Sundial Meals is taking ‘hen wings’ in a brand new route • TechCrunch

Various proteins are coming in each form and type, and Sundial Meals is making its mark in certainly one of sports activities bars’ favourite staples: wings.

Co-founders Jessica Schwabach and Siwen Deng began the corporate in 2019 to create vegan hen wings that look identical to the normal reduce of meat. The pair met in U.C. Berkeley’s different meats program.

“We had been assigned to a mission to try to resolve the dryness drawback of the choice meat product,” Deng informed TechCrunch. “We got here up with this concept to use a bodily barrier on all sides to lock all of the moisture and improve the juiciness.”

What the co-founders had been going for was the identical fried meals meat-eaters know, however with a completely plant-based pores and skin, meat and bone. Their proprietary know-how simulates a complete reduce of meat, full with related texture and muscle construction. Additionally it is made with elements like water, chickpeas and sunflower oil and accommodates extra fiber and fewer saturated fats than hen however about the identical quantity of protein.

They went on to take part within the Nestlé R&D Accelerator in Switzerland the place they had been capable of take a look at their components for the plant-based wings. This included a co-branded product with Nestlé’s plant-based meals model Backyard Gourmand and take a look at launch in additional than 40 stores throughout Switzerland.

Whereas exhibiting as a part of the Battlefield 200 at TC Disrupt, they informed TechCrunch that they’re actively elevating a Sequence A, — after elevating a $4 million seed spherical in 2021 — and have plans to increase exterior of foodservice and into retail early subsequent yr.

Sundial Meals began its pilot line with eating places. You’ll be able to already discover their wings in two places in San Francisco, Farming Hope at Manny’s and Foghorn Taproom. Farming Hope at Manny’s is promoting Sundial’s wings for $8 for 2, that means the value is about thrice that of tradtional wings, which is at present about $1.68 per pound.

“The demand is increased, proper now than we will help, so we’re shifting to full-scale manufacturing,” Schwabach mentioned in an interview. “Now we have already recognized our manufacturing companion and shall be working with them for the subsequent six to eight months earlier than going into retail subsequent yr.”

The plan is to concentrate on native retailers initially and work on getting the amount, packaging and different gadgets proper earlier than increasing into bigger retailers. And, as they method full-scale manufacturing, the co-founders say they are going to be engaged on assembly the value parity of hen wings.