The startup’s vegan chicken debuted globally back in March 2021. It features a blend of soy, wheat, and gluten, and the distinctive taste of traditional chicken is made possible by Tindle’s proprietary plant-based fat, Lipi.

“Tindle is a fantastic example of how the food choices we make can create positive change for our planet—without sacrificing amazing flavor or any of the memories created around the dinner table,” said Zimmern. “Tindle’s ability to mirror the flavor, aroma and texture of chicken and take center stage in any dish is remarkable and makes it a true stand out among plant-based companies.”

In addition to Zimmern, Tindle’s plant-based chicken has received praise from a slew of chefs, including Rocco DiSpirito and Chad Rosenthal. 

According to the company, its plant-based chicken is the first to be “created specifically by chefs and for chefs.” The company now works with nearly 110 chefs and its vegan chicken is on the menus of more than 400 restaurants around the world.

Andrew Zimmern embraces vegan meat

In addition to his new role as Tindle’s culinary advisor, Zimmern is embracing plant-based meat in his personal life as well.

In an interview with Fast Company, the television personality revealed he was cutting back on his meat intake in order to reduce his environmental footprint. “We can’t take the horse and buggy back, we can’t take fossil fuels back, but we’re smart enough to make a difference,” he said.

A 2021 study published in Nature Food found that factory farming accounts for 60 percent of the food sector’s greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, meat production causes ​​twice the amount of pollution than that of plant-based foods.

Zimmern’s joining of Tindle’s advisory board is a sign of its burgeoning success. The company has been steadily gaining momentum in the world of vegan meat. Since its debut, it’s become popular in a number of countries, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, and Amsterdam.

It recently raked in $100 million in Series A funding, bringing the startup’s total funding to more than $130 million. And in February, the company expanded into the US, launching its plant-based chicken in restaurants across the country.

The restaurant is a collaboration between the company’s co-founders, serial entrepreneur Pat McAuley, vegan investor Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni, and head chef Mary Dumont, in partnership with celebrity vegan chef Mathew Kenney.

Created to make plant-based food more appealing and accessible to everyday sports fans of all kinds, the new PlantPub will serve burgers, Buffalo cauliflower wings, nachos, and pizza. This location will also include beloved New England desserts like Boston cream pie and sundaes.

PlantPub’s new branch is over five times the size of the original location, which launched in Cambridge last year, at 8,000 square feet. It can seat nearly 300 people and Dumont told the Boston Globe that having access to a bigger kitchen means she can create more new menu items, including vegan hot dogs “with all the toppings.”

PlantPub Boston: the largest vegan sports bar in the world

In addition to launching a plant-based take on the iconic “Fenway Frank” hotdog, PlantPub will serve a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic craft beers and cocktails, all from New England-based brewers and producers.

“We are mimicking all of the flavors that people know and love in a complete plant-based form,” says Dumont. “We have an opportunity to expose so many people to a new way of eating that is becoming more and more mainstream.”

Kenney’s partnership came about as he had already signed a lease on the former Boston BeerWorks building, then decided to collaborate rather than “create a new concept.” He is now also a partner in the Cambridge location, and they plan to expand to other cities in the future.

“I loved what they were doing—the product, the brand… It just seemed like a perfect fit,” says Kenney. “Fenway is ground zero in Boston and we couldn’t think of a better location to showcase the fact that plant-based cuisine can be really crave-able and fulfilling and satisfying.”

The celebrity chef now owns or operates 60 different restaurants worldwide and has authored over a dozen cookbooks. Kenney is known for his pioneering of plant-based cuisine in the mainstream. He debuted a new, sustainable, fully vegan restaurant at Selfridges earlier this year.

McAuley described partnering with Kenney as a “dream,” adding that “he is the leader in the plant-based culinary world… He has blazed a path for everybody else.”

It’s the first product from the companies’ joint venture, “PLANeT Partnership,” and will be available in stores nationwide by the end of March.

The Beyond Meat jerky is “marinated and slow-roasted,” available in three different sized packs, and comes in three different flavors: Original, Hot & Spicy, and Teriyaki. Each serving contains 10g of protein per serving, but no cholesterol, no soy, and no GMOs.

“We are thrilled to introduce the first product from […] our joint venture with Beyond Meat and PepsiCo,” says Dan Moisan, CEO of PLANeT Partnership. “The nationwide launch of Beyond Meat Jerky will make plant-based meat accessible to millions of households.”

Moisan adds: “It tastes great, it’s a good source of protein, and it’s convenient to eat whether you’re on the go, at the office, or out on adventures.”

The first glimpse of Beyond Meat vegan jerky

Blogger Amber Criste first leaked the new product in a video shared to YouTube back in January, where she described the Beyond Meat x PepsiCo vegan jerky as “good” and very close to beef.

“It’s one of those things where it’s like ‘maybe this tastes a little too real, can I handle this,’ but it’s nice and kind of spicy, and really chewy,” says Criste in her video.

PepsiCo and Beyond Meat first announced their PLANeT Partnership collaboration one year ago with a view to “develop, produce and market” innovative snacks and beverages made with plant-based protein. PepsiCo is one of the single largest companies in the world by market value, while California’s Beyond Meat is a leading brand in the plant-based meat industry.

In a release published in January 2021, PepsiCo’s Chief Commercial Officer Ram Krishnan said: “Plant-based proteins represent an exciting growth opportunity for us, a new frontier in our efforts to build a more sustainable food system and be a positive force for people and the planet.”

Beyond Meat and Pepsi join the vegan jerky market

It’s worth noting that, despite PepsiCo’s relative progressiveness when compared to rivals such as Coca Cola, activists and advocates have repeatedly criticized the company for its poor working conditions. (U.S. workers were striking as recently as last summer.)

Pepsi’s astronomical environmental impact, which includes everything from deforestation in the supply chain to its excessive water useage, has also come under close scrutiny. 

Overall, PepsiCo’s 2019 carbon footprint was almost 60 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, and the company was recently named one of the world’s top plastic polluters for the fourth year in a row alongside Coca-Cola and Unilever.

Learn more about PepsiCo’s plans for carbon neutrality—and if they go far enough—here.

We’ll never give up classic flavor combos like cheddar and apples, or smoked gouda and apricot jam—we all need a quick fix for entertaining, or for when we just want a tried-and-true comfort food. But gourmet cheese lovers have been feasting on cheese and seasonal fruit together for centuries, and it’s time to innovate. 

When it’s snack time, we like to taste-test Daiya’s new plant-based cheeze blocks with everything but the kitchen sink. We’ll smear a spoonful of sweet chutney on cheddar, or heap earthy beets and smoked gouda on tangy rye bread. Then we close our eyes and just wait for it: that magic hits where the sweetness, tanginess and creaminess combine. The reason these Daiya blocks are so rich and smooth? A little miracle ingredient called oats. This wholesome grain adds the luscious bite and warmth on the palate that every turophile craves.

This fearless snacking is how we make each bite perfect. Medium Cheddar, Jalapeño Havarti, Monterey Jack, Smoked Gouda, and Classic Mozza—each taste tells a different story. This cheese awakens culinary memories in us, with rich historical traditions.

If you like your cheese as chill as can be, keep on cubing, slicing, and dicing (though we love to just tear off big hunks with our hands). Drizzle a crusty baguette with EVOO and tuck your cheesy hunks inside with some fresh arugula and a dab of pesto. But if cooking shows are your besties, and you need every bite to whisper ‘umami’ seductively in your ear, get ready to experiment. We got you.  

Mo’ cheddar, mo’ better

Flavor combos: cheddar and chutney

We love this rich, rustic cheddar that’s easy like Sunday morning. A flavorful, ready-to-please cheese that you can eat straight out of the package, Daiya’s Medium Cheddar pairs nicely with slices of Honeycrisp apples or red Anjou pears, served up on fig jam-slathered crackers or toast. But to get your creative juices flowing, we’ve taken a page out of a classic English ploughman’s lunch to create an appealing sandwich that will power you through your day. Start by lathering chutney and vegan butter on thick bread, then add sumptuous slices of Daiya cheddar, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a bit of crispy, fresh lettuce. Serve whole or slice into quarters for tea sandwiches, and pair with a side of cornichons or pickles and crispy kettle chips. If you’re feeling those country gastropub vibes, have this rustic sandwich with a pastoral English ale or a fresh, classic Pimm’s Cup.

Swap it like it’s hot

Flavor combos: havarti, fruit, and spice

Havarti is one of our favorite cheeses. Buttery and balanced, it’s a winning combination when married with spicy chili flavors in Daiya’s new Jalapeño Havarti cheeze. If there’s anything this Jalapeño Havarti makes us crave, it’s backyard shindigs. For this kebab, grab some skewers and spear fresh fruit and Jalapeño Havarti cubes. Go with the sweetness of your local seasonal fruit, whether that’s the bright, refreshing taste of pineapple, the sugary sunshine of watermelon, the dulcet tones of fuzzy peaches, slightly tart strawberries, cotton candy grapes, or bountiful citrus—havarti loves them all, and jalapeño adds the spice!

It’s all gouda

Flavor combos: gouda, beets, and rye

Smoked Gouda is agreeably sweet and slightly nutty while maintaining just enough assertive flavor, which makes it the perfect complement in rich, hearty dishes like vegan mac n cheese, vegan meat roasts, potato casseroles, and even pizza. But did you know that smoked gouda makes a knock-your-socks-off smørrebrød? The versatile Danish-Norwegian toast is a classic that should be in your repertoire, if it’s not already. Here’s the secret to its popularity: its dense rye toast base starts you off healthy, and the rest of the ingredients let you be as indulgent as you’d like. Topping your toast isn’t just an easy way to make a meal—it’s also the best way to show off the bountiful colors of spring produce coming your way.

Get jacked

Flavor combos: Monterey jack, radishes, red pepper, and chili crisp

Buttery-smooth and tangy-sweet, Monterey Jack is that meal helper you love—it basically goes on everything. While you might be tempted to automatically melt this cheese for topping a burger or sprinkling on tacos or nachos, it’s easy to eat straight out of the fridge for snack time. Fill a crispy gem lettuce cup with hummus, then add some roasted red bell pepper and seasonal watermelon radishes, and shred some Daiya Monterey Jack right over the top. Drizzle your Monterey Jack cups with halos of fragrant chili oil and top with crunchy chili crisp and toasted pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds. And done! You’ve got a dozen mini masterpieces perfect for entertaining company or streaming your favorite show.

Big companies embrace vegan pop-ups

Cadbury’s move is bold, but it isn’t unique. More and more, big companies are seeing the benefits in heavily promoting their vegan options.

Just last week in London, Burger King opened its second fully plant-based location. (The first was in Madrid.) Just like Cadbury, the vegan location is opening for a limited time. The menu includes more than 15 meatless burgers and Whoppers.

“The limited-edition menu is a direct result of our focus on vegan and plant-based innovation and goes hand in hand with our target of a 50% meat-free menu by 2030,” said Katy Evans from Burger King UK. “It absolutely delivers on big taste with no compromises.”

While not vegan, McDonald’s recently decided to respond to the UK’s demand for more sustainable options by opening its first net-zero emissions restaurant in Shropshire. The new spot includes chairs made from recycled plastic bottles and a drive-thru made from old tires. At the time of the launch, Beth Hart, a spokesperson for the fast-food chain, implied that more plant-based options could be on the way.

Cadbury’s vegan pop-up will be open for five days, starting from March 22.

The move represents the chain’s overall goal to reduce its environmental footprint and to become “resource positive” in the coming years. Its launch coincides with the retirement of current CEO Kevin Johnson, announced earlier today, who has spearheaded many of the company’s recent eco-conscious pledges.

Starbucks now plans to make every store in the US and Canada reusable cup-friendly—including at drive-thrus and for mobile orders—by encouraging customers to bring their own. If required, Starbucks will provide a “Borrow Cup” for a $1 deposit, and plans to also introduce similar programs in Japan, Singapore, and the UK. (The UK’s Boston Tea Party chain of stores has already introduced a similar “Ecoffee” cup system with great success, despite some brief, initial pushback from single-use devotees.)

Starbucks UK already charges 5p for a single-use cup and even offers a 25p discount for customers who supply their own reusable container. As with many cafes, the company temporarily paused the use of “keep-cups” in response to hygiene and COVID-19 concerns.

Starbucks ditches single-use cups

Starbucks announced the new-and-improved reusable cup initiative ahead of its upcoming annual shareholder meeting in order to reinforce its broader environmental goals and pledges of sustainability, specifically a 50 percent reduction in overall waste by 2030.

As part of this announcement, Starbucks has also debuted the new Partner Waste Recycling App, designed to help employees navigate each store and area’s recycling guidelines.

“We have a bold long-term sustainability vision and ambitious goals for 2030,” said Johnson. “Starbucks partners around the world are passionate about protecting our planet and are at the very center of driving the innovation that enables us to give more than we take.”

Starbucks remains the single largest international coffee chain with more than 32,000 stores worldwide. It sells several billion beverages every year, 98.7 percent of which baristas serve in single-use, disposable cups. The vast majority of these are then not disposed of properly.

In 2018, Starbucks produced 868 kilotons—twice the weight of the Empire State building—of waste, including single-use cups. The same year, it used one billion cubic meters of water and produced 16 million tons of greenhouse gases.

Starbucks and sustainability

The majority of Starbucks’s environmental footprint comes from its reliance on meat and dairy products, both of which are resource-intensive, inefficient, and high-impact. However, the company is increasingly incorporating plant-based foods and beverages into its supply chain in order to counter this.

Starbucks also plans to “expand its roster of renewable energy and decarbonization projects” in the coming years. For example, today’s announcement also includes an upcoming pilot program between Starbucks and car manufacturer Volvo to promote and facilitate electric vehicles. By the end of 2022, up to 15 Volvo-branded EV chargers (powered by ChargePoint) will be placed at Starbucks stores along the 1,350-mile route between Denver and Seattle.

Ready access to vehicle charging stations is just one of the obstacles preventing people from embracing electric cars, as is the time they take to “refuel.” (According to Volvo, its electric cars can go from 20 percent charged to 90 percent in 40 minutes.) Building charge points roughly every 100 miles along this route will support both travelers and local residents.

By building its own infrastructure, Starbucks will be able to encourage reduced-impact transportation and potentially gain new customers in the form of waiting motorists. The company is not alone in recognizing this unique opportunity in a changing industry, and Taco Bell recently installed six new charging points at a San Francisco restaurant.

Amazon Fresh responds to more demand for vegan meat options

“Despite use of plant-based meat-alternative or dairy-alternative products being highest among those following vegan, vegetarian, or pescatarian diets, omnivores and flexitarians make up the lion’s share of consumers who eat these products due to their sheer numbers,” said Jennifer Mapes-Christ, a food and beverage publisher for Packaged Facts, when the report was published.

She added: “This reveals that both the current and addressable market for plant-based products depends on omnivores and flexitarians using more of these products.”

Amazon Fresh is by no means alone in responding to this demand. From Burger King to IHOP to Kroger, plant-based items are becoming the norm. Recently, the latter, which is the US’s biggest supermarket chain, revealed it was working with plant-based meat giant Impossible Foods to develop new products for its Home Chef brand.

According to Amazon Fresh, its new plant-based range is already receiving rave reviews. To celebrate the launch, it’s offering all of its new meat alternatives at 20 percent off for the rest of the month.

But what you might not know from Bialik’s online presence is that she’s also a fabulous cook. Bialik even wrote a cookbook called Mayim’s Vegan Table, boasting more than 100 delicious, plant-based recipes. Her recipes are often comforting, homey, and fulfilling, from zucchini pie to hot pretzel challah. Want to learn how to cook like Bialik? Here’s how to get started with her uttery craveable recipes.

Make Mayim Bialik’s cozy, delicious recipes

Chocolate truffle pie

This recipe is remarkable not only for its beautiful, decadent finished product, but also for its unique ingredients. To stay kosher for Passover, the recipe uses matzo cake meal, and is also vegan. Bialik added richness with almond meal, and recommends bittersweet chocolate. Her unique recipe for a DIY vegan egg replacer is our new fave. Just mix water, oil and baking powder for what she calls the “best cheap egg replacer.” We agree!

Get the recipe here.

Vegan reuben sandwiches

It’s obvious Bialik understands the height of cozy comfort food when you see her reuben recipe, which makes good use of an assortment of savory spices, tamari, vegan bacon, dill pickles, and rich vegan mayo. Make the recipe here.

Untraditional “millennial” latkes

Bialik knows her latkes. You might call them potato pancakes, but to her, they’ll always be latkes. But Bialik doesn’t just make a traditional latke. She also makes avocado toast latkes—yes, you heard us right. They’re garnished with chives and “Everything But the Bagel” seasoning, to boot. Her second new-school latke is the Buffalo latke, topped with celery, Buffalo sauce, and ranch dressing. And her last latke, which she calls the wild beast latke, features vegan nacho cheese sauce, vegan Thousand Island dressing, and sauteed onions.

Grab that latke recipe here.

Sufganiyot (jelly donuts)

Deep-fried jelly donuts are for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At least, according to us, and probably Bialik. Find the recipe here.

Chocolate chip pumpkin cookies

Pureed pumpkin makes these cookies extra soft and chewy. Whip up this cookie recipe here.

Daiya-style pizza

Mayim knows that nothing brings everyone to the table like a pizza, so she shared her vegan pizza recipe that uses cornmeal for a delectable crust. The key? Making your own crust from scratch with yeast and flour. Get rolling your dough with this recipe here.

Vegan mac and cheese

A good vegan mac and cheese is a thing to behold, but Bialik’s is gluten-free, too. Her recipe makes use of gluten-free flour and gluten-free macaroni. Cook it here.

Mayim’s zucchini pie

When summer rolls around and you have garden zucchini coming out of your ears, you’ll be grateful for this easy recipe. Get cooking here.

Honey cake

Subbing in agave syrup makes a traditional honey cake deliciously vegan. Mayim. Cook the recipe here.

Baked ziti

If you miss traditional baked ziti, learning how to make it Bialik’s way is super rewarding. The key is making your own herbed “ricotta” and cashew cream. So don that apron and get the recipe here.

Hamantaschen

Never experienced the pure delights of this triangulated magic? You need a hamantaschen immediately. This Purim delicacy is simple to make Bialik’s way, with only a few ingredients—and it’s easily customizable on top, with the jam of your choice. Make this recipe.

Hot pretzel challah

Challah is so rewarding to make, and it’s comforting in more senses than one. Not only does devouring it give you the warmest feeling, but kneading the dough and braiding it is almost therapeutic. Make Bialik’s hot pretzel challah here.

While MOD Santorini launched at the end of last summer, it will be opening its doors for its first full tourist season—Greece’s peak season runs roughly from March until October—next week.

Originally built in 1980, the hotel is still undergoing renovations. But with four new luxury suites, a vegan kitchen, and a rooftop ideal for yoga with a view, owners Christina Boutrou, a Greek Australian who moved to the island in 2019, and Anargyros Fousteris, a Santorinian, are ready to swing open the doors.

The couple founded MOD to share their love of Greek food and culture (trip packages include local wine tasting and visits to some of the island’s traditional villages) but also their passion for plant-based living. Everything, from the sheets on the bed to the bathroom amenities to the food served, is 100 percent vegan.

Greece, an easy place to eat vegan food 

According to Boutrou, the hotel is a reflection of Greece’s growing vegan scene. It’s being driven predominantly by the country’s younger generations, but plant-based living is becoming more popular with everyone. “Greece is a small country, a small community,” says Boutrou. “People tend to do what others do.”

It helps that an abundance of traditional Greek dishes are already totally free from animal products. Fasolada, for instance, is a white bean soup, and gemista consists of rice-stuffed tomatoes and peppers.

Plus, in the run up to Easter, meatless diets are common across Greece, Boutrou explains. The Greek Orthodox Church encourages its followers to fast for Lent and to consume predominantly plant-based meals during that time. 

A low-waste, sustainable, vegan hotel

Boutrou and Fousteris follow a vegan lifestyle for their own personal health and wellness reasons, but they’re also extremely conscious of their impact on the planet. This translates into their business: everything in the hotel was built with local materials, the water in the bathrooms is heated with solar, and plastic use is limited.

On top of this, MOD is as low waste as possible. Boutrou and Fousteris wanted to do something to mitigate the impact of the tourist industry, which produces around 35 million tonnes of solid waste per year.

“It is an emergency for the planet, businesses need to change,” says Boutrou. “We have to do what we can to minimize our impact.”

Find out more about how to stay at MOD Santorini here.

Parent company Diageo just announced the start of a three-year pilot program to cut carbon emissions emitted during the production of Guinness by changing the way its primary ingredient, barley, is farmed. The project aims to partner with at least 40 farms across Ireland, employing regenerative agricultural techniques throughout the coming season.

Guinness is one of the most recognizable beverages in the world, thanks to its dark pour, cream-colored foam, and distinctive, almost chocolatey flavor. It uses approximately 130,000 tons of barley per year to brew its Irish dry stout, and Diageo predicts that almost all of the grain produced during the pilot period will be used for Guinness alone.

The company notes that the new program will drive “positive outcomes,” for the environment, for the agricultural workers it partners with, and for the industry at large.

“This pilot is the first such program being implemented by Diageo and the outcomes will help inform other potential opportunities, not just in Ireland, but in other countries where we source raw materials,” says Diageo Europe President John Kennedy. “We are only 263 years into our 9,000-year lease and we will never settle in pursuit of a more sustainable future.”

‘Regenerative agriculture leads to much better outcomes’

So what is regenerative agriculture? This is a catch-all term that can be used to describe everything from increased crop diversity to no-till farming. Overall, “regenerative” refers to farming practices that benefit the soil, crops, the ecosystem, and the planet.

These techniques are typically employed holistically to work in conjunction with the needs of the natural environment, rather than in opposition to them—as is all-too-often often the case within large-scale commercial operations and mainstream, monoculture farming.

In this instance, Diageo’s specific goals include enhanced biodiversity, reduction in synthetic fertilizers, enhanced water quality, soil health improvements, increased carbon sequestration; and improved farmer livelihoods. (Regenerative practices are generally thought to be more profitable, better for the longevity of the land, and more cost-effective for farmers overall.)

“The great thing about regenerative agriculture is the simplicity of the approach. It’s not a complicated process—it works in harmony with nature whilst providing a commercial benefit for farmers,” explains Walter Furlong Junior, one of the agricultural workers involved in the pilot. “It is a highly effective approach that leads to much better outcomes.”

Guinness embraces sustainability

Cutting out synthetic fertilizers alone will be a significant step towards achieving all of Diageo’s goals above. Studies show that many artificial pesticides produce emissions, harm wildlife, harm the soil, and create additional expenses for the farmers themselves.

But in the second phase of the project, Diageo is also considering the planting of hedgerows—a proven boon for ecosystems—to further boost carbon sequestration and biodiversity. The company hopes that many more farmers will choose to take part following the conclusion of the pilot program around April 2023, when the sowing process is complete.

This commitment to emphasize sustainability is part of Diageo’s ongoing 10-year action plan, which aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across all direct operations and a 50 percent reduction in scope 3 emissions, both by 2030.

As of 2017, all varieties of Guinness have been free from isinglass (a filtering ingredient derived from fish swim bladders), and are therefore vegan-friendly. In 2019, the Irish stout brand announced the removal of unnecessary plastic packaging in the particularly dangerous form of six-pack “yokes.” (Learn more about plastic waste and the environment here.)

Most recently, the brand introduced its first zero emission “Guinness Quality” vans, which it will be rolling out this summer. Guinness simultaneously revealed plans to make 70 percent of its fleet zero emissions by 2025 and 100 percent by 2030.