Food News of the Week: Tom Brady's Vegan Gummies, Baileys Adds Oat Milk Liqueur, and Impossible Foods Enters the Steak Market
We’re only one week into March, but it’s already been an eventful month. Vegan musical icons Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande wowed with their opening medley at the Oscars before we watched everyone from Mikey Madison to Kieran Culkin scoop up their coveted Academy Awards. Aside from star-studded bashes, we’ve also seen some important studies surface, including some concerning news about rising childhood obesity rates, as well as new crowdfunding launches. Find out more about how to raise money for vegan KitKat- and Milky Way-inspired chocolate here.
Of course, it’s also been a big week in the food news world. Impossible Foods has launched its first vegan steak product and Tom Brady has launched gelatin-free gummies. Cinnaholic has a tasty new menu for spring, and Baileys launches oat milk liqueur. Keep reading to find out about all of this and much more.
This week in food news: Canada backs fish-free sushi, a number of new plant-based meat products hit the shelves, Laird Superfoods reintroduces two tasty favorites, and Cinnaholic’s new seasonal menu.
Impossible Foods
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Leading plant-based brand Impossible Foods has launched a new product: Impossible Steak Bites. The bites are the first time the California company has ventured into the steak category, and it promises the new protein-packed bites are full of “meaty, delicious flavor.” According to Impossible Foods’ CEO Peter McGuinness, the new plant-based steak is “a real testament to our advancements in R&D.” He added: “[They achieve] the right balance of amazing taste and great nutritional value. [It’s] what people want and need, whether you’re a meat eater or not.” Find them now in grocery stores across the US, and soon, restaurants, too.
The Canadian government is supporting the vegan seafood market. It recently invested around $3.5 million in Konscious Foods, a British Columbia-based food tech brand specializing in products like plant-based sushi rolls, onigiri, and poke bowls. The new investment will allow Konscious Foods to scale up its production and keep innovating to make new products. “This investment has allowed us to grow quickly, win on a global stage, and accelerate the next wave of innovation,” Michael Watt, Konscious Foods’ COO, said in a statement.
Israeli vegan meat brand Chunk Foods recently debuted a new product: pulled meat. The protein-packed new range comes with multiple sauce flavors, including Teriyaki, Texas BBQ, Korean BBQ, and Barbacoa. “These new Chunk Pulled products with simmer sauces deliver convenience without compromise,” Amos Golan, founder and CEO of Chunk Foods, said in a statement. “We’re bringing bold flavors made with high-quality ingredients to home kitchens—no prep required, just sauté, add sauce, simmer, and enjoy.”
Heura
Another brand expanding its plant-based meat range is Spanish company Heura. Over the course of the year, it is set to launch five new products, the first of which is Tex Mex Chunks. According to the brand, the new flavor is in response to rising demand for Mexican-inspired flavors. “With this new launch, we take another step forward in transforming the food industry, challenging its limits, and ensuring that there are more and more options that place consumer health at the center, without sacrificing the experience and enjoyment of their favorite dishes,” said CEO Marc Coloma in a statement.
Vegan cinnamon bun chain Cinnaholic has added new menu items for spring. The new menu includes a Strawberry Fields Roll with strawberry fluff frosting, a Berry Crumble Roll with berry pie filling, and a new Chocolate Dipped Roll. On top of this, diners can choose from a new Lemonberry Coffee Cake and a Lemonberry Loaf.
Plant-based creamer brand Laird Superfood has expanded its repertoire by reintroducing two new vegan brownie and cookie mixes. The first is a Double Chocolate Chip Cookie mix, made with nutritious ingredients like kale, beets, and carrots, and the second is a Chocolate Chip Brownie mix, made with zucchini, chia, and organic cocoa. Both come together with just water and avocado oil, and are available to buy from the brand right now.
Goat Gummies
Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady is in the vegan gummy business. The athlete just launched a new line with Gopuff called GOAT Gummies, which are all vegan-friendly, organic, and free of artificial sweeteners. Per Hypebeast, the new snacks will be available in three flavors: Sweet Rush (a mix of pear, mango, passion fruit, and cherry), Sour Burst (with tangerine, apricot, and grapefruit), and Tropic Fusion (which is passion fruit, raspberry, and pomegranate). “For me, it was important to create a snack that both tastes amazing and is made with ingredients I can trust and understand—something I can feel good about eating and sharing with my kids,” Brady said in a statement. Find the gummies on Gopuff this month.
This week in vegan beverage news: Baileys launches two new crowd-pleasing flavors with oat milk, Malk expands to Costco, and Califia Farms and GT Foods celebrate their birthdays with new beverages.
Baileys
Popular liqueur brand Baileys launched dairy-free Baileys Almande back in 2016, and now, it’s adding more vegan options to its permanent range—and this time, they’re made with oat milk. Coffee Toffee and Cookies & Creamy are the newest, dairy-free boozy additions to the Baileys product range. “This innovation marks an exciting new chapter for us,” said Milly Shane, the Director of Baileys & Liqueurs for DIAGEO North America. “Whether you go dairy-free or just enjoy how it tastes, oat milk elevates those treating moments we all love. We saw it as the perfect match for the lively, social spirit of Baileys, creating a whole new way to enjoy your coffee.”
Malk Organics has expanded distribution of its popular Unsweetened Almond Milk, which is made with just water, organic almonds, and Himalayan pink salt. Now, the drink is available in two packs from Costco locations across Texas, as well as select stores in Oklahoma and Louisiana. You can also now find the brand’s organic Unsweetened Soy Milk at Whole Foods Markets, too.
Califia Farms
Dairy-free brand Califia Farms offers its plant-based milks and creamers in many different flavors, from Brown Sugar to Lavender. Recently, it announced a new flavor would be joining the mix: Birthday Cake Creamer. According to the brand, the new product is in honor of its 15th birthday. “Turn your coffee into a birthday party,” it posted on social media.
Best-selling kombucha brand GT Foods is also celebrating a birthday with a new release. As it gears up to mark its 30th anniversary, it has launched its “most powerful kombucha yet” in its Synergy range. According to the company, the new product, which is called Wildflower, is infused with 9 billion probiotics and seven adaptogenic herbs and botanicals. It’s available to buy from stores across the US now.
Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
