It seems that every week in the world of vegan food news is more exciting than the last and this week is no exception. Have a craving for vegan chicken? Jack & Annie’s has got you covered with three new jackfruit-based chicken products. Zero Egg is also working to deliver an easier solution to food service providers with its new Scoopable Scramble that makes putting vegan eggs on menus much easier. And Ben & Jerry’s is finally giving our friends in the United Kingdom a taste of non-dairy Phish Food. Read on for more.
1Jack & Annie’s grows vegan jackfruit chicken line
Jack & Annie’s is known for making tasty vegan meat from jackfruit and this week, the company expanded its line with three exciting new products: Crispy Jack Patties, Buffalo Jack Patties, and Crispy Gluten-Free Jack Tenders.
“Our fans continue to ask for more chicken options, and we’re excited to meet their needs with these three new additions,” Jack & Annie’s founder and CEO Annie Ryu said in a statement. “By using jackfruit as our number one ingredient, we’re able to make foods that not only satisfy like meat, but that also are a good source of fiber and protein, lower in fat and calories than meat products, and simpler and less processed compared to other meat alternatives.”
Available in the freezer aisle at grocery stores nationwide, the new products complement Jack & Annie’s existing jackfruit-based line that includes vegan chicken wings, meatballs, pulled pork, and more.
“Jackfruit has a naturally meaty texture, and also picks up flavors well, allowing for a versatile and delicious tasting experience,” Ryu said.
2Celebrate Oktoberfest with meatless sausages
For more than 200 years, people have gathered in Munich, Germany for the annual Oktoberfest to indulge in beer, camaraderie, and sausages.
This year, the fest has something to offer its vegan guests with the introduction of plant-based options developed during Oktoberfest’s COVID-19-induced hiatus.
GREENFORCE
Fest organizers hired chef Sebastian Copien this year to develop new options, including plant-based Weißwurst (white sausage) created in partnership with German vegan brand GREENFORCE. Made from pea protein and dotted with traditional parsley, the new offering is a nice reprieve from the grilled oxen, pork sausages, and chicken typically served at Oktoberfest.
Other vegan options at the fest—which features 14 large-capacity beer tents and some smaller ones—include patties with potato salad; classic bratwurst with sauerkraut; and a goulash made with pulled mushrooms.
While the name might suggest you have more time to make travel plans out to Munich, Oktoberfest began on September 17 and will keep the vegan bratwurst party going until October 3.
3First frozen vegan scrambled eggs
Zero Egg is a brand out of Israel that made its entry into the United States food service and manufacturing sector in 2020 with its liquid vegan eggs made from a blend of plant proteins such as chickpeas, potatoes, soy, and peas.
This week, Zero Egg announced a new innovation: Scoopable Scramble, a prepared version of its vegan egg that makes it easy for food operators to add an animal-free breakfast option to their menus. According to company CEO Liron Nimrodi, the new vegan egg format was created to address the needs of the food service industry in the modern era.
Zero Egg
“Our customers are seeking plant-based egg solutions that are easy for them to use, highly nutritious and delicious,” Nimrodi said in a statement. “We’ve been engaged with them since day one, listening to them, hearing the hardships they’re facing, including unprecedented labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and inflated costs. We created Zero Egg Scoopable Scramble to make it easier than ever to serve up delicious and nutritious plant-based egg dishes and meet their needs, as well as the needs of their patrons.”
Currently, Zero Egg—which is distributed through DOT Foods—is performing well on the menu at five locations of New York City chain The Gray Dog, where it is served as part of a breakfast burrito. The vegan egg-stuffed burrito, Nimrodi says, is the third best-selling breakfast item across The Gray Dog locations and consistently outperforms comprabel options made with chicken eggs.
4Ben & Jerry’s vegan Phish Food swims the pond
Ice cream lovers in the United States have been lucky enough to enjoy the bounty of vegan offerings from Ben & Jerry’s for years but some flavors have yet to reach our friends overseas … until now.
This week, Ben & Jerry’s announced the arrival of vegan Phish Food at Tesco stores across the United Kingdom—with additional stockists planned for 2023.
The flavor first launched in January 2021 in the US and is the vegan remake of once of the ice cream brand’s first and most iconic flavors, created in the 1990s in tribute to the band Phish. Made with an almond milk-base, non-dairy Phish Food features the same legendary marshmallow swirls, fish-shaped chocolates, and caramel ribbons as the original but without any animal products.
Ben & Jerry’s
“Our fans have been hooked on Phish Food for the last 25 years and it’s o-phish-ally getting the non-dairy encore it deserves,” Ben & Jerry’s Flavor Guru, Gabby Smith said in a statement. “We’re so excited to be able to introduce a tub packed full of non-dairy deliciousness without compromising on any of the chunks and swirls that Phish Food is known for which means you don’t need to be a vegan to enjoy it.”
But it’s not all vegan ice cream fairies and sunshine in the states because the UK has a few exclusive flavors we’re eyeing, too (looking at you newly launched Chocolatey Love-a-Fair).
5Monty’s opens new vegan fast-food outpost
For Angelelnos and their hungry visitors, a new outpost of celebrity favorite vegan fast-food joint Monty’s Good Burger just opened in Santa Monica.
Monty’s first opened in the Koreatown neighborhood of LA in 2018 and its new location—which sits right near the beach—is its sixth to date. So what are the celebs ordering here? The menu is loaded with chicken tenders, stick-to-your-ribs cheeseburgers, fries and tots slathered in melted Follow Your Heart cheese, and thick milkshakes.
POOSH
And if you’re looking to eat like the Kardashians, Kourtney and Travis’s go-to order at Monty’s are the vegan chicken sandwiches and the Travis Oat Matcha Latte Shake.
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Anna Starostinetskaya is the Senior News Editor at VegNews and is always keeping an eye on all things vegan in her home city of San Francisco, CA and everywhere else.
