While the phrase “meat-free meat” seems confusing at first, once you hear about the world’s first meat-free vegan butcher shop, it all makes sense. The new shop is called Herbivorous Butcher, opening in Minneapolis in spring 2015. Using a very successful campaign on Kickstarter for funding, a brother-sister team is building handcrafted meat-free meats.
The pair started by creating foods for their own vegan and vegetarian diets, then started testing and selling-out of their products at local farmer’s markets and food fairs.
The products are 100% vegan, cruelty-free meat alternative. The meat-less meats are crafted from small batches, are cholesterol-free and rich in proteins. Flavors include Italian sausage, smoky house ribs, teriyaki jerky, deli bologna, and pepperoni. The product is a big success with families and other health-conscious groups beyond vegans and vegetarians. Even meat-eaters can find this vegan fare both appealing and responsible.
Group Activities and Discussion Questions:
- Poll students. How many of them are vegan or vegetarian? Have them discuss problems with meals and lack of meat for protein.
- Show Kickstarter video: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1903151005/build-a-vegan-butcher-shop-with-the-herbivorous-bu?ref=nav_search
- Show company’s Web site: http://www.theherbivorousbutcher.com.
- While the buying process may vary slightly for different products and target markets, the basic 5-step process remains the same: problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision, and post-purchase behavior. Have students work on the actions taken in each of the five steps.
- Consider assigning different student groups to work on different target markets. Then the process for the different target markets can be compared.
- Debrief the exercise.
Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
