juicy_marbles_basting_closeup

© Juicy Marbles

Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Juicy Marbles Partners With Grocery Delivery Services in the UK & Czech Republic

Plant-based whole-cut producer Juicy Marbles has partnered with rapid grocery delivery service GoPuff, allowing UK consumers to have a two-pack of plant-based steaks delivered to their doors in as little as 30 minutes. The news comes a year after Juicy Marbles’ first major UK supply deal with supermarket chain Waitrose in a trial intended to last just two weeks. When 86% of the stock sold out within four days, the deal became long-term. Juicy Marbles’ steaks have since seen successful launches at Tesco where they retail at a lower price than comparable animal-based steaks, as well as at Whole Foods UK. Sales have reportedly been strong to date. “We love that Gopuff provides home chefs with a fast, convenient way to get their groceries when …

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Juicy Marbles launches at Tesco

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Company News

Juicy Marbles’ Whole Cuts Arrive in Tesco, Retailing at Lower Price Than Animal Steak

Juicy Marbles, creator of luxury plant-based whole cuts including the “world’s first marbled plant-based steak” which caused a stir upon its announcement in 2021, announces the rollout of the famous steak into 350+ Tesco stores. This marks Juicy Marbles’ third major UK supermarket distribution deal following its initial distributor Waitrose and most recent listing at Whole Foods. Juicy Marbles reports that “Tesco has seen a big increase in demand for versatile, high-quality plant-based meat products in recent months, as shoppers look to reduce their meat consumption” and that Tesco’s buyers were “drawn to the versatility and quality” of the product, as well as strong sales to date. Cheaper than the “real” thing The product lands on Tesco shelves at £9 rrp and at a £6.75 …

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Juicy Marbels secures a long term deal for its filet mignon at Waitrose

Image credit: Juicy Marbles FB

Food Service

Juicy Marbles Steak Arrives at Barcelona Hot-Spot Aiming to Begin an “Inclusive Plant-Based Revolution”

Amarre 69, one of the most popular vegan restaurants in Barcelona, ​​stands as a pioneer in the future of premium vegan meat with the “Juicy 69 Experience” event spotlighting the plant-based Juicy Marbles steak. The objective of the event is to enhance the recognition of Amarre 69 among the local public in Barcelona and promote the plant-based movement in the city in a unique and fun way. Taking place this Sunday, December 10th; from 1pm, the general public will be invited to enjoy the “Juicy 69 Experience”, entailing a free tasting of Juicy Marbles tapas and a musical presentation by Daniella Barbarito, providing a vibrant and festive atmosphere. The initiative will bring together different personalities, media and the general public on the occasion of the …

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Koocha Mezze Bar Sunday roast

© Koocha Mezze Bar

Food Service

Bristol’s Koocha Mezze Bar Partners With Juicy Marbles for Vegan Roast Dinner

Koocha Mezze Bar, a popular Persian-inspired plant-based restaurant in Bristol, UK, has added a vegan roast dinner to its menu. The centrepiece of the dish is a wellington, featuring Juicy Marbles‘ plant-based steak along with mushroom and chestnut duxelles. The wellington is served on a bed of parsnip hummus, and is accompanied by saffron and rosemary roast potatoes, maple and zaatar glazed carrots, broccoli, parmesan smashed sprouts, Yorkshire pudding, sausage stuffing, and red wine gravy. An optional side of cauliflower cheese is also available. “Today marks the first day of serving you our incredible Koocha Sunday roast dinner, and wow has it gone down a treat!” said Koocha on Instagram. “The feedback so far from you all has been incredible!” The roast will be available …

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Juicy Marbles' famous filet mignon arrives at UK Whole Foods stores

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Retail & E-Commerce

Juicy Marbles’ Famous Plant-Based Filet Mignon Arrives at All UK Whole Foods Stores

Slovenian company Juicy Marbles, a pioneer of 100% plant-based marbled whole cuts, announces that its famous plant-based filet mignon — the Thick-Cut Filet — is now available at Whole Foods stores across the UK.  This initiative marks the first-ever launch of the famous vegan steaks in Whole Foods and the company’s second supermarket listing in the country following a successful deal with Waitrose in June.  The Thick-Cut Filet will be available in a two-piece package for £10.99. The steaks come raw and unseasoned, allowing customers to use any recipe and cooking method: fried, grilled, stewed, and even boiled for broth. Notably, the product has a Nutri-Score A.  “When reviewing our plant-based protein category there was a gap for a premium plant-based cut,” said Daniel Gill, …

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Plant-based ribs with bones

Image courtesy of Juicy Marbles

Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Juicy Marbles Unveils the World’s First Plant-Based Ribs with Edible Bones

Slovenian foodtech Juicy Marbles, known for creating the world’s first plant-based filet mignon and the largest piece plant-muscle ever conceived, unveils its latest development —Bone-in Ribs — which it describes as the world’s first plant-based ribs with edible bones. Juicy Marbles says that its team wanted to push the boundaries of what is possible in plant-based meat by expanding the available options with ‘food-culture-friendly’ innovations, such as ribs, a cut of meat enjoyed by millions worldwide.  Vladimir Mićković, the co-founder of Juicy Marbles, says: “There is a culture of celebration, sharing, and belonging around meat — part of a food culture thousands of years in the making. Anyone cutting down on meat can probably confirm that the hardest part is not missing meat’s flavour, but feeling …

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Juicy Marbles plant-based mignon steak

© Juicy Marbles

Company News

UK: Juicy Marbles Announces Long-Term Filet Mignon Deal with Waitrose

Whole-cut vegan steak producer Juicy Marbles announces it has secured a long-term supply deal with Waitrose for its Thick-Cut Filet — considered the industry’s first plant-based filet mignon.  Juicy Marbles’ steaks have been available at Waitrose since April in a two-piece package at £9 — a lower price than comparable beef steaks. The product’s sales have performed “exceptionally well” in the first few weeks of the permanent run, increasing 83% since its launch in April, explained the Slovenian company. Catherine Shacklock, Vegan Buyer at Waitrose, said: “Our customers went wild for Juicy Marbles steaks last month and have been anticipating their return with searches on Waitrose.com for the plant-based alternative not showing any signs of slowing down.” Fastest-ever selling The partnership follows a successful first-for-all trial. Juicy Marbles …

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Juicy Marbles

© Juicy Marbles

Meat- and Fish Alternatives

BILLA’s Plant-Forward Strategy Continues With Exclusive Juicy Marbles Launch

Juicy Marbles launches its innovative plant-based fillet steak at BILLA PLUS and BILLA PFLANZILLA. The Austrian supermarket chain BILLA is pursuing a comprehensive plant-based strategy with the aim of responding optimally to the needs of customers who are increasingly looking for plant-based products. The motives for this are diverse and range from health aspects to animal welfare to climate-friendly nutrition, among others. BILLA supports them in this with a selection of more than 4,000 purely plant-based products. New to the range nationwide is now the plant-based fillet steak from the Slovenian startup Juicy Marbles. It is now available exclusively in all BILLA PLUS stores and at the plant-based supermarket that opened last year, BILLA PFLANZILLA. Verena Wiederkehr, BILLA Head of Plant-Based Business Development, says: “Our …

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Vladimir Mićković, Juicy Marbles

Vladimir Mićković © Juicy Marbles

Interviews

Juicy Marbles: “If Burgers Kickstarted the Plant-Based Revolution, Whole Cuts Are Going to Carry it All The Way Through”

At this point, Juicy Marbles should need no introduction for the majority of vegconomist readers. Based in Slovenia and enjoying distribution across the UK and US, these plant-based whole-cut steaks have been causing a stir since they arrived in 2021, as was the intention. Vladimir Mićković, co-founder and chief brand officer at Juicy Marbles, turned out to be a very characterful and quoteworthy interviewee! What is the story behind Juicy Marbles? I’m sure every “marble” could tell a different story, but we are all bound by a shared love of cooking. We come from a culture where food is inseparable from passion. There is this joie-de-vivre coursing through our veins, and feasting with friends and family is a way of celebrating life here. Meat was …

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juicy marbles product

© Waitrose

Products & Launches

Waitrose Becomes First UK Supermarket to List Juicy Marbles, Stocks the Filet Mignon in Butcher Section

Whole cut vegan steak producer Juicy Marbles launches at Waitrose, marking the first UK supermarket to sell the 100% plant-based filet mignon. The brand’s famous marbled vegan steaks — placed alongside conventional animal meat in the butcher section — are part of the supermarket’s Valentine’s Day Meal Deal, offering two Juicy Marbles steaks, a starter, a dessert, and a bottle of fine wine for £20. Waitrose reports that it is listing the plant-based filets in 217 Waitrose stores from February 8th to 14th while stocks last.  Luka Sinček, Juicy Marbles’ co-founder, said: “Mr. Marbles will be pleased to see the introduction of Juicy Marbles’ steaks in Waitrose, one of the UK’s most respected supermarkets. We are also big fans of romance here in Marbles’ Surreal …

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juicy marbles' plant-based whole cut loin pictured on a wooden board and being cut by a man

© Juicy Marbles

Meat- and Fish Alternatives

6 Innovators Disrupting Steak With Plants in Europe

Following our recent article on the steak alternatives available in North America, we take a look at the innovative brands disrupting steak in Europe. Not so long ago, most meat alternatives were limited to minced products such as sausages and burgers. But with technology progressing at an astonishing rate, consumers can now enjoy a range of whole-cut products, making it easier than ever to avoid meat. Here we give six examples of steak made from plants, currently available on the European market, and one more that is soon to arrive. 1. Vivera In 2018, Dutch brand Vivera became one of the first producers worldwide to launch plant-based steak. The product made its debut at UK supermarket chain Tesco, where 40,000 were sold in a single …

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List of the best plant-based steak products in North America

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Food & Beverage

The 9 Most Incredible Brands Disrupting Steak with Plants (North America)

While plant-based burgers, sausages and meatballs have long dominated the alt-meat landscape, creating realistic steak from plants has always represented the highest, if seemingly unattainable goal, for many brands. But thanks to fearless and relentless innovation, a host of shockingly meaty and juicy plant-based steaks have arrived on the US and Canadian market, and are rapidly coming to the fore. Here, vegconomist takes a look at the most noteworthy names bringing animal-free steak to mainstream consumers.  1. Beyond Meat  While not a fully structured filet, Beyond’s “revolutionary” plant-based steak tips marked a major milestone for the company, which previously only offered ground-textured products like burgers and sausages. According to CEO Ethan Brown, Beyond Steak took five years of extensive R&D to develop. The product can …

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Queen Inn Redefine steak

© The Queen Inn

Food & Beverage

Welsh Pub Becomes “World’s First” Vegan Steakhouse

This time last year, The Queen Inn pub in South Wales took the chance of going fully vegan for Veganuary and the success was so incredible that the traditional family pub made the decision to become permanently vegan, much to the surprise of most of its regular clientele. To celebrate a phenomenally successful first year of being a 100% plant-based establishment, and to mark the pub’s second Veganuary; Ryan Edwards, who operates the pub with parents Jane and Gareth, came up with a groundbreaking concept which could very well be the first in the world. A Welsh world’s first? The theme for the month, and one which will continue in future depending on demand, is the World’s First Vegan Steakhouse. Since the Queen Inn was …

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juicy marbles' plant-based whole cut loin pictured on a wooden board and being cut by a man

© Juicy Marbles

Products & Launches

Juicy Marbles’ Whole-Cut Plant-Based Loin to Launch in the UK in Time for Christmas

Juicy Marbles‘ latest plant-based meat product, a whole-cut beef-style loin, will be available for UK customers to purchase over the festive season. The beef-style loin, which according to the company is the “biggest piece of plant-based meat ever conceived“, will go on sale via the company’s website from December 1st. Raw and unseasoned  Juicy Marbles’ whole-cut loin is a versatile piece of plant-based meat that can be grilled, broiled, or boiled. It can also be used to make broth, or cut into fillets, chunks, or slices. The main ingredients are non-GMO soy, sunflower oil, and beetroot powder, and the product has a Nutri-Score rating of A. It comes uncooked and unseasoned to allow customers to express their preferences and creativity. Plant-based whole-cut pioneer Although other …

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juicy marbles' plant-based raw whole cut loin product

© Juicy Marbles

Products & Launches

Juicy Marbles Reveals “Biggest Piece of Plant Meat Ever Conceived” With Whole Cut Loin

The Slovenian food tech company Juicy Marbles announces the e-commerce launch of its latest plant-based meat development, the Whole-Cut Loin.   The company, which creates raw and unseasoned premium meat cuts with fat-marbled layers, claims its new loin is the “biggest piece of meat ever conceived” for the plant-based whole-cut meat category. Juicy Marbles, considered a plant-based whole-cut pioneer after the commercial release of its first product – the industry’s first plant-based filet mignon – is now adding a new product with an unusual presentation to the category. Since its debut, the company has been shipping DTC across Europe, with a limited-release 1,000-pack sale in February and across the US market, where its products “sold out in just two hours” in June.  A versatile whole-cut …

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Steak

©Juicy Marbles

Products & Launches

Juicy Marbles Announces Limited Release of “World’s First” Plant-Based Filet Mignon Steaks

Juicy Marbles‘ plant-based filet mignon is now for sale in Europe through a limited drop of 1,000 packs in what the company claims to be the world’s first premium alt meat release of its kind. The Juicy Marbles tender filet mignon is now for sale via the company’s website, with the Slovenian startup using patent-pending protein texturing tech to replicate the texture and fat systems of conventional filet mignon. Although plenty of other vegan steaks are being developed in the industry, Juicy Marbles claims its products differ in that they are not lab-grown or 3D-printed, but rather produced through its proprietary plant-based 3D assembly technology.  According to Juicy Marbles, the launch makes it the first company to commercially release a plant-based filet mignon steak thus …

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Juicy Marbles steak

©Juicy Marbles

Investments & Finance

Juicy Marbles Announces $4.5M Raise to Bring World’s First Plant-Based Filet Mignon to Market 

Juicy Marbles announces a $4.5M raise to bring its plant-based filet mignon to market. The funding marks the first investment made by new climate tech investor World Fund, who led the round after launching a €350m fund last week. World Fund has been initiated by the tree-planting search engine Ecosia, and is the brainchild of Ecosia’s founders, Christian Kroll and Tim Schumacher, and Ecosia’s head of investments, Danijel Visevic, who comments: “There has been a seismic shift in recent years towards plant-based alternatives, driven by a generation who want to make a real difference to the planet and their health. However, so often they’re met with poor substitutes, or they resist going fully plant-based because they’re not ready to give up on little luxuries, like …

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Plantbased Business Hour

Juicy Marbles: The World’s First Filet Mignon Plant-based Steaks

The founders of Juicy Marbles Plant-based Steaks, Tilen Travnik, Maj Hrovat, Luka Sincek and Vlad Mickovic join Elysabeth Alfano on the Plantbased Business Hour to explain how they make the world’s first plant-based filet mignon steaks and discuss what is the future of plant-based whole cut meats.

They also discuss the democratization of meat,  how the steaks are shipped ‘raw’,  the updates on the Taste Tester’s Club,  the speed at which they are finishing up their seed raise, what is coming next and taking on masculine stereotypes with plant-based steaks.

Below is a highlight clip and transcript from the long-form conversation on bringing back the joy of getting creative in the kitchen and experiencing community at the table.  A transcript of that conversation is below. Podcast is here.

Juicy Marbles
©Juicy Marbles

Elysabeth: I’m wondering if you could share your business perspective about what’s really driving you here. Is it that desire for change or is it the enormous monetary potential here with a product like plant-based steak?

Vlad Mickovic: Imagine answering it’s the massive monetary opportunity. Just imagine the conversation.

Elysabeth: But hold on, come on, that’s a big part of it, as well.

Vlad Mickovic: It’s the internet, we want the internet money. Obviously, you know, it’s really poetry in life when you create value externally and also for yourself, right? So, I think all of us are impact driven. We can go into a very philosophical selfish discussion about how there’s always a present, but I don’t think that’s necessary.

We really want to help aid and change the food system for the better and the food culture, right? It’s not just the food system, obviously with its faults and animal agriculture being obviously very ineffective in feeding the world.

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Also the food culture is taking quite a hit since the fridge got invented or something. Now we have all these grey goo startups telling you that you don’t even have to eat. You can just drink.

We really also want to champion the pleasure of food and what the ritual of food brings about and also [that it’s] the most intimate sacred ritual you can perform for yourself and for others, right, the primal one that is kind of slipping away from our culture. So that’s one aspect and, obviously, you know why we started with beef is the inefficiencies of the food system. You know beef alone takes sixty percent of all agricultural land while providing two percent of the world’s calories. And there’s much more data like this that just makes it seem like this is not working, right?

So this is not even necessarily an ethical question if people care about animals and stuff like that, which I think they should, but it’s really a humanitarian issue, as well. Maybe that’s one of the things that’s not even talked about that much. Basically, out of seven hundred eighty million people who are under the poverty line, most of them are the people that produce the food and that’s because we distribute a crop so unevenly because we have to feed the cows that need to feed the wealthy west and so forth. So there’s so much to be done in the food industry.

Juicy Marbles steak
©Juicy Marbles

By the way, we’re not here saving the world. We’re doing a little part. We want to have as big an impact as we can have and we see planned meat analogues will play a major role in hopefully developing a livable future.

Tilen Travnik: I struggle the most when I have good friends who are not vegan or even parents or family struggle with what they can cook for me or my family that will appear a decent meat substitute to them but will still be plant-based. So that’s one of the challenges is the unifying factor such a product can have so you can sit down as an unsplit family again and don’t have to sacrifice you being a vegan. In the case of myself [I] go into semi conflict on what I’m feeding to my kids.

Vlad Mickovic: He really just wants his friends back.

Tilen Travnik: Yeah.

Elysabeth: Well, I was going to mention that. I mean part of the beauty of this is, and I’ll throw up a picture here in a minute, is that the steaks arrive, not technically raw, but your experience with it is as if you were receiving a raw product. So I had a conversation with an advisor of yours the other day and about “is it raw? Is it not raw?” So it has been pre-cooked and that’s why you can ship it shelf stable. Once you open the package, you have to cook it within about a week, I think, but generally you would consider it shelf stable.

Juicy Marbles filet mignon_plate
©Juicy Marbles

But your experience with it is you would cook it up just like any chef prepares their meat: salt and thyme and sage and whatever you want to do with your meat so that the cooking experience is still there, so that you can have that communal experience like Vlad was talking about of making food for yourself and making something special that only you would create and share and give to others.

Food is that ultimate connector, right? We all come together over food which is why it’s been a pity, to riff off what Tilen said, to feel that there’s a little bit of a divide sometimes if you come to the table as a plant-based person and then everyone sees this as a schism between the group, which obviously it doesn’t have to be.

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Juicy Marbles steak

©Juicy Marbles

Food & Beverage

Juicy Marbles Launches “World’s First” Luxury Filet Mignon Steaks From Plants

Juicy Marbles co-founders Tilen Travnik, Luka Sincek and Maj Hrovat, recent Y Combinator Cohorts, have created a line of raw, plant-based steaks, starting with a plant-based Filet Mignon which reportedly mimics the muscle texture and marbling of meat. The founders claim this to be the world’s first plant-based steaks which are now shipping DTC across the US and throughout Europe for a limited time.

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