The Mushroom Meat Co.

📣 We're FINALISTS at Plant Based World Expo North America for the 3rd year in a row!!! 🏆 ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ We're excited to announce that our delicious Beef Tip style MushroomMeat™ was selected as a FINALIST in the 'Plant-Based Meat / Protein' category at the 2024 VEGPRENEUR Awards🏅this year! This is based on the scores we received from a panel of expert judges who tasted the product samples we sent a couple of weeks ago. Our Pulled Pork alternative 🥇’Best Meat Alternative' at Plant Based World Expo in 2022 against some pretty stiff competition. We're told that the competition was fierce again this year so we're pleased to be in the running in this category at Plant Based World Expo for the 3rd year in a row! Best of luck to all the contenders. Win or lose, we feel like we've already won 😊 Final winners will be announced at Plant Based World Expo in NYC this week on Wednesday September 11, 2024, and have in-person meetings with buyers on September 12. If you want to attend the Awards Ceremony, register here for Plant Based World Expo: https://lnkd.in/guvhmq4r #Mushrooms #WholeFoods #Awards #PlantBased #MushroomMeat™ #MushroomsOnlyMeatier™ #MeatySatisfactionSuperfoodNutrition®

🏆 World Plant-Based Innovation Awards 2024: Winners announced! 📣 🌱 View the winning innovations of 2024! ⤵ Dairy Alternative - FLOATMILK - Original Oatmilk +Adaptogens Foodservice Solution - The Mushroom Meat Co. - MushroomMeat Plant-Based Beverage - Arla Foods JÖRÐ - Chilled Oat Barista Plant-Based Condiment - Elmhurst® 1925 - Elmhurst 1925 Sour Cream Plant-Based Confectionery - Lovo Chocolate - LOVO Plant-Based Convenience product - Cymbiotika - Liposomal Glutathione Plant-Based Dessert - Yolé - Yolé's ZERO dairy ZERO sugar added ice cream Plant-Based Functional product - ZENB - ZENB Lasagna Plant-Based Meat - The Mushroom Meat Co. - Beef Tip style MushroomMeat Plant-Based Natural/Clean Label Product - The Mushroom Meat Co. - Beef Tip style MushroomMeat Plant-Based Snack - Nature's Bakery - Salted Caramel Brownie Health Innovation - ADM - Vegan Gummies for the Gut with HT-ES1 Postbiotic Ingredient Innovation - Royal Avebe - PerfectaSOL D600: The Plant-based Yogurt Protein Innovation - 4Life Research - Plant-Based Transfer Factor Technology Innovation - VINASOY - Fami Green Soy Milk #FoodBevAwards #WPBIA24 #WorldPlantBasedInnovationAwards #Bridge2Food

WE’RE 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗧-𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗦 2024 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐒! 🏆 IN NOT 1, BUT 3 CATEGORIES! Honored to share that The Mushroom Meat Co. was selected as the winner in all 3 categories where we were shortlisted. Huge thanks to the judges for recognizing our efforts. 🥩 Plant-Based Meat - for our Beef Tips style MushroomMeat™ This is our second win in this category; we won in 2022 for our Pulled Pork alternative. 🌿 Natural / Clean Label Product - for our Beef Tips style MushroomMeat™ 🍴 Food Service Solution - for our MushroomMeat™ product line; Pulled Pork, Shredded Beef, and Beef Tip alternatives THE AWARDS CEREMONY took place yesterday evening at Bridge2Food North American 2024. Among the CONTENDERS were renowned brands like Beyond Meat, MyFOREST Foods , Prime Roots, Nasoya Foods USA and Myco Foods. It’s inspiring to be part of such a prestigious lineup. Thrilled to see the growing enthusiasm for #mushrooms, #wholefoods, #cleanlabel, #allergenfree, and #compromisefree products specially crafted for food service. 🤞🏾Let’s hope these accolades help us unlock the funding we need to make our products widely available to the public! Check out the full list of awards here: https://lnkd.in/gSN9EQ4K #Mushrooms #MushroomMeat™ #PlantBasedMeat #CleanLabel #FoodService #WorldPlantBasedInnovationAwards | FoodBev Awards Dan Gardner Kesha S.

“We help people reduce meat consumption while moving mushrooms 🍄 from supplements to the center of the plate!” The Mushroom Meat Co. mission (above) and technology were the subjects of the lightning ⚡️ talk I gave last Friday at #BioVentureNexus 2024. THE TASTING The team was out in full force; we gave a tasting of all 3 products in our product line on Thursday and Friday; Pulled Pork, Shredded Beef and Beef Tip alternatives to rave reviews. We served these tasty 👅 treats: 1️⃣ Shredded Beef style mini tostadas with almond milk sour cream and pico de gallo salsa 2️⃣ Open face BBQ Pulled Pork style sammies with coleslaw and Texas style BBQ sauce 3️⃣ Beef Tip style skewers with steak seasoning and chimichurri dipping sauce The 🥩 skewers were definitely a crowd favorite …we kept running out! THE TALK I gave an overview of the MushroomMeat™ product line, Ingredient Platform, and scaling model; including what makes them UNIQUE and why they’re the key to giving consumers the eating experience they CRAVE 😋 with the ingredients / nutrition they DESIRE.🤔 THE COMMUNITY We saw familiar faces from last year’s event, listened to lightning talks by other bio innovators, and made a few new friends: Colin Topham Neal Okarter Larisa Rudenko Maddie Morris Ravi Chawla, PhD Francesca Maria D. Jennifer Kowal Tariq Warsi Charles Lin Nikki Lin Neil Littman Nihal Engin Vrana Thank you Gabriel Levesque-Tremblay for inviting us and for hosting a fantastic event! #MushroomMeat™ #AgTech #BioTech #FoodTech #ClimateTech | Dan Gardner

🤞🏾We’re on the short list for the 2024 #WorldPlantBasedInnovationAwards🏅in not 1, but 3 categories! 1️⃣ Plant Based Meat - For our ‘Beef Tip’ style MushroomMeat™ 2️⃣ Natural / Clean Label Product - For our ‘Beef Tip’ style MushroomMeat™ 3️⃣ Food Service Solution - For our MushroomMeat™ product line The judging panel has placed our products / solutions in one of the following positions: Winner Finalist Commended Find out where we’ve placed at the special awards ceremony at Bridge2Food North America on Wednesday, 9th October 2024, Nicollet Island pavilion, Minneapolis. Wish us luck!🍀 #Mushrooms #MushroomMeat™ #Awards | Kesha S. Dan Gardner

⁉ Whats so “disruptive” about the 🍄🥩 MUSHROOMMEAT™ INGREDIENT PLATFORM? In a few days I'll be speaking at #BioVentureNexus2024 about the natural, patent-pending approach The Mushroom Meat Co. uses to produce mushrooms with the taste, texture, and aroma of meat! The “building blocks” of our game changing products... MUSHROOMS WITH THE TEXTURE MEAT Our TMP® is a whole-food alternative to TVP that offers vastly superior texture and superfood nutrition. Available in a variety of shapes and sizes. Check out our amazing texture: https://lnkd.in/gUeMhUNC HEALTHY, LOW-FAT FAT Our Fat Replacer is an alternative to beef and pork fat made with mushrooms + cold-pressed avocado oil. It can be ground or chopped, and added to products to increase juiciness or simulate marbling fat. Read what vegconomist - the vegan business magazine wrote about it here: https://lnkd.in/g28MeFuN REAL MEAT TASTE WITHOUT HEME OR "FLAVORS" Our UmamiBooster™ is a natural mushroom ingredient that provides authentic meaty, “animalic", taste. No GMOs, “natural flavors" or “blending” with meat necessary. You won’t believe your taste buds! 🧱We can mix and match these components like Lego blocks to create an endless variety of revolutionary products. —— 📣 INVESTORS: Want to learn more about our platform, why it’s so “disruptive” and taste 👅 our delicious alternatives to beef and pork? Come see us this week at Bio Venture Nexus 2024! 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gJybvRzj #Innovation #VC #AngelInvestors #BioTechInvestors #Startups #Biotech #FoodTech #LifeSciences #Networking #AgriTech #ClimateTech #AgTech #MushroomMeat™ | Dan Gardner

📣 SPEAKING EVENT: Come hear me speak at BioVenture Nexus and taste our delicious MushroomMeat™! ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ Come listen my lightening talk at BioVenture Nexus 2024 on October 4 at 2:30 PM (Session 5) at the JW Marriott - The Ritz Carlton, Los Angeles! 🚀 I’ll be speaking about The Mushroom Meat Co.’s platform, products and scaling model; what makes them UNIQUE and why they’re EXACTLY what the market needs RIGHT NOW. 😋 We’ll also be giving a tasting of our current products and maybe even a sneak peak of our game-changing new prototype. Investors, come try our famous (or infamous depending on your POV 😉) MushroomMeat™! This is the event for anyone serious about FoodTech, AgriTech, Climate Tech, Biotech, AI in bio, Life sciences, and beyond. Can't wait to share my insights and connect with top innovators, investors, and decision-makers! Join us ! 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gttHHtKq #BioVentureNexus2024 #Innovation #VC #Startups #Biotech #FoodTech #AI #LifeSciences #Networking #AgriTech #ClimateTech #AgTech #MushroomMeat™ | Dan Gardner Gabriel Levesque-Tremblay

🤩 What’s so different about The Mushroom Meat Co.’s FOOD SERVICE products? ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ 👩🏾🍳 They’re SPECIALLY CRAFTED for chefs, restaurants and other food service establishments. Here’s 7 reasons why… 1️⃣ THEY COOK LIKE TRADITIONAL MEAT 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞! Our beef alternatives go from soft, wet and pink to firm, brown and even crispy when cooked. You determine the level of doneness. These visual cues also mean there’s no need to retrain your staff. 2️⃣ NO SEASONINGS, SAUCES OR BREADING Our products taste like beef and pork and come unseasoned like raw meat. Low sodium content and no seasonings to get in your way. Simply add your spice blends and sauces to create a wide variety of multicultural dishes. 3️⃣ YOU CONTROL THE FAT CONTENT We don’t add oils, but our products absorb fat during the cooking process; making them succulent and juicy while being low in overall fat content. Simply cook them in a bit of avocado or other neutral oil. Or ask us about our fat-free cooking methods. 4️⃣ THEY STAND UP TO HEAT + LIQUIDS They can be stewed for hours without breaking down or losing their meaty texture; something that isn’t possible with most plant and fungi-based products. To add them to your sauces, soups, chilis and stews; simply sear them in a pan then drop them in and cook away. 5️⃣ STORE THEM FROZEN FOR MONTHS While many mushroom and fungi-based products can’t be frozen without turning to mush, our products come frozen. They can be stored in a standard freezer for 3-4 months and deep frozen for at least 6 months. Simply thaw and use as normal without any impact to texture or flavor. 6️⃣ THEY SUIT VIRTUALLY ANY DIET The Mushroom Meat Co.’s products are made with 7-10 whole food ingredients; no “colors”, “flavors”, “natural flavors”, methylcellulose or GMOs. Did I mention that they’re also free of grains, starches and top 12 allergens? 7️⃣ GIVE YOUR CUSTOMERS WHAT THEY WANT! It’s not just about serving vegans and vegetarians. 75% of consumers now cite “having a healthier diet” as their primary reason for buying meat alternatives and 40% of Americans say they want to eat less red meat. Give your customers the flavors + textures they CRAVE with the SUPERFOOD ingredients they desire. They’ll come back again and again. ⭐ JOIN OUR PILOT PROGRAM ⭐ There’s simply nothing on the market like it! So if you’re a restauranteur, caterer, university or venue looking for healthy, craveable and sustainable products…drop us a line. We’ll setup a tasting and tell you more about our trial and pilot programs. #Mushrooms #WholeFoods #FoodService #AlternativeProteins | Dan Gardner #MushroomMeat™ #MushroomsOnlyMeatier™ #MeatySatisfactionSuperfoodNutrition®

This Facebook memory gave me the opportunity to reflect on our CRAZY 😜 journey… ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ It was 2 years ago at Plant Based World Expo North America in NY. We started our bootstrapped venture the year before; after the National Science Foundation (NSF) surprisingly accepted my SBIR pitch asking them to fund my research on “realistic pork alternatives from mushroom mycelium and fruiting bodies”. This was our very first conference and second public tasting; having done the first just a couple months before at Big Idea Ventures Demo Day. It was all a last minute scramble from the moment we found out that we were awards finalists in 3 categories; finishing our branding with a student designer, having banners printed and figuring out how we were gonna stretch the 10 lbs of product that took us days to produce in a shared facility in North Carolina. We were super tired and crazy nervous. We handed out hundreds of samples of our Pulled “Pork” prototype from a small booth at the very back of event; kindly donated to us by the Plant Based Foods Association. Our son Christopher agreed to be our chef for the day. Cooking up pulled pork style #MushroomMeat™ on a portable flat-top grill in front of the public. And people loved 🥰 it! We had insanely long lines. Some people had to come back 2 or 3 times just to get a single sample. We heard people say things like: “It was indiscernible from pulled pork.” “As a chef I’ve tasted a lot of alternatives and what I love about your product is that it’s so juicy and flavorful.” “We had to come all the way to the back to find real food.” “It cooks up just like meat” - Chef Palak Patel On day 1️⃣, Dan and I were surprised to find out that we’d won the World Plant Based Award 🏆 for ‘Best Meat Alternative’ against the likes of NotCo, Planted, MyForest Foods, Fable and even Beyond Meat in what had to be one of the biggest upsets in the history of the event. On day 2️⃣, Chef Palak Patel featured our prototype in Marinated Pulled ‘Pork’ Vindaloo on stage during a live cooking demo. Later, a woman and her family stood there whispering to one another after tasting our samples. She eventually came up and asked if this was my business? I told her that it was “our business”; motioning to my husband and son. She said, “We’re proud of you”. I was shocked. I’d never had a stranger say something like that to me before and yet it meant more than I could have imagined. 🥹 A family of health-conscious fermentation hobbyists who left their 20+ year careers in tech to start a food business? We’re definitely the underdogs of this space, but we’re underdogs with some of the best products out there! And memories like these remind me that what we’re doing really matters. — ❓ Want to know more about The Mushroom Meat Co.? Just ask in comments👇🏾 #Mushrooms #Startups #CareerTransitions #FamilyBusiness #UnderDogs

🤔 Leftover ’steak’ and onions? Lets make MushroomMeat™ Pot Pie! 🥧 ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ This was a two (or really 3) for one. Earlier this week I made Philly Cheese’steak’ sandwiches and had a bunch of MushroomMeat™ and onions leftover. So I whipped out the rolling pin, made a couple of pot pies, and OMG 😳 it was savory, beefy and fantastic! Here’s what I came up with: 🍄 PIE FILLING 🧅 Boil the carrots and potatoes in veggie broth until they just begin to soften. Reserve the broth. Add potatoes and carrots to a bowl along with the other ingredients below. Mix well. - Beef Tip style MushroomMeat™ by The Mushroom Meat Co., chopped (sub sautéed mushrooms of your choice) - Caramelized onions (onions, sea salt, maple syrup) - Organic low sodium veggie broth - 3 medium potatoes (I used Yukon gold) - 2 carrots diced - 1 cup frozen peas (thawed) - Fresh chopped parsley - 4 cloves of garlic (diced) RED WINE 🍷 GRAVY Add broth to a blender along with garlic and remaining ingredients and blend till smooth. Pour into a sauce pan and bring to a boil to thicken. Allow to cool while you make the crust. - Reserved veggie broth - Couple cloves of garlic - 3 tbsp of cassava flour (sub arrowroot powder or tapioca flour) - 1 tbsp organic coconut aminos (sub soy sauce) - 1 tbsp organic fish-free Worcestershire sauce - Avocado oil (optional, for richness) - Organic red wine, no added sulphites - Nutritional yeast - Black pepper SPELT FLOUR CRUST 🥧 Add everything except for the glaze ingredients to a food processor, pulse until well mixed. Add water a bit at a till a dough forms. Divide it into 4 pieces and roll each out. Press one sheet into the bottom of each pan, add the filling followed by gravy, then the top sheet. Seal the edges with a fork and make 4 slits so the steam can escape. Brush the top with glaze (avoiding the edges). - Organic sprouted spelt flour - Organic arrowroot powder - Grain-feee baking powder - Organic cashew milk butter (sub organic unrefined coconut oil) - Ice water - Sea salt - Optional glaze, for browning (flaxseed powder, water, avocado oil) I baked the pies in the oven for 50 minutes at 375 degrees till the crust was lightly brown and a bit of the gravy oozed from the top. We ate one right away and froze the other. It was a lot of work, but now I’m looking forward to enjoying the leftover, leftovers! #Mushrooms #WholeFoods #PlantBasedDiet #HealthyEating #PotPie | Dan Gardner #MushroomMeat™ #MushroomOnlyMeatier™ #MeatySatisfactionSuperfoodNutrition®