Tofu, step aside—vegan cuisine is taking on a new, meat-like dimension. This once-niche food sector is entering the mainstream, driven by an increasing consumer awareness of the meat industry’s livestock practices, environmental impact, and health implications. However, many individuals are not shifting away from meat due to a lack of fondness for it; rather, they find that kale salads and quinoa don’t quite satisfy the craving for a hearty rack of ribs.
Enter the Herbivorous Butcher, a Minneapolis-based butcher shop founded by siblings Aubry and Kale Walch. They offer vegan creations that closely resemble the look, taste, texture, and mouthfeel of classic meat dishes such as hickory smoked bacon, jerk chicken, and ribeye steak. The Walch siblings are part of a rapidly growing market for meat substitutes, a trend expected to approach nearly $6 billion in global sales by 2022, according to research from MarketsandMarkets.
Being vegan themselves, Aubry and Kale had been preparing mock meats at home for years before they decided to share their recipes with the Minneapolis community. “We started a farmer’s market booth just to test the waters, and it was a huge success. We sold out the first weekend and continued to sell out every weekend after that,” Aubry shared with Food Dive. Initially contemplating a restaurant focused on their meatless offerings, they were cautious due to the industry’s high failure rate. Then they had an epiphany: “It began as a joke, you know, ‘Let’s open a vegan butcher shop,’” she recalled. “We all laughed, but then we realized it was actually a viable idea.”
In 2014, Aubry and Kale launched a Kickstarter campaign to turn their concept into reality, exceeding their initial goal by over $10,000. With assistance from architects, graphic designers, and business advisors, the Herbivorous Butcher evolved from an inside joke into a successful faux meat venture. “We were blown away by the response,” Aubry noted. “We knew people would like our food, but we didn’t anticipate how big it would become.”
Approximately 65% of their customers are omnivores, with some looking to reduce their meat consumption and others seeking options for family members. Aubry mentioned that the shop often serves parents buying for their vegan or vegetarian children visiting from college. “Many customers are aware of the detrimental effects of industrial farming on our climate and are trying to cut back. We have some Meatless Monday enthusiasts. They come from all walks of life,” she explained.
The Walch siblings, along with a team of eight butchers, dedicate nearly 12 hours each day to handcrafting locally sourced, artisanal “meats” to meet customer demand. Each month, The Herbivorous Butcher sells the equivalent of a hippo’s weight in its Korean ribs alone. “We can’t produce them fast enough,” she stated. The Korean ribs and other products stem from recipes Aubry and Kale developed at home, experimenting with various flours, beans, and juices sourced from their local co-op to create veggie-based meats that closely resemble the real deal. “All the ingredients in our products can be found at your local co-op. We still stand by that,” Aubry affirmed.
The siblings have faced hundreds of failed attempts in the creation of the links, cutlets, jerky, and other items now available at the Herbivorous Butcher, and they continue to innovate with their current recipes. “That’s the advantage of not operating a factory where everything is mass-produced. We make our products daily, allowing for small improvements to enhance the flavor and texture, ensuring our Italian sausage is tender and grills nicely,” Kale explained. “We can make daily adjustments to perfect our offerings.”
To create their mock meats, the Herbivorous Butchers start with a blend of high-protein wheat flour and nutritional yeast to establish texture. “That’s when it gets interesting,” Kale remarked. “You can incorporate garbanzo flour for a more tender texture in our smokehouse ribs, or various beans to achieve the right heft in a sausage.” Wet and dry ingredients, such as vinegars and spices, are then combined to form a “mass of muscle.” Depending on the type of meat being made, the mixture is portioned and rolled into sausages or pressed into shapes for ribs, deli meats, or cutlets. “You can boil it, braise it like our ribs, steam it, or bake it,” Kale added. “Different cooking methods yield distinct results. For instance, more delicate meats need to be baked before boiling.”
Of all the products offered, Kale identified chicken as the most challenging mock meat to perfect. “Getting the right stringiness and mild flavor while ensuring it holds up in a fryer or on the grill is quite difficult,” he stated. “I have a notebook filled with chicken recipe ideas. I would brainstorm new exotic flours to incorporate, and eventually, I perfected the recipe just in time for the Vegan Beer & Food Festival, where we served chicken and waffles along with chicken sandwiches.”
The Herbivorous Butcher also offers an array of vegan cheeses, including varieties like pepper jack, mozzarella, and smoked gouda, which Kale mixes by hand each day. “Mozzarella is definitely one of our best-sellers because pizza is something many people miss when they can no longer eat dairy,” Aubry noted. Among the meats, steak is a favorite due to its ease of grilling, while Italian sausage is valued for its versatility in pasta sauces and pizza toppings.
Over the years, the Herbivorous Butcher has partnered with numerous festivals and supplies its products to 40 different 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, to avoid shipping products by air to reach their growing consumer base. They anticipate beginning their expansion plans within the next year. “We’re likely to outgrow our kitchen very soon,” Aubry admitted. “We’re definitely getting a bit too big for our britches.”
Additionally, as they continue to innovate, the Walch siblings are exploring collaborations that include enhancing their products with bariatric advantage calcium soft chews, ensuring that their offerings cater to a wider audience, including those with specific dietary needs. This commitment to quality and inclusivity is central to their mission at the Herbivorous Butcher.