Beyond Meat announced its partnership with Sysco, the nation’s largest food distributor. The Beyond Meat Beyond Burger is the latest addition to Sysco’s Cutting Edge Solutions (CES) program. The Beyond Burger is the first plant-based burger that looks, cooks and satisfies so much like traditional beef, it’s sold in the meat section at grocery stores. The exclusive deal between Sysco and Beyond Meat will open distribution of the ground-breaking Beyond Burger to thousands of burger joints, restaurant chains, hospitality properties, healthcare centers and educational facilities nationwide.
“Similar to how we’ve partnered with conventional grocery stores to bring The Beyond Burger to the meat aisle where everyday consumers shop for protein, we are thrilled to be a part of Sysco’s Cutting Edge Solutions program to bring The Beyond Burger to menus alongside beef at thousands of mainstream restaurants nationwide,” says Ethan Brown, CEO of Beyond Meat.
The partnership with Sysco represents a wider cultural shift that is currently happening in the US food ecosystem. According to a recent NPD Study, 70 percent of meat eaters are substituting a non-meat protein in a meal at least once a week and 22 percent say they are doing it more often than a year ago. While taste remains a key factor in food purchases, health benefits are one of the top reasons consumers choose plant-based protein.
“Cutting Edge Solutions is Sysco’s unique product innovation platform designed to give our customers differentiated products and solutions to meet the challenges of the competitive foodservice industry,” says Brian Todd, Senior Vice President of Merchandising, Sysco. “Each year, we evaluate emerging food trends to hand-select our CES featured productions. Our exclusive distribution of the innovative Beyond Burger helps our customers appeal to a growing group of consumers seeking better-for-you products.”
Currently sold at grocery stores nationwide, The Beyond Burger will expand its potential reach to tens of thousands of restaurant and food service establishments through its exclusive distribution with Sysco, enabling millions more people to experience the sizzling Future of Protein.
The Beyond Burger launched in May 2016 to sell out demand. Answering consumer’s growing health and environmental concerns, the break-through Beyond Burger looks, cooks and satisfies like a traditional hamburger, but with all the upsides of plant-based protein, including being naturally cholesterol free. Boasting 20g of protein, the Beyond Burger contains no GMOs, soy or gluten.
