Darling Foods Partners with Rastelli to Bring Plant-Based Chicken to the US

Daring Foods has partnered with Rastelli Foods, in a multi-million dollar deal to bring plant-based chicken to the US.

The alternative chicken is touted to have the exact taste and texture as its conventional counterpart and is made with five plant-based ingredients, including water, soy, sunflower oil, salt, and natural flavoring.

According to the start-up, chicken is one of the most consumed meat products in the world, with the average family eating up to 6-10 servings per week.

Although the company was founded by two vegans, the entrepreneurs hope their product will provide meat eaters with an alternative plant-based version of chicken that is both healthy and tasty.

“Our goal with the launch of Daring Foods was to make the swap to plant-based meat as simple as possible. We focused on bridging the taste gap, successfully taken on the daunting task of replacing a beloved staple in our diet with an alternative that you can cook with, tastes great and is good for you,” said Ross Mackay, co-founder & CEO of Daring foods.

Daring Foods was originally based in the UK, but the company moved to New York recently to advance its product and close the deal with Rastelli Foods, a US-based company that invested 10 million into its product.

The US supplier and family-run butcher specializes in delivering a variety of meats to hotels, restaurants, institutions and retail markets across the globe and will be the exclusive national distributor of the plant-based chicken.

“With Rastelli’s we reach customers across the nation all at once, we are not limited in any way. We could not imagine a better partner both business-wise and with deep expertise in the food business,”said Mackay.

With the alternative meat space expected to be worth $85 billion dollars by 2030, Rastelli hopes to expand its distribution portfolio to include alternative proteins as they become more mainstream.

“Rastelli’s is a protein company, not just a meat company. We’re here to fill the center of your plate with the best and most delicious foods – no matter if they come from an animal or a plant. The moment I tasted Daring chicken, I immediately knew this was something unique. Daring fulfills all our requirements for clean, responsibly sourced products. said Ray Rastelli Jr., president of Rastelli Foods Group.

The plant-based chicken will be available at grocers and restaurants across the US this coming February and will also be available for direct-to-consumer purchase on their website.