Before the Butcher Launches Plant-Based Burgers That Cost the Same as Beef

The break-through price was achieved through family-pack packaging and minor adjustments that reduced ingredient costs.

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Before the Butcher

IRVINE, CA — Plant-based meat provider Before the Butcher is expanding its lineup with plant-based burgers that will appeal to budget-minded shoppers, providing a meatless protein option that costs half of competitive products and closer to the cost of beef burgers. The new Mainstream Plant-Based Patties will join the company’s premium UNCUT brand and be available to retailers and foodservice operators this month.  

The Mainstream line will be sold in the freezer section in resealable 8-packs of quarter-pound patties 2 lbs. at an MSRP of $10.99 (price may vary by retailer.) Other meatless burgers are sold in fresh meat cases at significantly higher pricing. The break-through price was achieved through family-pack packaging and minor adjustments that reduced ingredient costs.

Foodservice operators can also purchase the Mainstream line through distributors at a low wholesale cost.

Like Before the Butcher’s UNCUT line, the Mainstream patties are 100% plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, and made from a proprietary combination of soy, coconut and canola oils, and natural seasonings. Each Mainstream patty provides 18 grams of plant-based protein and closely replicates the taste and texture of a beef burger. 

See Food Manufacturing's May Q&A with Before the Butcher founder Danny O'Malley: How Has the Pandemic Impacted Plant-Based Meat?"

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The Mainstream line hits the market amid continually rising demand for meat substitutes that satisfy consumers’ appetite for animal protein. According to the Good Food Institute, U.S. sales of plant-based meat climbed 38% from 2017 to 2019, including an 18% jump from 2018 to 2019 alone. Penetration now includes 14% of U.S. households, reflecting expansion well beyond vegetarians to include meat eaters who want to reduce their meat consumption to improve their health, reduce the environmental impact of meat production, and promote animal welfare.

“More consumers clearly are interested in meat alternatives, but until now plant-based meats have had a price tag that doesn’t fit many family budgets. The new Mainstream line provides an affordable option for people who aren’t able to pay nearly $3 apiece for a meatless burger,” said Danny O’Malley, Founder and President of Before the Butcher. “At just under $1.40 per patty, we are opening the category to a large new universe of purchasers that we expect to drive substantial new growth for alt-meat products.”

Before the Butcher offers the market’s largest and most diverse portfolio of plant-based meat alternatives, serving the growing number of consumers interested in reducing their meat consumption. Meatless options sold under the company’s premium UNCUT brand range from beef, chicken and turkey burgers and breakfast sausage patties – available through both retail and foodservice channels – to chorizo, pulled pork, ground Italian sausage, chicken chunks, beef tips, taco crumbles and other items designed for foodservice use. The company also produces an economy-priced Mainstream brand.

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