There's been such amazing innovation in plant-based foods over recent years, and we're so lucky to have tons of it happening in our own backyard. Vancouver-based TMRW Foods makes awesome, grill-ready, plant-based burgers as well as a super versatile mince that can be used for anything from lasagne to tacos to meatballs! And they are sooo tasty. TMRW Foods’ approach to plant-based meats is focussed on crafting "satisfying and nutritionally optimal products that are made from as many whole foods as possible", while centring the well-being of their employees, communities, and the environment. Sustainability is a big part of their business model. As we move into summer—otherwise known as ‘barbeque season!’—we’re excited to have company Co-Founder and President Dean Blignaut answer our latest Meet The Maker Mini Interview questions!

TMRW Foods Mini Interview

Share your story with us in a 150 words or less.

For us it started quite simply - a friendly burger competition with my coworkers. After that, the first prototype was Frankensteined in my home kitchen in Vancouver in 2018, which was followed by hundreds of test batches, collaborations with chefs and restaurants, events, and a copious amount of careful listening to feedback and tinkering, and finally a product that achieved what we set out to do; using familiar plant-based ingredients in innovative ways to create a rich and satisfying experience that extracts the essence of what it is that people enjoy about meat, while incorporating whole foods.

As individuals, personally and professionally, we’re deeply committed to contributing to a more sustainable food system by bringing better food to more people. I’m originally from South Africa, where my girlfriend and I had a plant-based confectionery company for 6 years and my partners at TMRW, the Milne family, are the Founders of Virtuous Pie and Harken Coffee Roasters. TMRW Foods is a tangible manifestation of our continued commitment to that vision.

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’?

In April this year, in the midst of the COVID chaos, we managed to get our new production facility open just in time for an order that needed to be delivered to an important customer on whom we wanted to make a great first impression. At 1am the night before the order was to be shipped, after an incredibly long and brutal week, it sunk in as I taped up the last box that completed the order.

What motivates you on a day-to-day basis?
The drive to better the way people eat, both for their own health and the planet. Seeing how our team is growing and how much they care about what we do. Witnessing the evolution of our processes and our products. Positive feedback from our customers.

What’s your favourite thing about the town or city you live in?

How quickly and easily you can find yourself dissolved in serenity. The forests in and around Vancouver are spectacular.

Describe your ideal Sunday, including your breakfast.

Ideally, it starts gently. Coffee, neighborhood walk, freestyle cooking an unnecessarily complex breakfast for 3 hours. In the afternoon, I like to hang out in the sun on the lawn, drinking one of my better beers or wines and talking about the riveting things we will do in our future with my girlfriend. On Sunday evenings we like to watch classic movies - currently we’re working our way through the studio Ghibli films.

What are your personal top three tips for feeling awesome?

I’m still a work in progress, and don’t always follow what I know to be better ways for feeling awesome, but these are things I would recommend.

1.) Start by building good habits around the basics. Eat nutritious food, go to bed at the right time, exercise regularly. There are countless ways to optimize and improve ourselves, but I believe the greatest return on investment can be found in these simple things which seem to be deceptively difficult to master.

2.) Take time to be mindful at the start of each day. Quiet early morning walk followed by a meditation or breathing exercise.

3.) Carry a little notebook with you. Write everything you need to do down as it comes up. Before starting your work day, create a list of your key focus areas for the day and then block out times to do those things. Tick off your accomplishments, notice and celebrate small wins.

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