Motif Foodworks cheese

©Motif Foodworks

Gastronomy & Food Service

Fast Casual Chain Coolgreens to Trial Motif FoodWorks’ Innovative Plant-Based Cheese

Healthy fast casual chain Coolgreens announces it is testing a groundbreaking plant-based cheese created by Boston-based Motif FoodWorks. The dairy-free cheese will be available exclusively at Coolgreens’ Delray Beach, FL location beginning Nov. 15th. Motif’s cheese will be offered on Coolgreen’s signature Avocado Crunch sandwich and Southwest salad, as well as the non-vegan Chicken Fresca sandwich. Motif’s innovation is said to offer the same creamy taste, stretch and melt of traditional dairy cheese.  Though it has not yet disclosed the product’s ingredients, Motif revealed in 2021 it had acquired exclusive access to new food technologies it said had “the potential to transform” consumers’ experience with plant-based meat and cheese.  For its cheese, Motif licensed prolamin technology from the University of Guelph, which uses plant-based ingredients to …

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Eclipse Milkshakes

© Smashburger/ Eclipse Foods

Fast Food

Eclipse Foods Partners with Smashburger to Launch Chain’s First Plant-Based Milkshakes

Plant-based dairy brand Eclipse Foods announces it is partnering with burger chain Smashburger to release the QSR industry’s first nationally available plant-based milkshakes. Offered in six flavors for $6.19 each, customers can now enjoy the Eclipse milkshakes at all US Smashburger locations, as well as order through mobile delivery apps.  Months in the making Available in Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Peanut Butter, Tangerine Dream and Oreo flavors, the milkshakes are the first plant-based offering for Smashburger, a leading “better burger” chain with more than 200 locations in 35 states. To create the milkshake innovations, Smashburger’s corporate chef, Ty Goerke, worked closely with Eclipse co-founder and James Beard-nominated chef Thomas Bowman for months to perfect the recipes.  “As part of Smashburger’s aggressive approach to menu innovation and …

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Shake Shack + NotCo Milkshakes

©Shake Shack

Gastronomy & Food Service

Shake Shack Partners with NotCo to Trial First Dairy-Free Milkshake and Frozen Custard

Shake Shack, a leading American fast casual chain, announces it is trialing its first non-dairy chocolate milkshake and chocolate frozen custard beginning May 17. Available for a limited time, the new menu items will be piloted in 10 Shake Shack locations in New York and South Florida. According to Shake Shack, is it the first US food service provider to partner with food tech pioneer NotCo to create plant-based menu items. The additions, which are fully vegan and follow standards for allergens, include:   Non-Dairy Chocolate Shake: Chocolatey, creamy, plant-based, non-dairy frozen custard hand-spun with NotCo’s NotMilk (Starts at $6.19) Non-Dairy Chocolate Frozen Custard: Chocolatey, creamy scoops of plant-based, non-dairy frozen custard made with NotCo (Starts at $4.69 per scoop) Creating creaminess  Using artificial intelligence and …

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Chipotle Vegan Chorizo

Image courtesy of Chipotle

Gastronomy & Food Service

Chipotle Launches Vegan Chorizo in All US Restaurants

Chipotle Mexican Grill announced the nationwide rollout of the chain’s highly-anticipated Plant-Based Chorizo, available for a limited time.  Made from pea protein, Chipotle peppers, tomato paste, garlic, Spanish smoked paprika, and extra virgin olive oil, Chipotle says the new chorizo offers the “rich flavor” and “slight kick that chorizo fans crave.” The Plant-Based Chorizo will also be featured in Chipotle’s new Lifestyle Bowls, pre-arranged entrees designed to appeal to different dietary preferences and make healthy eating more accessible. The new chorizo-centered bowls include the Whole30Ⓡ Salad Bowl (Supergreens Lettuce Blend, Plant-Based Chorizo, Fresh Tomato Salsa, Fajita Veggies, Guacamole) Vegetarian Bowl, and Vegan Bowl (White Rice, Black Beans, Plant-Based Chorizo, Corn Salsa, Fresh Tomato Salsa, Shredded Romaine Lettuce.) The company says the Plant-Based Chorizo is certified …

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