Vegans or vegetarians no longer have to shun steakhouses as many are now serving plant-based steaks that delight and satisfy.
Consider Chunk Foods, which offers restaurants a plant-based steak made with cultured soy and wheat protein.
The products match or exceed the protein levels of traditional meat. But does it taste like a delicious piece of steak?
According to Seth Miller, vice president and COO of Talk of the Town Restaurant Group, which runs Charley’s Steak House, Chunk steak fooled them in blind taste tests.
They demonstrated that Chunk looks and tastes like beef and that it’s red in the center when it’s cooked medium-rare. Charley’s Steak House is the first chain to introduce Chunk Foods’ Plant-Based Steak.
Founded in 2020, Chunk Foods, a US-based food technology startup raised $15 million in seed funding from investors that include Robert Downey Jr.’s venture capital firm FootPrint Coalition.
The new funds, the company says, mark the biggest seed round ever for a plant-based startup in Israel. Chunk has used this funding to construct one of the largest plant-based whole-cut meat factories in the world.
Total Food Service caught up with Amos Golan, the CEO & Founder of Chunk Foods, to ask him about his product and how it benefits not only steakhouses but restaurants and foodservice establishments in general.
Tell us more about Chunk Foods and your vision?
I set out to create a plant-based meat that was delicious and made it using as few recognizable ingredients as possible. Our first target is beef, but pork, lamb, and poultry are next.
Clearly, we’re succeeding with beef, as we’ve skipped over the patties and nuggets that dominate the alt-meat space at retail, in favor of whole cuts that fit quite nicely among high-end steakhouse offerings.
White-tablecloth steakhouses in the United States serve Chunk, including Talk of the Town Restaurant Group’s Charley’s Steak House in Florida and Insignia Steak House, an Anthony Scotto restaurant on Long Island.
Our goal is for every restaurant in the US interested in providing customers a delicious plant-based option to include Chunk on their menu.
Please describe the technology behind your product.
Chunk focuses on a natural fermentation technology, which is used in the foods we all love and eat regularly such as coffee and cocoa, bread and cheese.
This type of fermentation is a critical enabler in the food industry and is responsible for many of the flavors and textures we love.Â
Most other whole-cut manufacturers are using other technologies that come short on culinary performance, perception, scale, nutritional profile or all of these combined.
At Chunk, we use fermentation processes that are similar to how other foods are made to create delicious plant-based meats that are scalable (think bread!), natural, and cheap.
When compared to submerged fermentation that is used by some of our competitors, a process that’s common in the pharmaceutical industry, solid-state fermentation requires less water and resources and results in a superior product in terms of taste and texture.
When compared to classic extrusion technologies, such as those used by others in the space, our products are juicier, have much better and more realistic texture and mouthfeel, and do not require binders, or methyl cellulose.
Chunk’s technology offers the best of both worlds; scalability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, while delivering on taste and texture.
The patented process we developed offers major advantages in scaleup and manufacturing, better control of product properties and competitive unit economics.
Can chefs use your plant-based steak in other cooking preparations?
Absolutely, chefs can work their culinary magic with our steaks. Easily replacing beef in any recipe, Chunk is extremely versatile – it can be pan seared, basted, grilled, smoked, stewed, braised, barbecued, or baked.
It allows chefs a much greater level of creativity, and requires no additional training. Chunk’s products are pre-portioned and vacuum-packed, making preparation easy during busy service.
Products have an 18-month frozen shelf life, 10 days once thawed in the fridge, and 3 days once opened. This ease of use and adaptability empower chefs to create exceptional and unforgettable dining experiences.
What’s the next innovation for Chunk Foods?
2023 was a breakout year for our brand. Chunk, featured at Miami Beach’s 5-star Faena Hotel as part of an immersive installation during Art Basel with Chef Paul Qui, was the only plant-based protein served at Circuit of The Americas Formula 1 All Pro Smoke Show in Austin.
It was a favorite at the 2023 National Restaurant Association Show.
Named 2023 Plant Based Meat Product of the Year by international AgTech Breakthrough Awards and one of Food and Beverage Magazine’s 2023 Editor’s Top Picks, Chunk is building a global reputation and solidifying its position as a leader in plant-based whole cuts.
We plan to continue expanding our commercial and operations teams in the US, obtain nationwide distribution, and increase the number of local distribution partnerships.
We will also be increasing our manufacturing capacity to meet demand, and to support our growth across the United States. Chunk will also make its first steps outside the US, launching its products in Mexico and Spain in partnership with Sigma Alimentos.
For those interested in learning more about Chunk Foods, visit Chunk Foods website.
