Could Kombucha Help Save Our Planet? See The Crowd Funding Quest That Is Set To Motion A Caring Company Into Action

My friends at Equinox Kombucha are running a crowd funding campaign.  I wanted to spread the word about what they are up to right now.
Daphnie and Robbie met whilst travelling and always had the shared vision to commit time to conservation and humanitarian projects.  After getting the business off the ground their next step is a crowd funding campaign via Indiegogo.
They are asking for help to expand their production, and make health giving kombucha available nation-wide.  The more they can sell, the more then can do to fulfil their dreams of being part of the revolution to help our planet.  50% of their profits will go to the Equinox Foundation.

click below to view their video campaign.

Eating In Berlin: Dr Pogo - A Totally Vegan Store

One of the reasons I flew to Berlin was to visit the vegan supermarkets I had been hearing so much about. One I couldn't wait to step over the threshold of was Dr. Pogo. A vegan collective, out in the hip, bohemian district of Neukolln, Berlin (think vintage stores and scores of independent coffee houses).

I'd scribbled directions on scrap of paper and headed out, confident of my city orienteering skills.  It was 7pm, plenty of time, as they were open until 8.  I'm not going to go into the whole long drawn out process of walking around in a big circle and getting lost and chasing the proverbial 'wild goose', but I arrived as the lights were being flicked off and the clock ticked past 8pm.  I pleaded in English.  I know, how rude, but in my flustered state I couldn't muster a single word in Duetshe. I was in luck though.  Steffen, one of the 11 Kollectiv that make up Dr.Pogo, was happy to let me have a quick look around.  I bought some locally made tofu and a baby cucumber and left with a promise to return.

Next time I was prepared. I had wheels. I was on my newly purchased(old) bike.  I found the store with ease, and this time, Steffan had agreed to take a break and chat with me.

Three years ago, Steffen, baseball-capped and fresh faced, was a film maker.  In late 2012 he packed it all in and joined a mixed group of men and women. Their mission, to fill a gap left by a previous, much loved, vegan store, and open their own shop and serve the pining clientele. 
With no previous shop owning experience (though a few of them had worked in some) they rented a store space, cobbled together their own shelving and counters, and in January 2013, opened their doors to the people of Berlin. 
Each of 11 bring their individual strengths, to make the whole.  Steffan says they work well together and are a happy bunch.  All dedicated vegans.  
The store is well stocked and the products are carefully chosen. Most come from Europe, a few from further afield.  Wanting to be sustainable and connected with their community, they try and include as much local products as possible.  A big baking pan displays home cooked vegan pizza, made locally.  Inviting looking cakes and pastries line the wooden counter.  All made by local friends.  The tofu from Soy Rebels, it turned out, was the best I've ever eaten.  Super firm, smokey and with a good dry texture.    
The store has a well stocked bulk section, fresh produce, raw items, cosmetics, vegan condoms, cleaning products, books, a long row of chilled products; cheeses, fake meats. Ice creams.  Everything you could want, and all vegan. They are even a pick up point for CSA veggie boxes All the new product names and labels made my head spin.  I want to try everything!
They have a small, intimate space in the corner to sit, have something to eat and drink and pass some time.

As we chatted, a steady flow of people came in and then left, laden with vegan goods.  Steffen tells me some of their local customers didn't even realise the store was meat-free until they'd visited many times. Their customers, Steffen tells me, come from all walks of life. Their primary goals differ; the organico's, the localvores, the ecovists, or the mamas and papas who want the best for their kids. Those with a (glutenfrei) gluten free diet. The vegans can be oriented from a number of ways too. He see's the fitness/health vegans, the animal activist vegans, the ethical or the sustainability crowd. All coming to the same conclusion that vegan is best. All are welcome. The store has a comforting, old fashioned (from the UK perspective anyway) feel about it.  Just like buying your stuff from friends.

As with the theme of most collectives, they all pay themselves the same. No hierarchy exists.  They currently habour no dreams of world domination, and are happy with the way things are. I see this in Steffan. He is a guy with much contentment.

After they opened in January 2013 (despite well meaning friends saying it would take at least 2 years to get off the ground) the store was thriving. The people just came.  It makes me want to live in Berlin. Learn German. Bump up the Kollectiv from 11 to 12. 

I ask Steffen where he likes to hang out when he is not working in the store.  He tells me of a collective of groups from locations all over Berlin that, on any given night, serve up food to those who seek it.  Voku (short for Volks Kuchen…translated: Peoples Kitchen) list many vegan happenings in Project Houses. I hope to try at least one during my stay.
  
additional info:
pizza supplied from Sfizyveg.de
Cakes and treats from Majas Deli

Dr. Pogo

Karl-Marx-Platz 24

 12043 Berlin

Closest U-Bahn: Karl Marx Strasse

Closed (geschlossen) on Sundays (as most stores seem to be in Berlin).

For a list of Berlin Kollectiv's 

Neukolln has a number of vegan restaurants and cafes. I will be hopefully getting around to visiting them all! Are you signed up for emails?  Make sure you don't miss out on future reviews..and, at some point when the trip is done, recipes!

BBC Radio 4 - Talks Veganism on the Food Programme

Veganism is now being spoken about on the  Radio 4 Food Programme.   I see this as a huge step forward for the UK.  This country is slow to change.  It lags behind many parts of the US and Germany (who now seem to be leading the way, in Europe at least).   Is it Mark Bitman (American best selling cookbook author) and his well documented shift to veganism that is making 'mainstream' sit up and take note?  Even if his rule is Vegan Before 6pm.  He's come out, written a recipe book about it.  VB6.

The programme, gave a fair compilation of veganism, now and then.  The programme has a few, previously unheard, snippets of an interview with Donald Watson, the father of veganism.

Food culture writer Alex Renton spoke of his U-turn views on veganism and how he now embraces the idea of a vegan lifestyle.  I was sickened when he told the interviewer Shelia Dillon, about GMO meat and how they are breading rats to still feel pain but not be scared by it.  The intention to make 'feed animals' for humans who don't feel pain! Crazy attempt to make meat eaters feel less guilty. But an admittance at least that ANIMALS DO FEEL PAIN.  As Paul McCartney so poignantly put it, 'what if slaughter houses and farms had glass walls'?

Our very own Fat Gay Vegan, took Shelia Dillon around a food filled hall at a Vegan Potluck recently.  You could hear the surprise in her voice as she witnessed vegans feasting on inventive and delicious food.  Historian John Davis told us how the internet is having a huge impact on veganism.  In 2012 the word VEGAN overtook the term Vegetarian in internet searches.

I've long heard about the upsurge in Veganism in Germany, and more specifically Berlin.  In two weeks, I will be in Berlin to investigate further.  I will be sending you news.  With 4 totally vegan stores in Germany (3 in Berlin) and 20 stores planned across Europe by 2015.  Founder of Veganz, Jan Bredack is someone to watch.

Another Brit, Alex Bourke, author of Vegetarian Guides, was interviewed also.  He shot us a few new terms for vegans with different focuses.  Apparently, I am a gleegan (gluten free vegan), and I never knew!

Have a listen.  What do you think of the interview?  Let us know 'post a comment'.

Amazing Superfood AND More! How the Baobab Tree Took One Man From Clinical Depressive to Successful Entrepreneur.

We all want to be super powered, super heroes, right?!  Right?! Of course we do. That is why when we see a new superfood in the headlines we are straight to the grocery store filling up our trollies with tonnes of the stuff.  I once turned slightly orange because I ate too many carrots (great source of Vit A).  It wasn't a good look, so I took up eating balefuls of greens instead.  Thankfully I've not turned green!
Today, I have a recent discovery I want to share with you. Baobab.  Not only is the level of antioxidants of this fruit off the charts, but it has the power to change the lives of millions in Africa.  Whilst keeping you in top form too. I have the amazing story for you.

While at the Allergy & Free From Show recently, I spotted a cheerful and brightly coloured stand with a bizarre looking pod on display.  I had heard of Baobab before from  Inspiral Baobab & Onion Kale Chips  but never had I seen what it actually looked like in its natural state. I'd heard of the tree, sure.  It is one of the reasons for me chalking up Madagascar on my bucket list (that and the dancing lemurs)!  Upon closer inspection of the pod, I was so surprised, the interior of the pod was nothing like I'd ever seen before.  It was jam packed with off-white, pebble like, powdery clusters, of which I discovered, were edible fruits of the baobab tree.

I was so curious, I asked if I could interview the one of the co-founders of the company selling this powder in the gorgeously vibrant tubs on display.  And he said yes!  Read on and I will share with you what he told me, and a recipe, or two.

Andrew Hunt                                                    Nick Salter                                          Founders of Aduna

The story began when Andrew Hunt, then aged 25, had been diagnosed as suffering from clinical depression.   Life in advertising had brought him to the brink of despair.  He'd lost all his spark after years of selling products to the market that he just didn't believe in.  He was spent. He felt totally void of life.  It was a random phone call from a family friend, Angus Davison, which was to come to his rescue. Angus happened to need someone to help on a project in Gambia, so he called Andrew on the off chance he may be interested. He wasn’t. Feeling like he had nothing to lose, however, Andrew jumped on a plane bound for West Africa.

The African sunlight, the colour, the people, all crept under his skin and for the first time in months Andrew felt the life being sucked back into him. He told me, he was happy.  Why? I asked him. His answer was simple. He was expressing himself fully, creatively.  Adding value. 
The initial six week project ended, but Andrew stayed. For 4 years. It was during this time, whilst he built up an organisation called Gambia Is Good to help farmers supply fresh fruits and vegetables to the tourist trade, that Andrew became increasingly aware of the abundance of natural products in the region.  25% of all of the  world’s botanical species originate from Africa, and yet less than 1% of what we see on the shelf.  It was his time working with Gambia is Good that Andrew began to learn about the iconic baobab tree and its myriad of uses.   


Aduna Is Born
After his return from Africa, Andrew was contacted by Nick Salter, a  fellow Africa enthusiast and baobab convert.  He too had been excited by the strange fruit. They both saw the potential to create a successful business which, through its core function of creating demand for baobab, could help sustain millions of rural households in Sub Saharan Africa. Together they formed Aduna (means ‘Life’ or ‘World’ in Wolof).  Andrew was keen to promote brand.  Branding a product increases its saleability, makes the producer feel proud.  But it had to be done well. No more cliche! he cried.  No more 3rd world Bob Marley maps and souvenir bongo drums, as means of Africans scratching out a meagre living. The branding he saw for their indigenous fruits (and most products) were falling short of the mark.  He decided he wanted to change that, so families could make a good living and build a sustainable business. This took a whole year. They decided they wanted to create a brand that spoke of Africa.  It's culture, warmth and vibrancy.  They created a design is based on traditional African wax fabric. It is altering the old focus.  They created a premium product and in November 2012 Aduna was launched.  Before long their luxury products were being sold in Harrods & Liberty of London . 

Making Lives Richer in Africa
Aduna Feel Good World. Promoting Africa. 

Instead of the world view being 'projects in' Africa, Andrew aims to shift the focus to 'products from' Africa, with baobab alone estimated by National Geographic to be worth a potential $1bn to rural Africa.
With no need for land, water,  fertiliser,refrigeration – or even farming - the baobab crop is  hugely sustainable (though I worry about anything getting so popular over time that it alters the status quo from natural to farmed). The National Resource Institute estimated that 2-3 million households in Southern Africa alone can supply the fruit, making the likely figure for the whole of Africa closer to 8-10m.  The yeald of each tree averages at 200-300 kg.  As you can see, promoting and selling the baobab will substantially increase the income of African families at little cost to themselves.  What’s more, when communities earn money from baobab, they have an increased incentive to protect the trees.

How Aduna Is Helping To Build Better Sustainable Futures For Africans
Each year Aduna invests 10% of its profits into the Aduna Foundation, which aims to support small-scale producers through capacity building, social Innovation and  assistance with regulatory issues. This is something that small scale producers would have little means to do for themselves and is crucial for exporting their goods.
In the longer term, Aduna wants to help develop children specific branding in Africa, to divert consumption from sugar laden powered drinks imported from Malta, to the healthy baobab.  Andrew says, the kids want the packaging they see in the West.  They are drawn, just like any child to brands directed to their likes.

About The Boabab. The baobab is an incredible tree that has been in existence before the continents split and can have a lifespan of up to 5000 years. It  behaves like a giant succulent, absorbing and storing water  in their trunks during the rainy season.  When the rains cease and the land turns arid, the tree fruits and harvests its own store of water to produce its fruit.  It is the only fruit in the world that is known to dry on the branch.  Even when the pods are harvested they have a shelf life of 3 years. They need no extra land to plant, they need no man’s intervention in watering, they are wild harvested so the pods are just opened and the powder is simply sifted before packing.  The baobab’s velvety green fruits grow from white flowers that are pollinated at night by bats. Inside the hard shell are the seeds which are coated in an off-white powder that is quite tangy to the taste, reminiscent of a mix of citrus and perhaps melon. 

Uses
Bouye, traditional Senegalise drink, made with baobab fruit pulp lemon & sugar (I'd use Stevia or Xylitol for low cal drink).  Cheesecake, salad dressing. rising agent, a substitute for cream of tartar, pectin, salads, smoothies, jams, ice cream etc. 

Banana & Baobab Ice cream (recipe below)

Nutritional Value

The powder is an incredible source of the minerals potassium, calcium, iron, and magnesium, an outstanding source of vitamin C, and a great source of B vitamins. It’s a fantastic antioxidant, has anti-inflammatory properties. It is a prebiotic. It has a high pectin content, so you can use it as a thickener in recipes. It is a natural flavour enhancer, so adds depth to any dish, sweet or savoury.

It contains 50% dietary fibre.  It has 2 x the calcium than of that in milk!  (in your face, dairy industry!)  It even trumps the mighty kale!

Baobab Hits The Catwalk
Since their launch in November 2012 the company has grown at an amazing rate. They were hailed the 'Supplement of choice', for top models during London Fashion Week.  Those in the beauty industry are quick to catch on.  Vitamin C boosts collagen production.  2 x the antioxidants per gram of goji berries.  Great for youthful, glowing skin (along with a healthy diet & exercise of course).

Export

Despite difficulties in obtaining permits to export foods from countries within continental Africa, we are beginning to see the export of its treasures.  Exotic ingredients are being used in toiletries and the beauty industry.  Shea butter - super hydrating.  Marula oil, with more omega's than Argan Oil and Moringa with no less than 30 antioxidants.  Aduna are planning to bring more natural products to the market soon.

The Future For Aduna
Recently awarded Best Selling Superfood  in planet organic, john bell croydon & whole foods.
Africa is full of resources but currently has minimal infrastructure.  Mostly it is not export ready.  Delving into the political history of African revenue, debt and with a third of Africa's population reported to be malnourished, makes me dizzy at its wide ranging issues from wars, to corruption and climate. It is not a problem that is going to go away any time soon.  But Aduna and companies like them, are forging new hope. Aduna plan to bring more African natural products to the market but it is a complicated process to get exotic foods to market outside of Africa.  According to Novel Foods Act, the export of any product with significant consumption before 1997 has to be passed by the European Commission. So, to help with this issue, Aduna work with Phyto Trade. . Phyto Trade  (phyto = plants.  just in case you didn't know. I didn't.).  Phyto Trade is a  trade association of the natural products industry in Southern Africa. Their work has lowered the costs for approval by the EC from an average of €10 million to less than €100,000 and thus opened the EU to access non-Western fruits, vegetables and nutraceuticals while at the same time saving unnecessary animal testing.  Also a proportion of Aduna's profits is used to help the tree owners to secure their ownership. They are also helping to fund Afri Kids a children's rights organisation in Northern Ghana. 

High levels of calcium (great for vegetarians and vegans).
Considered a good omen. 
Pollenated by bats. 
Outstanding ability to withstand severe drought and fire.

and now...


Taste of baobab!

So far, I've used the baobab powder in 2 recipes!

 Perfectly Sweet Banana & Baobab Ice cream

3 very ripe bananas
2 tbs baobab powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt


Peel & freeze bananas.  When frozen, put in a blender with remaining ingredients. Blend until like soft whip.  Freeze for 1 hour.  Serve

Vanilla & Baobab Macaroons (no bake)


2 Cups of toasted unsweetened, ground (use a coffee grinder) coconut.  If you want to keep the recipe raw then do not toast.
1/2 cup of almond flour
1 tbs baobab powder
3 tbs gently melted coconut oil
2 tbs stevia powder
2 tbs agave
1 tsp vanilla powder
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

Makes 9

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
Pack portions of the mix into an ice cream scoop.  Gently press the release trigger onto a board.  Do this for remainder of the mix.  Freeze for at least an hour.
Put on a pretty plate and serve.  I cannot tell you how good these are!  I am hooked, crazy in love with them. AND they are good for you. Perfect.


A friend of mine, upon me telling him of my recent interest in baobab, surprised me with stories of his childhood spent in Mombasa with baobabs in his garden!  Have you tried it yet?  Let us know if you have in the Post a comment box below.

Where can you buy Aduna?

Online  

Retailers

Want to be part of it?

Buy the products, the effects are far reaching!
Aduna accepts interns to be part of their team.  Click Internship for details.
Follow Aduna on Facebook for news & events.

Healthy Elixir Kombucha, The New Alternative To Alcohol? Equinox Kombucha Is Launched In The UK [with video].

I was at the Mind Body Spirit  filming my debut with Extraordinaire Digital Media, when spotted the colourful sign and I muscled my way in through a lines of hungry expo goers, to grab a taste of the drink that quenches my thirst on a daily basis in America.  I was keeping my fingers crossed it would be good.  Hoping the ginger would be as kick ass as my beloved elixir, so readily available in California.  I took a sip and was presented with an explosion of bubbles…and yes, the ginger was full throttle.  I decided to chat up the founders, Daphnie Charest and Robert (Robbie) Charles, and see if I could get an interview.  They kindly agreed.

Kombucha is a fermented drink, made fizzy by a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) that feed off sugar and (green) tea to create a fermentation process that the Chinese have been using for 2000 years to aid good health.  As the culture eats all the sugar, it doesn't have the same negative effects of a sugary drink, so it is suitable for diabetics.

Much sought after in the US, Newsweek reports that between 2008 and 2009, US kombucha sales quadrupled, from $80 million to $324 million.

A brief video of my initial interview is here (my first professional interview..eek!). But then, as the camera man, producer and I made to leave, I found out something about their 'journey' to kombucha that intrigued me.  It was full of romance, serendipity, travel and love.  I went back for more. If you want to know what I discovered, read on.

The Equinox Kombucha Story (so far).

You could say that Kombucha found them.  Daphnie had set out on a trip to Asia in 2010. She found herself in a village called Pai, Thailand. Here she discovered Kombucha.  Her first experience was in a 'cool little health food cafe called Good Life'.  First sip and she recoiled.  Different from anything she had drunk before. She remembers thinking the drink tasted 'awful'. Unused to a drink that delivered a tang. But, she acquired a thirst for it and fell in love with it.  As she did Robbie, upon setting eyes on him at the watery paradise of Tonsai beach, Thailand.  She told me;

'When Robbie and I met I convinced him to go back to Pai because of the beauty and peace of the area and I got him into Kombucha Tea as well. We were drinking it everyday before yoga and could really feel the detoxifying and energising effects. I asked the owner of the shop to tell me more about Kombucha and he showed me his brewery and told me all about it. He gave me a little culture that i smuggled back to Montreal (Quebec, Canada, where i'm from). I was putting on a humanitarian project for 2 Cambodian students with a friend and had to leave my travels'. 

But smitten Robbie was not going to let Daphnie go that easily, and he came to find her a few weeks after.  The pair worked on the project together. Love was blossoming, not just for each other but for the kombucha.  Daphinie and Robbie learned how to brew Kombucha for themselves and were fervently studying about the whole process.  'I was really getting into the whole thing, reading everything I could get my hands on'.

Once the humanitarian project was complete.  The pair took off again.  This time to Western Canada, to get work picking cherries, apples & grapes.  Once the season ended they had a trip to Mexico planned, to experience shamanistic healing, and fulfil their vision to 'live in the moment' and see where life directed them, in their common desire to run more humanitarian projects and give to the world.  But nature had other ideas.  They discovered Daphnie was pregnant! Projects abandoned they move to Robbie's home town of Hebden Bridge to prepare.  There in this small market town in West Yorkshire, their son Eden was born. 

Daphnie told me,

'The first day I arrived in Hebden Bridge and noticed how much of an alternative town this was. I remember thinking Kombucha would do great here and was surprised nothing [like it] could be found around.  I remember Robbie's eyes became really bright and he thought this was an amazing idea. With the birth of Eden we left the project aside, being busy trying to become parents (!), and were dreaming on how we could set up permaculture projects in Peru. [But] We then put 2 and 2 together and it became obvious that the way we could fund our projects is with Kombucha!'

The new parents racked up hours of research, but couldn't find anything that compared to the (incredibly popular) American version of Kombucha Tea.  Which is unlike the vinegary and flat kombucha they first sampled in Thailand.  They decided fizzy and flavoured would be what the market in the UK wanted.  So they agreed to market it as a healthy soft drink. 

Daphnie said, 'There is nothing quite like it on the market, in the sense that pretty much all the drinks you get from the shelves are either very sugary, full of chemicals or are pasteurized which defies the whole point of healthiness by heating up [damaging] all the good stuff off the beverage.  With the help and support of precious friends and family, Robbie used all his charm and his determination to set up the foundations of our business whilst I was at home brewing as much Kombucha as I could, trying to come to the perfect recipe. And here we are now!'

I asked Daphnie what were their plans for the future of Equinox Kombucha

'With our company van, a VW lovewagon called The Dude, we are planning to join the UK festivals and spread the word. To reach a younger public, we aim to get our drinks in skate parks. And for people who want an alternative to alcohol [Kombucha has a minimal trace of alcohol] , we are getting it in pubs and bars.'

They are also concentrating on improving the health of the nation, in their own way by spreading the kombucha love and bringing it into mainstream awareness.  With obesity increasing in our young population they are trying to show children that the energy drinks on the market are nasty and that there is actually a tasty, fizzy and healthy alternative! They want to replace chemical laden 'pop' drinks that are loaded with sugar and chemicals with kombucha.

So where can we get our hands on Equinox Kombucha?!

'We are supply to Suma and Tree of Life distributors, so our products are everywhere around England, but we don't exactly know where. We are aware of about  40 British retailers (cafes, restaurants, bars and gyms). 

(A number of very large health food shops are wanting to stock their product.  Equinox are in the process of expanding to meet the demand)

"We are also exporting to Norway and Finland to some distributors there. And for individuals, they can order it from our website if no local food shop is stocking it yet".

Digital Media

Beyond Eggs - Science and Passion Is Set To Crack The Egg..And Replace It….With Plants!

Are the egg's days numbered?

There is a company that may very well be set to totally revolutionise the food manufacturing industry: come to the aid of the environment and improve our health. 
I met with the founder of Hampton Creek Foods, Josh Tetrick at his start-up company in the Soma district of San Francisco. He looks far younger than his 33 years with clean cut with all-American good looks.  'I'm from Birmingham, Alabama', he tells me. His accent lilting and distinct. He exudes the confidence of someone who is comfortable in his own skin. He reminded me of a young Tom Cruise,  boyish and vibrant, sans the aviator shades.  One can’t help but be a bit doe-eyed as he welcomes me into the Beyond Egg hub. He makes you feel like he has all the time in the world to share, and right now it is all for you.  I admit to loosing my thread more than once as my brain floated off, all female and flustered, as Josh showed me around and introduced me to his team.  

Josh is the man behind the team that is fervently working to dislodge and displace the egg industry.  He has an impressive background, having set up a UN business initiative in Kenya, worked for a time for President Clinton, he also won a prestigious Fulbright grant to teach in Nigeria and South Africa. Hampton Creek Foods is his debut venture into the world of food.  His compassion was sparked during his time in Africa, working on environmental projects. He felt moved enough to know he wanted to make a huge positive impact.  He chose the egg industry as his target.  Which methods are currently, in his words..'barbaric'.

He hits me with some statistics..
'79 billion eggs laid in US every year.  95% of them are laid by hens in battery cages so small they can hardly move. They are pumped with antibiotics'. 1/2 billions eggs recalled because of food poisoning in 2011 in the US. What about eggs impact on human health? 

The NewYork Times published a report by Dr. Stanley Hazen of Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute.  that eggs may provoke bacteria that increases the risk of heart disease.  University Of Western Ontario likened the consumption of eggs to that of the effects of smoking cigarettes. 

You'll agree it's an area in need of change.

Beyond Eggs is gaining some notable interest. Articles have appeared in Bon Appetit & Food & Wine. Countless  articles are dotted around the internet, even Tony Blair, ex-Prime MInister of that thumbnail sized island,GB.   Bill Gates has taken a shine to the companies ideas. On his blog The Gates Notes, where he highlights his concern for the impact on the environment and how we can feed a population that is expected to hit 18 billion by 2050, Gates listed Hampton Creek Foods as one of the 3 companies that are shaping the future of food.  He says, 

''By 2030, the world will need millions of tonnes more meat than it does today. But meeting that demand with animal products isn't sustainable. The meat market is ripe for reinvention.' 

Bill Gates took the taste test, cookie challenge and couldn't tell the difference between the cookies with egg and the cookies with Beyond Egg's egg substitute. 

The building is open to the street, open to each department and one another. The office dog and company mascot, Jake, lolls in the sun in the greeting area.  Their state of the art laboratory is a field of stainless steel.  On one wall a row of ovens.  Behind vast doors are shelves stacked with jars of creamy mayonnaise, trials and tests.   The food scientists and biologists work diligently, and with admirable dedication to emulate the properties of the egg.  Which is, after all, all that is going on.  The egg served a purpose. The effect doesn't have to come from an egg.  They have worked out just how the proteins molecules give rise in cakes and bakes, aerate, bind and thicken,  and emulsify our dressings.  Beyond Eggs have a product that can do all of these things. Eggs may have been a cheap source of protein but they are full of harmful cholesterol.  Josh and his team have cracked the code to do what the egg did by using pea, potatoes, sunflower lecithin, rapeseed, and natural gums extracted from tree sap. They offer it 18% cheaper (which will no doubt interest the large food manufactures), with reduced storage costs and longer shelf life, and it's sustainable and kinder to boot.
  

    The strength of the team is all apparent.  I half expected the theme tune to the A-Team to kick in as Josh introduced me.  All looked under 30, with that special California glow.   
Chris Jones a chef and molecular gastronomist was poached from Chicago's award winning restaurant, Moto.. 

He was sporting a bandana and standing over something whirring in the corner. It must be the largest stick blender/food mixer in the world, and it was busy creating a swirling vortex of snow white mayonnaise.  I asked him why he came to work for the company, he gave an impassioned reply.  Noting, he wants his family to have a future.  Chris said of his work, 'The egg was the first thing.  This is the next thing'.  He showed me his floor to ceiling wall of experiments. His job to is work with different components and proteins.  Testing for shelf life.  Stability.  They regularly enlist the help of employees from Yelp & Google, as taste testers.    

Director of Bakery Innovation is Shweta Rao.  She was positively charged with self motivated enthusiasm for Beyond Egg and the concept of what it will achieve.  Shweta and her colleague Megan both told me they have a sense that what they are doing goes beyond cookies and cake and stretches into making a big difference in the world.  They are fulled by this.  They'd wanted to fuel me, with cookies.  They'd baked some for me to try.  Two neat rows of blond and chocolate chip cookies sat waiting for me on a platter.  They were left untouched.  Damn my bloody intolerance for gluten!

A team of scientists work full time, surrounded by a wall of purple gloves, test tubes, machines spinning ingredients in centrifuge, and other wizardly gadgets and gizmos.  I've not the faintest idea what they were for. But they excited me nonetheless.  The team  are currently working on replicating the egg white and working with gluten free flours so products can be produced that are free of the main allergens and suitable for celiac sufferers.

At this point I really start to see what impact this company will have.  As did Khosla Ventures. Venture Capitalists, based in Palo Alto, California,  who's tagline is ' We care about genuine issues: a healthy environment. Sustainable power'.  They back Josh's vision, and made an investment of a cool $3 million in Hampton Creek Foods.   

Josh Tetrick

'In seven years we will be the ‘egg’ industry'.  

The team at Hampton Creek Foods

Beyond Eggs.   The name of the product says it all and is where Josh Tetrik wants the world to be in 7 years.  It seems a bit fantastical to imagine it could happen in what is really a blink of an eye in the time space continuum. but if anyone can do it I believe Josh can.

Want to know more?  

Watch A short video tour from Techcrunch.  

Read this article in Popular Science

Look out for Shweta Rao, she is speaking Ted X.  June 15th in Edmonton.  

  

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