The Vegetarian Butcher

What the Cluck… Meat The Vegetarian Butcher

From energy use to smart cities, the Netherlands is famed for its green credentials. The Vegetarian Butcher is one of the leading Dutch exponents of a sustainable food revolution. And its meat successor products are the closest to the ‘real thing’ we’ve tasted to date.

By Andrew Rogers

Be it for ethical, health or environmental reasons, many people feel they should eat less meat. As the son of a farming family, Dutchman Jaap Korteweg was expected to take over his parents’ cattle farm, but switched to organic crops. But the 1998 outbreak of swine fever and mad cow disease led him to pursue a much greater plant-based revolution.

Meat from legumes

Jaap still loved the texture and juiciness of meat but no longer wanted to sacrifice animals to enjoy that sensation. And the environment was another key issue. Animals are fed soy and grains as they grow before being slaughtered for their meat. To produce beef, for instance, cows need constant feeding, large amounts of land and up to 15,000 litres of water per kilo of meat. Jaap set out to cut out the middleman – be it a pig, chicken or cow – and produce meat directly from legumes. Dissatisfied with other meat substitutes, he devoted years to research and development and worked closely with a team of chefs to find what Jaap calls a meat successor. A product that would replicate the moreish taste and texture while being better for the planet and kinder to animals. Launching onto the Dutch market in 2010, it soon became apparent that his goal had been met. Awards ranging from PETA’s ‘Most animal-friendly company of the year’ to Best Vegan Product testified to how The Vegetarian Butcher was making the switch to plant-based food easy and tasty.

Taste the difference

This orange and green success story has more recently been extended to packaging. The Vegetarian Butcher’s chilled retail products now come in a 100 per cent post-consumer recycled PET tray. And though you may not have bought any of Jaap’s products in the supermarket yet you may well have discovered the difference offered by The Vegetarian Butcher as it supplies Burger King with the plant-based version of its Whopper burger.

In addition to supporting a food revolution, the brand has been a pioneer in its use of funny – and occasionally risqué – names for its products in the English language. Its copywriters have had a greenfield day coming up with the likes of Unbelievaballs, Good Karma Shawarma, The Great Escalope and Chickened Out Burger. We’ll leave you to guess what Little Willies and What the Cluck are in reality…