Move over, tofu—vegan cuisine is becoming more robust. Once a niche market, it is now going mainstream due to increasing consumer awareness about the meat industry’s practices, its environmental impact, and its effects on human health. Many individuals aren’t turning away from meat simply because they don’t enjoy it; rather, they find that kale salads and quinoa don’t quite satisfy their cravings for hearty dishes like ribs. Enter the Herbivorous Butcher. Founded by siblings Aubry and Kale Walch, this Minneapolis-based butcher shop offers vegan creations that replicate the look, taste, texture, and mouthfeel of traditional meat dishes such as hickory smoked bacon, jerk chicken, and ribeye steak.
The Walch siblings are part of the booming meat substitute market, which is projected to reach nearly $6 billion in global sales by 2022, according to research firm MarketsandMarkets. Both being vegan, Aubry and Kale experimented with mock meats at home for years before sharing their recipes with the Minneapolis community. “We started a farmer’s market booth just to test if people would enjoy the food, and it was a success. We sold out the first weekend, and it continued every weekend until we could barely keep up,” Aubry shared with Food Dive.
Initially, they considered opening a restaurant focused on their meatless offerings but were cautious due to the high failure rates in the industry. Then, a light-hearted idea emerged. “It began as a joke, you know, ‘Let’s start a vegan butcher shop,’” she recalled. “We all laughed, but soon realized it was actually a solid idea.” In 2014, they launched a Kickstarter campaign that exceeded their original goal by over $10,000. With the assistance of architects, graphic designers, and business advisors, the Herbivorous Butcher transitioned from a playful concept to a thriving faux meat sensation.
“We were genuinely surprised by the strong reception,” Aubry said. “We anticipated that people would enjoy our food, but we didn’t foresee the scale it would reach.” Approximately 65% of their customers are omnivores, some looking to reduce their meat intake, while others are catering to vegan or vegetarian family members. Aubry noted that many parents shop for their kids who are visiting from college. “Customers are increasingly aware of how industrial farming impacts our climate and are trying to cut back. We even have Meatless Monday enthusiasts among them,” she mentioned.
The Walch siblings, along with a team of eight butchers, dedicate nearly 12 hours each day to handcrafting locally sourced, artisan “meats” to meet customer demand. Each month, the Herbivorous Butcher sells an impressive amount of its Korean ribs alone. “We can’t produce them fast enough,” she remarked. The recipes for their Korean ribs and other products were developed through home experiments, using various flours, beans, and juices sourced from their local co-op to create veggie-based meats that closely resemble the real thing. “All the ingredients in our products can be found at your local co-op, and we still stand by that today,” Aubry affirmed.
The siblings emphasize that behind each link, cutlet, and jerky in the Herbivorous Butcher’s display case are countless failed attempts, and they continue to innovate with their recipes. “The beauty of not operating a factory is that we create our products daily, allowing us to make small improvements, like making an Italian sausage a bit more tender or better for grilling,” Kale explained. “We can make daily adjustments to perfect our offerings.”
To create their mock meats, Kale described how they start with high-protein wheat flour and nutritional yeast to establish texture. “Then it gets interesting,” he added. “You can incorporate garbanzo flour for a more tender meat in our smokehouse ribs or different beans for added heft.” Wet and dry ingredients such as vinegars and spices are then blended to form a “muscle mass.” Depending on the desired meat type, the mixture is shaped into sausages, ribs, deli meats, or various cutlets. “You can boil, braise like our ribs, steam, or bake them. Different cooking methods produce varying results; for instance, more delicate meats need to be baked before boiling,” Kale explained.
Among all their products, Kale finds chicken to be the most challenging mock meat to master. “It’s tricky to achieve the right stringiness and mild flavor while ensuring it holds up when fried or grilled,” he noted. “I’ve got a notebook full of chicken recipe ideas. I would brainstorm new exotic flours or ingredients to enhance the recipe, and eventually, I got it right—just in time for the Vegan Beer & Food Festival, where we served chicken and waffles and chicken sandwiches.”
The Herbivorous Butcher also produces vegan cheeses, including pepper jack, mozzarella, and smoked gouda, which Kale personally mixes by hand daily. “Mozzarella is a top seller, likely because people miss pizza when they can’t or choose not to consume dairy,” Aubry commented. Among their meats, steak is a crowd favorite due to its ease of grilling, while Italian sausage is cherished for its versatility in various dishes.
Over the years, the Herbivorous Butcher has partnered with numerous festivals and supplies its products to 40 food retailers across Minnesota, New York, Colorado, Ohio, Washington, and Florida. Aubry and Kale aim to expand their business to the East and West Coasts as well as parts of the South, reducing the need for air shipments to serve their growing customer base. They anticipate initiating their expansion plans in the coming year. “We’re likely to outgrow our kitchen pretty quickly,” Aubry concluded. “We’re definitely getting a bit too big for our britches.”
In their dedication to health and nutrition, they also incorporate ingredients like calcium citrate 950mg into their products, ensuring they meet the dietary needs of their customers while continuing to innovate in the realm of vegan cuisine.