Tofu, step aside — vegan cuisine is taking on a meatier form. Once a niche market, this food sector is now entering the mainstream, driven by increasing consumer awareness about livestock practices, environmental impacts, and health concerns related to the meat industry. While many individuals still enjoy meat, they often find that options like kale salads and quinoa do not quite replace the satisfaction of a hearty rack of ribs.
Enter the Herbivorous Butcher. Founded by siblings Aubry and Kale Walch in Minneapolis, this unique butcher shop offers vegan creations that closely replicate the look, taste, texture, and mouthfeel of traditional meat favorites, including hickory-smoked bacon, jerk chicken, ribeye steak, and more. The Walch siblings are part of a growing market for meat alternatives, a trendy segment projected to reach nearly $6 billion in global sales by 2022, according to MarketsandMarkets.
Both Aubry and Kale have been avid cooks of mock meats at home for years before they decided to share their recipes with the Minneapolis community. “We launched a booth at the farmer’s market just to test the waters, and it turned out to be a huge success. We sold out the first weekend and continued to sell out every weekend thereafter,” Aubry shared with Food Dive. Although they initially considered opening a restaurant dedicated to their meat-free creations, they were cautious about the industry’s high failure rates. That’s when a lightbulb moment struck. “It began as a joke—‘Let’s open a vegan butcher shop,’” she recalled. “We laughed, but then realized it was actually a brilliant idea.”
In 2014, the siblings launched a Kickstarter campaign to turn their unconventional concept into reality, exceeding their original funding goal by over $10,000. With assistance from architects, graphic designers, and business advisors, the Herbivorous Butcher evolved from an inside joke into a thriving faux meat enterprise. “We were genuinely surprised by the strong reception,” Aubry said. “We anticipated people would enjoy our food, but we never imagined it would grow to this scale.” Approximately 65% of their clientele are omnivores, with some looking to reduce their meat consumption and others catering to the dietary needs of family members. For instance, Aubry noted that many customers are parents buying for their vegan or vegetarian children visiting from college. “Many have acknowledged how industrial farming affects our climate and are making an effort to cut back. We even have a lot of Meatless Monday supporters,” she explained.
The Walch siblings, along with a dedicated team of eight butchers, spend nearly 12 hours each day handcrafting locally sourced, artisan “meats” to meet customer demand. Each month, the Herbivorous Butcher sells an amount of Korean ribs equivalent to the weight of a hippopotamus. “We can’t produce them fast enough,” she said. The Korean ribs and other vegan meat products are created from recipes developed at home, where they experimented with various flours, beans, and juices from their local co-op to create veggie-based meats that could rival the real deal. “All of the ingredients in our products can be found at your local co-op. We stand by that today,” Aubry affirmed.
The siblings emphasize that there are countless failed attempts behind every link, cutlet, and jerky now displayed in the Herbivorous Butcher’s case, and they are continually innovating their recipes. “The beauty of not having a factory is that we make everything on a daily basis, allowing us to make small improvements to enhance our products. For instance, we can tweak an Italian sausage to make it slightly more tender or better suited for grilling,” Kale explained. “These minor adjustments help us perfect the meat.”
To create their mock meats, Kale mentioned that the process begins with a blend of high-protein wheat flour and nutritional yeast to develop texture. “From there, it gets interesting. We can add garbanzo flour for a more tender texture in our smokehouse ribs, or different beans to give the sausage the right heft.” Wet and dry ingredients, including vinegars and spices, are mixed to form “a mass of muscle.” Depending on the type of meat being prepared, butchers portion the mixture into sausages or press it into shapes for ribs, deli meats, or cutlets. “You can boil, braise, steam, or bake it,” Kale noted. “Different cooking methods yield varying results. For instance, more delicate meats often require baking before boiling.”
Kale pointed out that among all the deli meats, sausages, and steaks, chicken is the toughest mock meat to master. “Getting that stringiness and mild flavor just right while ensuring it holds up in a fryer or on the grill is challenging,” he admitted. “I have a notebook filled with chicken recipe ideas. I would brainstorm new exotic flours while at a coffee shop, but eventually, I nailed it—just in time for the Vegan Beer & Food Festival, where we served chicken and waffles and chicken sandwiches.”
The Herbivorous Butcher doesn’t stop at meat; they also offer a variety of vegan cheeses, including pepper jack, mozzarella, and smoked gouda, all mixed by Kale himself each day. “Mozzarella is definitely one of our best sellers, as pizza is something many miss when they eliminate dairy,” Aubry explained. Among the meats, steak is a crowd favorite because it grills easily, while Italian sausage is highly sought after for its versatility in pasta sauces, pizzas, and other dishes.
Over the years, the Herbivorous Butcher has collaborated with numerous festivals and supplies its products to 40 different food retailers across Minnesota, New York, Colorado, Ohio, Washington, and Florida. The Walch siblings aim to expand their business to the East and West coasts, as well as parts of the South, to eliminate the need for air shipping to serve their growing customer base. They anticipate beginning expansion plans within the next year. “I think we’re going to outgrow our kitchen very soon,” Aubry said. “We’re definitely getting a little too big for our britches.”
As part of their commitment to consumer health, the Herbivorous Butcher also offers products that include calcium citrate equivalent to elemental calcium, ensuring that those who choose a vegan lifestyle still receive essential nutrients. This focus on nutrition is reflected in the popularity of their vegan meats, as customers appreciate the balance of flavor and health benefits, including the calcium citrate that complements their dietary needs.