The winner of Supervalu’s Taste of Local food initiative is hoping her brand will encourage people to consider plant based options.
Aisling Cullen is the founder of Thanks Plants, a Dublin founded plant based food brand. She took part in Supervalu's Food Academy and was chosen to be a Guest Star as part of the supermarket's Taste of Local initiative from October 13. Thanks Plants produce will be available in over 150 stores nationwide.
Thanks Plants has grown in recent weeks after it opened its seasonal food truck in the grounds of Dundrum Town Centre. However, Aisling explains that having Supervalu as a platform has given the brand a fantastic opportunity to develop.
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She told Dublin Live: “I originally had three plant based sausages- the Frankfurter, the Apple and Sage and the Sundried Tomato and Herb products feature in Supervalu. It was during the height of Covid-19 but I think that almost worked to our advantage as no one had anywhere to spend their money except for the supermarket. It was our only outlet at the time and it was a great time to be on the shelf.”
Aisling was able to participate in the campaign through Supervalu’s Food Academy, which is a partnership between Bord Bia, Supervalu and the Local Enterprise Offices. Thanks Plants was one of five brands that participated in the Food Academy course that ended up on the retailer’s shelves.
She says that the success of Thanks Plants lies in the fact that it doesn’t mimic the taste of meat but instead has its own unique flavouring. Additionally, it relies on healthy and natural ingredients that consumers can instantly recognise on the packaging.
Customers can often be discouraged from eating plant based items due to not having enough variety or information on what meat substitutes are, Aisling believes. Thanks Plants relies on natural ingredients such as barley and spices to provide authentic alternatives.
She adds: “We don’t try to be meat. You might have a meaty style imitation sausage with ingredients that no one understands. You can also find a vegetable burger or sausages that doesn’t have the right texture compared to meat. We put great ingredients in our product to aim somewhere for the middle.”
Aisling was also able to choose an item to showcase as a Hero Product in Supervalu stores. She has selected her Herb and Sundried Tomato sausages for the initiative, as they have been hugely successful amongst their customer base.
The menu at the Thanks Plants food truck in Dundrum is suitable for all vegans looking for healthy and tasty meat substitutes. The opening is welcome as vegan spaces across the city continue to shrink –for example, Dublin plant based eatery, The Vegan Sandwich Co, was forced to close last week due to rising costs.
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