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2024 WINNER: JUDGES’ SELECTION / MOST INNOVATIVE

More often than not, the ingredients underpinning the success of a new product or company—are not actual ingredients. Although Chunk Foods relies on a few key ingredient inputs for its plant-based meat, it’s more accurate to say that keen observation (consumer, market trends) and technology insight and application have propelled and distinguished this four-year-old New York City company.

For quick context, the US plant-based meat industry has experienced some highly competitive and dynamic periods just during the past five decades. There were retail pioneers such as Morningstar Farms (Worthington Foods), Quorn, Yves Veggie Cuisine and Boca Burger growing the market from 1970s through the 1990s. Then came another wave of growth led by innovators such as Gardein (2003) Beyond Meat (2009) and Impossible Foods (2011).

It was during that that second wave—as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods were growing—that Amos Golan moved from Israel to the United States in 2016 to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Back in Israel, Golan earned a master’s in organic chemistry and applied his insights to the food (antimicrobial fruit treatments) and medical industries (oligomer-based platforms for RNA drug delivery). With MIT’s Media Lab, he specialized in human-computer interactions (including “direct, gaze-based peer-to-peer music sharing”). By 2018 and 2019, Golan had transitioned to work for Ferrero Group in New York City—first in an open innovation role, and later as Kinder Toys Technology & Innovation Lead, North America.

He picks up the story from there.

“I was part of the open innovation team at Ferrero, working on some of the company's most pressing strategic technology challenges and searching for food and agricultural solutions,” he says. “I’ve always been drawn to food and food production from a young age, but working at a multinational organization like Ferrero, with its high standards of production and quality, exposed me to large-scale challenges in the industry. This experience ultimately led me to want to start my own vertically integrated food company.”

Golan studied fermentation at Ferrero and could see appreciate that the technology would soon usher in more plant-based product innovation.

“Fermentation was emerging as one of the hottest spaces in the food industry, with companies using a variety of fermentation techniques to solve problems,” he says. “When I created the first prototype for Chunk, I realized there was something about the product that had real potential—people craved it. That’s when I knew I was onto something meaningful. I decided to quit my job and pursue this journey full-time.”

What’s perhaps not surprising is that this transition happened during the nation’s COVID-19 pandemic.

“… while everyone was growing their own sourdough starters or making viral feta pasta dishes, I was thinking about ways to create better meat alternatives,” he told Restaurant Technology. “I knew I wanted to start a company, and to create a product that was healthier and cleaner than the products that you could find on the market. It was also clear to me that we had enough burgers and nuggets, and that people were craving something with texture! I realized that only very few companies have scaled solutions for plant-based, whole-cut products that actually taste great.”

Golan set up his own improvised lab and went to work on the beginnings of Chunk. Over time, what started as prototypes in a New York City kitchen shifted in 2021 and 2022 to a factory (a renovated former bakery) in Tel Aviv, Israel. The goal was replicating the fibrous, meat-like structure that mimics the chew and mouthfeel of traditional steaks. In contrast to precision fermentation, Golan chose solid-state technology where microorganisms grow on a solid substrate with minimal liquid.

“Nailing the texture was crucial,” he says. “Using solid-state fermentation, we were able to precisely control the thickness, fiber direction, and juiciness of our cuts. This level of control enabled us to create a truly meat-like texture that holds up across different [foodservice] cooking methods (such as grilled, pan-seared, or slow-cooked). Once we achieved that, we knew we were ready to bring Chunk to market.”

 Compared to some plant-based offerings with much more lengthy ingredient statements, Chunk is made with just water, cultured soy protein (defatted soy flour, soy protein isolate, gluten), coconut oil, natural flavors, beet juice concentrate color, iron, salt and vitamin B12. Golan notes Chunk's products have a high protein content, making up 22% of product content, or 25g per 4oz serving. Similarly, he says Chunk servings have less than half of the sodium of mainstream plant-based meats.

Chunk was market ready in 2023 and the company exhibited its 4oz Chunk Steak and a Pulled product at the National Restaurant Association’s (NRA) 2023 annual show. That fall, it also partnered with Neat Burger, a global plant-based fast food chain for a Chunk Steak Sandwich at Neat’s New York City location. This year saw Chunk introduce more new products at NRA—new cubes and slabs—that are suited for brisket and pastrami applications. Meanwhile, it expanded its US foodservice sales reach to more restaurants, hotels and other operators. It also struck a strategic partnership with Sigma Alimentos to distribute products in Mexico and Spain.

 Chunk also will close this year by expanding into the retail grocery meats case. It will partner with select Los Angeles and New York City retailers and launch four new retail packs including Steaks (two-pack 4oz each):, and Steakhouse Cut (single 6oz), Slab (10oz) and Pulled (8oz) varieties. Suggested retail prices range from $8.99 (steaks) to $12.99 (slab). The retail products ship frozen and display frozen in the plant-based meat section. However, the product is designed to be thawed for display in the refrigerated meats case (beside traditional meat offerings).

“Consumers now expect plant-based meats to truly replicate the experience of eating real meat—taste, texture, and satisfaction,” Golan concludes. “Our proprietary technology allows us to create whole cuts from plants that meet those expectations. We saw that the market was ready for more than just ground meat substitutes, and we’re confident Chunk delivers that elevated experience.”