Nestlé sharpens plant-based focus with new mince and “next generation” burger launch

26 Aug 2019 --- 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. The move comes as consumers continue to seek out different ways to balance their protein intake, move away from meat and lower the environmental footprint of their diets. It’s also part of the Swiss food giant’s strategy to position the company towards high-growth categories and pivot its businesses to changing market conditions while renewing its commitment to healthy and nutritional food.

Like the Garden Gourmet Incredible Burger, the plant-based mince looks and cooks like raw beef. It has a blend of protein from soy, natural plant extracts – beetroot, carrot, and bell pepper – and vegetable fats.

The new Garden Gourmet Incredible Mince is just as versatile and juicy as minced beef, according to Nestlé. It is easily shapeable and can be used to create balls or skewers that can be seasoned to taste. It can also be crumbled up in a pan, for example, to make a Bolognese sauce or “Chili Sin Carne.”

The Garden Gourmet Incredible Mince will be available from September in several European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Germany, Norway and Sweden.

As part of continuous efforts to improve its plant-based range, 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. This autumn we are launching a next generation that we are sure people will appreciate,” says Wayne England, the Head of Nestlé's food business. “As an extension to this exciting and fast-growing burger-led ‘cook from raw’ platform, we are proud to launch Garden Gourmet Incredible Mince. This 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,” he says. 

Broadening plant-based offerings
In February, Nestlé announced that it was exploring strategic options for the Herta charcuterie business including a potential sale which again demonstrates how the company is looking to potentially divest its cold cuts and meat-based products, in favor of plant-based products to keep pace with current consumer trends. 

At the same time, Nestlé also unveiled its first coffee lines under the Starbucks name which comes after Nestlé closed a US$7.15 billion licensing deal to market Starbucks Consumer Packaged Goods and Foodservice products globally.

The “cook from raw" products are just one element of a growing trend towards plant-based foods, and Garden Gourmet has 30 years’ 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 great ingredients to add to favorite meals.

Alongside meat alternatives, Garden Gourmet is also continuing to expand its range of products based on vegetables. These already include a variety of balls, patties and bakes made with vegetable pieces, cheeses, grains and pulses. 

“On top of meat alternatives, our chefs and plant-based food experts are developing tasty and nutritious veggie-centric balls, patties and bites,” adds England. “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.”

Edited by Gaynor Selby