Hooray Foods Improved AWESOME Vegan Bacon

©Hooray Foods

Company News

Celebrating 4 Years and 5 Million Strips of Hooray Bacon Amid Sad News

In a sad turn of events, Hooray Foods, producer of plant-based bacon, announced the closure of its operations yesterday, after four years in the industry and 5 million strips of Hooray Bacon sold. A statement from the team said, “With your support, we reached our goal of national distribution in grocery stores and restaurants; however, the economics of running a company of this size simply do not match our revenue, and we are unable to continue producing our product for sale.” Hooray Foods’ achievements Hooray Foods launched its Hooray Bacon on World Vegan Day in 2020, driven by a mission to “save animals from the food system, one pig at a time.” And with the company’s many achievements over the last few years, it has …

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La Vie bacon close up

© La Vie

Meat- and Fish Alternatives

The Technology Behind the Success of Carnivore-Fooling Vegan Bacon

By channeling cutting-edge technology, food tech companies make vegan bacon that looks, tastes and feels like pork bacon, convincing flexitarians and carnivores alike. Crispiness, moisture, bite, and flavor are the top challenges R&D and scientific teams must overcome to win over consumers. According to Coherent Market Insights, vegan bacon is becoming increasingly popular because companies have developed healthier alternatives. The global vegan bacon market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.6% between 2022 and 2032, totaling around US$ 2,425.4 million by 2032. Let’s look at the technology behind some of the most popular brands of vegan bacon. Hooray Foods — emulsion tech San Francisco-based Hooray Foods launched its first plant-based bacon in 2020, claiming that it rivaled the taste and texture of pork …

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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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Veggie Grill Bacon Cup

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Gastronomy & Food Service

Hooray Foods’ Crispy Vegan Bacon Now Served at All Veggie Grill Locations

Alt-bacon brand Hooray Foods announces its innovative plant-based bacon is now available at Veggie Grill – the world’s leading fast-casual vegan restaurant chain. The bacon can now be ordered at all of Veggie Grill’s 35 US locations. Veggie Grill is featuring the crispy bacon – made from rice flour, pea starch and coconut oil – in a signature vegan BLT Avocado Croissant, with romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes, Dijonnaise, and mashed avocado on a croissant roll. The bacon is also available as an add-on to a variety of other menu items, such as salads, sandwiches, and sides. “It’s a huge win for us to be able to bring Hooray bacon to a family of restaurants that share our commitment to offering delicious and sustainable plant-based options,” …

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Hooray Foods Improved AWESOME Vegan Bacon

©Hooray Foods

Investments & Finance

Hooray Foods Opens First-Ever WeFunder Campaign to Reach Price Parity with Animal Bacon

Plant-based meat innovator Hooray Foods announces the launch of its first WeFunder equity crowdfunding campaign. Officially opening Jan. 25th, Hooray says the Community Round gives its customers and fans an opportunity to invest for as little as $100 in exchange for company equity and product perks. Ahead of the public launch, the brand says its campaign preview is now live for the company’s biggest supporters.  Wefunder is a platform that allows the general public to invest in pre-IPO startups alongside venture capitalists. Upon reaching this Community Round’s goal of securing $500,000, Hooray says it plans to expand distribution for its innovative plant-based bacon. The company will also increase research and development efforts to help it fill the market gap for indulgent plant-based meats. Achieving price …

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Just Salad Hooray Bacon

©Just Salad

Gastronomy & Food Service

US Salad Chain Just Salad Adds Hooray Bacon Bits to 2022 Seasonal Menu

Fast casual chain Just Salad announces it is adding plant-based bacon by Hooray Foods to its Fall 2022 Seasonal Menu. Available in the signature Sweet Mama Salad or as an add-on to any menu item, the bacon will be offered at 60+ Just Salad US locations through Dec. 22nd.  According to the chain, Hooray’s meaty plant-based bacon perfectly complements the ingredients in its autumn-inspired Sweet Mama Salad, which includes baby spinach, sliced apples, and non-vegan white cheddar. Customers can substitute Violife Creamy Vegan Feta in place of the cheddar. Just Salad says the new bacon allows guests to enjoy the flavors of bacon without the negative environmental issues associated with animal agriculture.  Made from simple, non-GMO ingredients, Hooray Foods bacon is allergy-friendly and free from …

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Hooray Foods Improved AWESOME Vegan Bacon

©Hooray Foods

Retail & E-Commerce

Hooray Foods’ Retail Footprint Tops 1,000 Stores as Bacon Expands into Raley’s, Good Eggs and Big Y

Plant-based bacon brand Hooray Foods is continuing its retail expansion with launches in several regional stores including Raley’s, Good Eggs and Big Y. The expanded distribution increases access to its bacon strips across several states, and brings the brand’s total number of stores to over 1,000 locations. In Northern California and Nevada, more than 100 locations of Raley’s family of stores will carry the product under the Raley’s, Bel Air and Nob Hill Foods banners, while San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles shoppers can order the product via grocery delivery service Good Eggs. In Massachusetts and Connecticut, 46 Big Y stores are now offering the bacon in their frozen aisle.  The expansion comes as Hooray Foods rolls out its AWESOMER bacon – a new …

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Hooray Foods New AWESOMER Bacon

©Hooray Foods

Products & Launches

Hooray Foods Rolls Out New “AWESOMER” Plant-Based Bacon Across US

Plant-based bacon brand Hooray Foods is launching its new and improved AWESOMER bacon at US grocery stores and foodservice nationwide. Featuring a “game-changing” crispy and chewy texture, Hooray says its latest version of the product mimics the flavor of pork bacon like never before.  A winning combination Debuting in Whole Foods, Wegmans and other regional chains in July, the AWESOMER bacon strips feature a variety of crispy and chewy parts created by Hooray’s proprietary emulsion forming technology. The bacon is also enhanced with new natural flavors that deliver a more fatty and meaty taste.  With just 40 calories per strip, Hooray’s bacon contains  65% fewer calories, 75% less fat and 40% less sodium than conventional pork bacon. The product is also made with simple and …

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Hoorays Foods at Wegmans Markets

©Hooray Foods

Food & Beverage

Hooray Foods’ Popular Vegan Bacon Launches at Wegmans Food Markets

Hooray Foods, which produces innovative plant-based bacon, announces the brand is now available at most Wegmans Food Market locations. Hooray’s retail packs will initially be carried at 76 Wegmans stores in North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Sold in the refrigerated section, Hooray’s product uses a novel fat encapsulation method to make vegan bacon strips that look, taste and sizzle in the pan like pork-based bacon. Hooray’s bacon uses simple, allergy-friendly ingredients like rice flour, coconut oil and tapioca starch and contains no cholesterol.  Rapid retail growth  Since raising over $4 million in seed funding last year, Hooray has been rapidly increasing its pace of expansion. The company’s products are currently found in Whole Foods Markets nationwide across the US, …

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Expo West 2022 Outdoor Event

©Natural Products Expo West

Food & Beverage

Expo West 2022 Recap – The Top 8 Plant-Based Innovations

Natural Products Expo West, the world’s largest natural and organic trade show, successfully held its first in-person event after a two-year hiatus last week, from March 8-12. The highly anticipated show attracted more than 2,700 exhibitors and 57,000 industry attendees to Anaheim, CA to make personal connections, attend keynote talks and discover the latest innovations in natural food, beverages and ingredients.  Vegconomist was on-site seeking out the most interesting, creative and groundbreaking animal-free products and brands. From realistic vegan bacon and sushi to indulgent pizzas and mochi ice cream, this year’s plant-rich offerings did not disappoint. Out of dozens of exciting new products, we’ve selected eight particularly noteworthy innovations, along with full photo galleries of our favorite finds.  1. Gluten-Free Breaded Chicken – Daring Daring, …

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©Hooray Foods

Investments & Finance

Hooray Foods Nets $2.7 Million to Make More Plant-Based Bacon

Plant-based bacon startup Hooray Foods announced today it has secured an additional $2.7 million in extension seed funding to grow its operations. The fast-growing startup, launched just a year ago, has already landed its bacon in 1,000 store locations across the US, including Whole Foods Market, and recently entered 180 Canadian grocery stores. Founded by Sri Artham, Hooray Foods creates plant-based bacon that closely replicates the taste and texture of pork-based bacon. Using a proprietary emulsification process, the company combines rice flour, coconut oil, tapioca starch and spices and seasonings to make marbled strips that look, crisp up and taste like conventional bacon.  In addition to scaling, the company says it will also channel the funds into improving its existing product for 2022, and creating …

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Products & Launches

Hooray Foods’ Plant-Based Bacon Arrives in Canada

San Francisco’s Hooray Foods, announces its debut in the Canadian market. Its plant-based bacon product, which first launched on World Vegan Day last year, is now available in 180 Sobeys Inc stores including Sobeys, Safeway and Thrifty Foods locations across Ontario and British Columbia.  The company, founded in 2019 by Sri Artham, previously VP of Consumer Packaged Goods at Fair Trade USA, raised $2 million in seed financing this June to scale production capacity to meet demand from retailers and in response to market changes such as Proposition 12 in California. Early investors include Stray Dog Capital which led Hooray’s seed round in June 2020. Hooray Foods’ USP is its original way to encapsulate fat which allows it to replicate the unique taste and texture …

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©Imperfect Foods

Food & Beverage

Hooray Foods’ Vegan Bacon Will Be Available at Imperfect Foods From September

From 2nd of September, Hooray Foods, the mission-driven, plant-based meat company known for its plant-based bacon – will be available via Imperfect Foods –  the leading online grocer at the forefront of building a less wasteful food system. Based in San Francisco, Hooray Foods launched its bacon to the US market on World Vegan Day last November, and has closed a $2 million seed financing round this June to scale production capacity to meet immediate demand from leading national retail and grocery chains. Imperfect Foods strives to eliminate food waste by working directly with farmers and producers to rescue and redistribute goods that might otherwise be thrown away across multiple grocery categories. Imperfect Foods delivers these goods directly to doorsteps through a customizable subscription service …

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Society

The End of Cheap Pork? Prop 12 Gives Plant-Based Bacon Golden Opportunity in California

As California’s government looks set to implement Proposition 12 – giving some farm animals raised for food additional space – plant-based bacon should capitalize as conventional bacon prices rise. When fully implemented on January 1, 2022, Proposition 12 will affect close to one million pigs and 40 million hens, giving them slightly more space in their cages. At present, pigs are trapped in cages that prevent them from turning around for practically their whole lives. Proposition 12 will allow the animals to at least turn around, though Big Meat lobbies are fighting hard to block the move. One outcome would be the rise of bacon prices as the costs of adapting farms to the new laws will be passed onto the consumer. With plant-based pork …

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BaconStrips Hooray Foods

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Market & Trends

Mmm, Bacon: Plant-Based Bacon Outselling Conventional as Market Doubles

Long-held as a taste icon for many diehard animal meat-eaters, now bacon is also experiencing plant-based disruption. Sales of plant-based bacon are up 25% – double the rate for the same period for animal-based bacon – and the plant-based bacon market as a whole doubled in 2020 to $267 million, reports Bloomberg.  As multiple players are entering the space from different angles, here is the vegconomist latest from the major disruptors in alt bacon: Robert Downey Jr. backed Atlast Food Co, a spinoff from Ecovative Design, has raised $100 million to create the world’s largest mycelium farm to create its fungi-based bacon flagship product.  Prime Roots has launched what it claims to be the world’s first plant-based bacon lineup of thick-cut, butcher-style bacon in Black …

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hooray-foods-plant-based-bacon-sandwich

©Hooray Foods

Investments & Finance

San Francisco’s Hooray Foods Completes $2M Seed Round to Expand its Cult Vegan Bacon Across USA

Hooray Foods, producer of the hotly tipped vegan bacon which arrived on the US market on World Vegan Day last November, launching into over 300 Whole Foods stores across the country, announces today it has closed a $2 million seed financing to scale production capacity to meet immediate demand from leading national retail and grocery chains. “We have already prototyped our next product and some early reviews say it’s even better than our bacon” Hooray Foods was founded in 2019 by Sri Artham, who created and presented early iterations of his plant-based bacon to highly regarded restaurants in the Bay Area such as The Plant Cafe and WesBurger, which served the bacon in popular dishes like BLT Sandwiches and bacon cheeseburgers. Speaking in interview with …

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Sri Artham of Hooray Foods

Sri Artham of Hooray Foods

Interviews

Hooray Foods: “Our Goal is to Give the Same Experience as Meat But With Less Guilt and More Joy”

Hooray Foods is a brand on a mission – “Saving animals from the food system, one pig at a time”. This World Vegan Day, Hooray announced the long-awaited debut of its gluten-free, allergy-free, dairy-free, soy-free, meat-free bacon into seven regions of the USA through a distribution partnership with Whole Foods.

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hooray-foods-plant-based-bacon-sandwich

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Food & Beverage

Much Anticipated Launch of Hooray Foods’ Plant-Based Bacon to Take Place on World Vegan Day 1st November

Hooray Foods announces the long-anticipated debut of its gluten-free, allergy-free, dairy-free, soy-free, meat-free bacon into seven regions of the USA through a distribution partnership with Whole Foods starting from World Vegan Day on November 1st, in its mission of “Saving Animals From the Food System, One Pig at a Time”. The San Francisco brand received funding in July through Stray Dog Capital and said at the time that it plans to “take retail and foodservice by storm” with its minimally processed bacon created with coconut oil, rice flour, tapioca starch, liquid smoke, umami seasoning (shiitake mushrooms, salt, mushroom extract, calcium carbonate), maple syrup, salt and beet juice concentrate.  Currently, there are over 70 million pigs existing on US farms for the use of food production. …

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