Meet The Makers Mini Interview: Modern Meat
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Tara Haddad of Modern Meat
The more meat alternatives the merrier—especially when they are made locally, with recognisable, pronounceable, all-natural non-GMO ingredients, and are not only vegan but gluten-free and soy-free! In this mini interview we’re featuring Vancouver’s Tara Haddad, CEO of Modern Meat, who shares her journey from searching for a line of super healthy meat alternatives to running one herself. Modern Meat offers not only burgers, but a versatile crumble, crab cakes, and even vegan condiments! Read on to learn more about Tara and Modern Meat products.
Modern Meat Mini Interview
Share your story with us in a 150 words or less.
A couple of years ago, I was looking for plant-based meat products to feed my family. Upon looking at the ingredients list of options currently on the market, I found many contained ingredients that I could not pronounce nor understand. I soon discovered there were no products available that were gluten or soy-free, without artificial preservatives or chemicals.
I decided to test out a project to create plant-based meat products that had sufficient protein and nutrients that I would want to feed my family, with a clean ingredients list. This was the start of Modern Meat! Modern Meat was conceived out of the desire to make premium plant-based products that are healthy and delicious. I recognised a huge gap in the market and I wanted to fill that with authentic, nourishing products. My mandate was to keep all recipes free of soy, gluten, nuts and GMOs and to never use artificial preservatives or additives in any Modern Meat products.
Getting from an idea to a small business is a lot of work! When did it first sink in for you that ‘this is really happening’?
Yes, getting the ‘idea’ to business is a lot of work! When we started R&D, there was a lot of trial and error, but when we first had our major testing and tasting event with such wonderful feedback, I took a step back and realised… this is happening!
Out of all your products, which is your personal favourite and why?
My favourite product is the Modern Crumble. It's very easy to use and incredibly versatile. I use it in bolognese, tacos, chili and spice it up as a salad topper! The Modern Crumble is a great protein source for the kids and easy to disguise into many kid-friendly recipes. Most of the time they never know they are eating a highly nutritious plant-based meat alternative.
What motivates you on a day-to-day basis?
The growth of the plant-based market both locally and internationally has been explosive and I am excited to share our products to new customers, particularly consumers on gluten-free diets who now have access to gluten-free plant-based meat alternatives. We've received incredible feedback on our range of Burgers, Meatballs, Crumble and 'Crab' Cakes. It's encouraging to see the plant-based community growing as more people opt for a plant-based diet.
Modern meat crab cakes
What’s your favourite thing about the town or city you live in?
My favourite thing about Vancouver is the diverse food and culture.
Describe your ideal Sunday, including your breakfast.
My ideal Sunday morning would be yoga, a large americano, a great book and some chia seed pudding made with homemade almond milk and fresh berries and coconut.
What are your personal top three tips for feeling awesome?
1. Try your best every day
2. Be kind to all around you
3. Look at setbacks as opportunities
Find Modern Meat : On Their Website | On Instagram | On Facebook
