Nestlé has expanded its plant-based food range in Europe with its new “cook from raw” Garden Gourmet Incredible Mince. It is also introducing a new and improved version of its Garden Gourmet Incredible Burger, available in frozen and refrigerated food aisles at supermarkets in a number of countries, including Austria, Belgium, Germany, Norway and Sweden starting in September.
The move is aimed at appealing to consumers looking at different ways to balance their protein intake while seeking to “lower the environmental footprint of their diets,” according to Nestlé. The Vevey, Switzerland-headquartered company says it is “committed to offering a wide range of plant-based products that taste great and offer people new veggie food experiences.”
Chili sin Carne
The new Garden Gourmet Incredible Mince is promoted to be “just as versatile and juicy as minced beef.” The product is easily shapeable, making it easy to create balls or skewers that can be seasoned to taste. It can also be crumbled up in a pan to make, for example, Bolognese sauce or “Chili Sin Carne.”
Like the Garden Gourmet Incredible Burger, the plant-based mince looks and cooks like raw beef due to its blend of protein from soy, natural plant extracts – beetroot, carrot, and bell pepper – and vegetable fats.
As part of continuous efforts to improve its plant-based line, Nestlé has also renewed the recipe of its popular Garden Gourmet Incredible Burger just seven months after its first launch. Based on consumer feedback, the plant protein experts and chefs at Nestlé were able to increase the juiciness, grilled beefy flavor and meat-like texture of the burger.
The burger creates the experience of eating a beef burger using natural soy and wheat protein, color from natural plant extracts, chopped coconut oil, and a proprietary method of fermenting plant-based ingredients to boost the “umami” flavor of the burger.
“We’re pleased at the positive response to our Garden Gourmet Incredible Burger from a broad range of consumers. We have listened to their feedback and we have not sat still,” said Wayne England, head of Nestlé’s food business. “This autumn we are launching a next generation that we are sure people will appreciate. The Garden Gourmet Incredible Mince is a really versatile ingredient that is a real winner in many dishes. We will continue to work hard to improve our Garden Gourmet offers and to bring new formats to the market.”
More than “Cook from Raw”
The “cook from raw” products are just one element of a growing trend towards plant-based foods, and Garden Gourmet has 30 years of experience in this space. For example, it also offers a wide range of “ready to heat” vegetarian or vegan meat substitutes such as filet pieces, burgers and sausages that are offered as ingredients to add to favorite meals.
Alongside meat alternatives, Garden Gourmet is also continuing to expand its range of products based on the “goodness of vegetables.” These already include a variety of balls, patties and bakes made with vegetable pieces, cheeses, grains and pulses.
England added: “On top of meat alternatives, our chefs and plant-based food experts are developing tasty and nutritious veggie-centric balls, patties and bites. These are full of flavor and surprising textures from vegetables, grains and pulses to inspire plant-based or flexitarian eaters to try more of our Garden Gourmet range.”
