Bringing home the "bacon," Takeout vegans multiply

Beyond Meat tripled grocery store sales in Q2 as people stayed at home more (and didn't order out every day). It still lost money, but it's not all bad news: An adjusted loss of $.02 a share was in line with expectations, and total loss shrank year over year ($0.16 vs. $0.24).

The company spent $5.9 million — more than half its net loss of $10.2 million — on repackaging, so that burgers and sausages that would have gone in bulk to restaurants that aren't open would look nice on shelves in your local supermarket.

 “We had to make a decision," CEO Ethan Brown told CNBC. "Did we want to sit and try to weather this, and potentially take a step back in our growth trajectory, or did we want to go very aggressively toward the retail sector even if it curved more expensive doing so?”

Good call.

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Tastewise has new research which predicts that the plant-based market could reach (a very specific) $74.2 billion by the year 2027. We fread these extrapolations all the time, and whatever the pace, the trajectory seems pretty indisputable. But there were some interesting tidbits in this annual study:

• Weight loss as a motivator increased by 21% year-over-year.
• Some 43% more consumers believe a plant-based diet will improve fertility.
• Animal rights (-28%) and sustainability (-5% YoY) are not significant motivators.

Last time out we reported on a $2,500 challenge for carnivores from the most carnivorous states. It's becoming a thing: Mission Barnes will be holding curbside tastings outside restaurants in Oakland and San Francisco. It's limited to 100 people (applications are closed), they'll be a "diverse set of folks in terms of palates and backgrounds" and they'll have to be quite verbose with their feedback.

So, what is their product? We'll let Audrey Enjoli of livekindly explain:

"The company produces its cultured meat by combining lab-grown fat with plant-based protein. Although the bacon is made from pork cells, Mission Barns is able to create cultured meat and fat from several animals, such as ducks."

 Is it or isn't it? Honestly, who cares.

 Ms. Enjoli also reports: "Impossible Foods has secured an additional $200 million in funding. To date, the plant-based meat company has raised nearly $1.5 billion.

 "'When is your diet going to be over?' my Grandmom asked me. 'Where do you get your protein from?' is a question I am confronted with on a regular basis. 'Vegan fashion isn’t the most stylish' is a misconception that even I previously believed. The truth is that Black veganism is a diverse and creative movement that is redefining what veganism means outside mainstream stereotypes."

— Dyandra Raye, in vegnews

 Who doesn't like a little dessert? There are plenty of vegan cheesecake recipes, but what if you want just a little nosh and no clean-up? Quirky (yes, we're reusing that) Trader Joe's now has a two-pack of "Cheese-Less ‘Cheesecakes'” in the frozen aisle. What's the crust, you say? Relax: Oats and graham flour. Seriously, it would be no problem putting together a bunch of plant-based meals from what TJ's offers, if you're lucky enough to live near one.

 Just before we get to our mantra to tip your delivery person, consider this. Doordash says:

• Orders for vegan burgers increased 433% in the six months ending in June
• 70% of the 2,000 people they surveyed say they are cooking more
• 20% said they “seriously considered veganism.”
• 31% sang the praises of vegetable pasta
• 27% of people aged between 18 and 24 ranked plant-based meat as the most appetizing vegan food.

Vegnews also reports that Grubhub says their plant-based food orders increased by 135% in the first six months of 2020. And, "last year, the Impossible Burger was Grubhub’s most popular late-night order, with its popularity increasing by 82% in the first half of 2019."

I hope whatever you eat you're taking care of yourself, your families, and each other. Food is a wonderful way to be happy, and to socialize. So break bread with loved ones and be extra kind and generous to the folks delivering your takeout.