailers such as Target, Sprouts, and Whole Foods. The brand also offers plant-based wings made from seitan, which can be found at The Fresh Market and Wegmans. Following the acquisition, Blackbird Foods plans to use Ahimsa’s expertise to enhance its distribution and manufacturing capabilities. “We are eager to tap into Ahimsa’s extensive knowledge to strengthen Blackbird’s presence in the frozen aisle,” said Mike Pease, co-founder of Blackbird Foods. “With their support, we have ambitious plans for growth and exciting product innovations on the horizon.” “Exciting step” Ahimsa Companies was formed in 2024 with the aim of …

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Blackbird Foods wings

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Retail & E-Commerce

Blackbird Foods’ Seitan-Based Wings Land at 100+ Wegmans Stores Nationwide

Blackbird Foods, a New York City-based plant-based food company, has announced the launch of its plant-based wings in Wegmans stores. The brand’s Buffalo and Korean BBQ-flavored wings are now available at over 100 Wegmans locations nationwide. The expansion into Wegmans represents a key step in Blackbird Foods’ growth. Emanuel Storch, CEO of Blackbird Foods, highlighted the alignment between the two companies, stating, “Partnering with Wegmans is especially exciting, as it highlights our shared dedication to providing high-quality, plant-based food options.” The plant-based wings, made from seitan, a wheat-based protein, are designed to mimic the texture and taste of traditional chicken wings. Each 12 oz package includes a separate sauce packet to enhance flavor. The Buffalo wings offer a spicy and tangy profile, while the Korean …

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Blackbird Foods plant-based wings

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Products & Launches

Blackbird Foods Expands Plant-Based Wings Range With Two “Mouth-Watering” Flavors

New York City-based startup Blackbird Foods has announced it is expanding its range of plant-based wings with two new varieties — Texas BBQ and Thai Chili. The seitan-based wings feature a meat-style interior and a hand-battered crispy exterior. The Texas BBQ flavor is described as “tangy and smoky”, while the Thai Chili wings are said to have a “sweet and spicy kick”. When coated in sauce, the products are said to resemble traditional wings in both taste and appearance. Blackbird first launched plant-based wings in 2022, available in Buffalo and Korean BBQ flavors. The brand wanted to provide an alternative to the meatless wings offered by other companies, which CEO Emanuel Storch described as “boring nuggets being branded as ‘wings’”. Rapid growth The new launch …

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Blackbird Foods pizza

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Fundraising

Blackbird Foods Launches Equity Crowdfunding Campaign to Take Company to “Next Level”

Blackbird Foods, a New York City-based plant-based food manufacturer, has announced the initiation of a new equity crowdfunding campaign via StartEngine. The company, currently valued at $15 million, has established itself in the market with a wide distribution across national retailers such as Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Target. Established in 2020, Blackbird Foods has been consistently developing new products and expanding its retail footprint in the United States. The company began with plant-based seitan for foodservice in NYC, and moved into hand-tossed frozen pizzas and plant-based wings. Blackbird Foods reported a 60% increase in sales from 2022 to 2023, which it attributes to its ability to rapidly innovate and respond to consumer demands due to its self-manufacturing capabilities in New York City. This year, in …

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New York's Blackbird Foods announces the launch of a new plant-based pizza topped with Beyond Meat's plant-based pepperoni and vegan cheese.

Image courtesy of Blackbird Foods
Products & Launches

Blackbird Foods Launches “Meatier” Plant-Based Pepperoni Pizza with Beyond Meat

New York’s Blackbird Foods announces the launch of a new plant-based pizza topped with Beyond Meat’s plant-based pepperoni and vegan cheese.  The brand’s Pepperoni Pizza, debuting in a new magenta packaging, is already available in the frozen aisle at The Fresh Market, Central Market, Earthfare, nationwide, and at select regions of Whole Foods across the USA. Blackbird Foods, which manufactures most of its own pizza toppings, launched a pepperoni pizza in 2022. However, the brand decided to “refresh” its recipe to satisfy pepperoni pizza enthusiasts. The company argues that Beyond Pepperoni is “meatier,” offering a “delectable” taste and crispy edges. “Pepperoni is one of the most popular pizza toppings, and we’re proud to provide Blackbird with a delicious, plant-based version that delivers the taste and …

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Vegan Buffalo Chicken Pizza

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Retail & E-Commerce

New York’s Blackbird Foods Continues Trajectory, Rolls Out More Vegan Pizzas into Whole Foods

Blackbird Foods continues its trajectory of success with the addition of three plant-based pizzas to its line-up at Whole Foods, including its recent product developed with fellow plant-based brand daring, the Blackbird Buffalo Pizza.  Blackbird’s pizzas are already listed at 300 Target stores, and the brand has also launched a line of plant-based chick*n WINGS, available in Buffalo and Korean BBQ flavors. Blackbird’s Margherita, Supreme, and Buffalo frozen pizzas are now launching in Whole Foods’ Southern Pacific region, which includes shops in Southern California, Arizona, Southern Nevada, and Hawaii. The Buffalo, topped with vegan cheese, fresh onions, and daring’s plant-based chicken, launched nationally at Sprouts last spring. With the launch in Whole Foods SoPac, Blackbird is increasing its reach and making its vegan pizza creations …

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Emanuel Storch of Blackbird Foods

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Interviews

Blackbird Foods: “Our Focus on Fun and Familiar Favorites Has a Strong Appeal to Everyone”

While most plant-based protein companies focus on popular formats like meat-free burgers, sausages and nuggets, one New York City startup has decided to take a completely different approach. Blackbird Foods, founded in 2020, specializes in plant protein of a different sort: artisanal seitan, a versatile wheat-based protein that can be used to make everything from Philly cheesesteaks and meaty cutlets to gyro pitas and pulled pork sandwiches. Blackbird Foods crafts its seitan using proprietary techniques to achieve flavors and textures that are unlike anything else found in most other seitan products.  Having conquered seitan, Blackbird Foods then turned its talents to recreating New York’s iconic pizza with an authentic crust, dairy-free cheese and premium toppings. Their frozen pizza line became a huge hit with customers …

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hooray-foods-raises-money-more-bacon

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Fairs & Events

Vegan Brand Wins in Meat Category at 2023 Mindful Awards, Beating Animal Meat Products

The annual Mindful Awards recognize the best mindful (largely US-based) companies, services, and products in the consumer goods industry. Excitingly, in the 2023 winners list, one vegan product came at top place in the Breakfast Meat Product of the Year category, meaning this plant-based meat was deemed superior (in terms of the criteria) to its animal meat counterparts. The competition is open to all individuals, products, companies, and organizations producing CPG products and services, to applaud conscious CPG companies and products that provide transparency to consumers, pay fair wages to their employees, ensure sustainable business practices, use recycled or recyclable materials, and produce healthier products with natural or organic ingredients. All nominations are judged by an independent panel of consumer goods industry experts. This year’s …

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Vegan Buffalo Chicken Pizza

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Products & Launches

Blackbird Foods Partners with Daring to Launch Buffalo Plant Chicken Pizza

New York City’s Blackbird Foods announces it is partnering with plant chicken leader Daring Foods on its latest pizza offering – Blackbird Buffalo Pizza.  Launching exclusively at US Sprouts Farmers Markets, the new frozen pizza will feature Daring’s Breaded Plant Chicken Pieces.   The Buffalo Pizza is described as “pizzeria” quality, and includes a New York-style hand-tossed crust topped with spicy buffalo sauce, vegan cheese, fresh onions and Daring’s Breaded Plant Chicken. According to Blackbird, the pizza makes a quick and convenient meal with a baking time of just eight minutes. “We are thrilled to partner with Blackbird to create our new exclusive Buffalo Plant Chicken Pizza,” says Founder and CEO of Daring, Ross Mackay. “It’s exciting to see two beloved plant-based brands with a similar …

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LikeMeat Chick'n/ Chicken Wings

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Society

Sales of Plant-Based Wings Grow as Americans Expected to Consume 160M Vegan Wings for Super Bowl

A new report by Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) shows that an estimated ten million Americans will consume about 160 million plant-based wings during this year’s Super Bowl. In addition, brands like Blackbird Foods report soaring demand for new vegan wing products as the segment continues to undergo expansion and innovation. Every year, Americans consume an enormous amount of party foods, including pizza, nachos and dips, during football’s biggest night. Perhaps the most popular dish of all is chicken wings – about 1.4 billion wings are eaten annually during the game.  But plant-based wings are steadily gaining ground as more Americans turn to a growing range of vegan wing options.  To estimate vegan wings’ popularity, CIWF estimated that roughly 6% of the U.S. population consider …

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Blackbird Vegan Korean BBQ Wings

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Products & Launches

Blackbird Foods Launches ‘Naturally Boneless’ Crispy Plant-Based WINGS

Plant-based startup Blackbird Foods announces it is launching a new line of WINGS to pair with the brand’s popular artisan pizzas. Made with its signature seitan, a limited batch will launch on the brand’s website Oct. 11th before rolling out in retailers at the end of 2022.  According to Blackbird, its WINGS actually look and taste like traditional wings with a crispy outside and tender inside. Blackbird uses its signature method of producing seitan, a wheat-based protein, to create the product before hand-battering and coating each one in sauce.  WINGS, available in Buffalo and Korean BBQ flavors, are sold frozen in 10oz bags with a sauce packet – customers can bake or air-fry the wings until crispy and coat them in sauce. Like all of …

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Blackbird Margherita pizza

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Products & Launches

Blackbird Foods Launching Popular Plant-Based Pizzas at 300 US Target Stores

Plant-based food startup Blackbird Foods announces its popular artisanal pizzas will be launching at 300 Target stores in October. The brand’s Margherita and Supreme Pizzas will retail for a suggested price of $7.99 and be available nationwide at Target in-store and online. According to Blackbird, it is one of the fastest-growing frozen pizza brands in the country, and one of the earliest-stage food startups that Target has ever launched. Made by chefs in NYC, Blackbird’s pizzas feature fresh ingredients and overnight rising dough that is hand-tossed to produce a classic soft and crispy New York-style crust. Its Margherita pizza is topped with fresh basil, garlic and a signature tomato sauce, while the Supreme features Blackbird’s house-made plant-based sausage crumbles, red onions and green peppers. In …

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Blackbird Foods Chili Seitan

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Food & Beverage

NYC’s Blackbird Foods is Bringing Restaurant-Level Vegan Comfort Food to More Consumers

As the diversity of plant-based convenience foods grows, many brands still rely on mass-produced ingredients that typically lack hand-crafted taste and quality. Enter Blackbird Foods, an NYC plant-based foods company passionate about bringing the best NYC-style pizza and seitan to consumers everywhere.  The world’s “meatiest” seitan Founded by chefs Mark Mebus and Craig Cochran, Blackbird originally produced seitan (a meat alternative made from wheat protein) for sale to local restaurants. Chef Mebus spent over a decade perfecting the art of transforming wheat into seitan, yielding a highly-flavored, meaty product that is low in fat and packed with protein. When more customers began to request Blackbird’s seitan for home cooking, the brand opened a production facility in NYC.  While there are plenty of wheat-based plant-based meats, …

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Kitchen 17

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Food & Beverage

Blackbird and Kitchen 17 Expand Business as Vegan Pizza Skyrockets in the USA

As the foodservice industry continues to suffer amid the Covid-19 pandemic, many plant-based brands have pivoted into retail, with the frozen pizza sector principal among them. Following similar moves in the category by global brands including Veganz and Dr. Oetker, Blackbird Foods and Kitchen 17 now have designs on becoming market leaders in the USA.

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