Steakhouse menus across Central Florida are embracing Chunk Foods’ vegan steak, a market segment that is slated to cross $1 billion by 2032.
While vegan burgers were all the craze in recent years, a new meatier plant-based option has entered the chat: vegan steak, a segment that market research firm Polaris Market Research predicts will cross the $1 billion mark by 2032.
One of the key drivers behind this growth is the increasing consumer demand for high-protein, plant-based alternatives to traditional animal-based products.
Companies emerging in this space include pioneering vegan burger marker Beyond Meat (which released its Beyond Steak last year); European import Juicy Marbles (which currently operates primarily online); Meati Foods (which uses mushroom root as a base); and Chunk Foods (a company backed by actor Robert Downey Jr. that made its debut at a Florida steakhouse earlier this year).
What does it take to carve out a space in this emerging market? We turned to Amos Golan, CEO of Chunk Foods, to find out.
Vegan meat for steak lovers
Utilizing fermentation methods, Chunk crafts its vegan steaks with a mix of cultured non-GMO soy and wheat that offer a nutritious profile. Without the use of additives, thickeners, or binders, the product is versatile enough for a range of cooking methods, including pan-searing, basting, grilling, smoking, stewing, and braising.
“Our products are radically different, yet comfortably familiar,” Golan tells VegNews.
Low in salt and fat, the vegan steaks are also fortified with iron and B12, an essential vitamin that is needed as a supplement for both vegans and the animals meat-eaters consume as it is no longer bioavailable in soil.
The toothsome vegan steaks are also high in protein, featuring more than 38 grams per six-ounce serving. “That’s more than most cuts of beef, and with zero cholesterol and less than half of the fat,” Golan says.
Currently, Chunk’s vegan steaks are available in a growing number of restaurants across the country such as Monster Vegan in Philadelphia, PA. Here, the vegan steak is slowly cooked for 24 hours and served as a Short Rib Ragu.
In order to have greater market penetration, Chunk is strategically not only targeting vegetarians with its meaty vegan steak but also directly helping meat-eaters choose its products in places where they dine.
“We aim to expand the addressable market for plant-based products,” Golan says. “This means not just going to vegan and vegetarian establishments.”
“Our products should be on the menu at every steakhouse, from fine dining experiences like Charley’s in Florida to Outback’s across the country,” he says. “We want to preserve the tradition of enjoying a delicious steak meal and an excellent steakhouse experience, and make it more inclusive.”
To that end, Chunk is working with Talk of the Town Restaurant Group (TOT), the largest steakhouse chain in Central Florida. Charley’s Steakhouse became the first TOT restaurant to add Chunk in August with other TOT properties— including FishBones and Vito’s Chop House—hopping on board this fall.
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