Following the recent expansion of TiNDLE, Next Gen Foods has acquired Mwah!, a new startup producing dairy-inspired products from plants.
The acquisition of Mwah! is the first for Next Gen Foods. By expanding into new categories such as plant-based dairy and meat, Next Gen continues to diversify its product offering while meeting consumer demands for delicious, sustainable, and unique food experiences.
Andre Menezes and Timo Recker, both with a history in animal agriculture and plant-based food, launched Next Gen Foods in 2020. Their goal is to make saving the planet an easy and enjoyable process without having to compromise on flavor. Since its emergence, the company has ammassed $130 million of funding for TiNDLE - its signature product. Within just two years, TiNDLE can now be found in over 1,500 restaurants from Michelin-starred spots to fast casual eateries as well as 6,000 grocery stores worldwide. And last month marked their arrival in Germany when their product was released with the country's largest retailer - EDEKA Group.
Innovation for the next generation
Next Gen Foods is a platform designed to bring like-minded brands that provide quality taste and experiences to the market, including dairy, seafood, and meat brands. In the past year, the company has rapidly expanded into the European and U.S. markets, allowing it to grow in the plant-based market while sharing resources and assets to develop new products.
Founded in London, Mwah! is dedicated to developing the creamiest and most indulgent alternative dairy products. They are able to recreate the qualities of pure cream by combining natural flavorings with selected plant-based proteins and lipids, which can then be applied to a full portfolio of products, including their new plant-based gelato.
"We're thrilled to be joining the Next Gen Foods family. We know they are the right company to help us expand and tap into the rising consumer desire for more innovations in taste and decadence from the dairy category," shares Damian Piedrahita, CEO and Co-Founder at Mwah! "Our plans are to introduce our signature creamy and indulgent products this year – with our unique, best-in-class gelato experience – and looking forward to hearing feedback from dairy lovers everywhere."
Mwah! is spearheaded by Damian Piedrahita as CEO and Claudia Comini as Director of Operations. Next Gen Foods saw great potential in the startup, leading a successful seed round at the beginning of 2022 to raise more than $2 million for the development of Mwah!'s first plant-based dairy product - their signature gelato. In addition, Andre Menezes, Next Gen's CEO and Jean Madden, CMO have been appointed to serve on the board at Mwah!, while Piedrahita and Comini are now part of the Next Gen Foods team following their acquisition.
"When we started Next Gen three years ago, we knew that making a significant impact on the food system would require continuous development of delicious foods that consumers desired. This meant we needed to invest in R&D that would help us create products that would not only deliver on our promise to eliminate animal agriculture but also outperform on taste and experience," says Andre Menezes, CEO and Co-Founder of Next Gen Foods. "By joining forces with Damian and Claudia at Mwah! and expanding our offerings in plant-based chicken category with TiNDLE, we're committed to making sure that everyone can enjoy all the foods they already love."
Chicken and ice cream: deliciousness on display
TiNDLE has granted an exclusive preview of their retail range, with specially prepared meal kits made by Chef Chad Rosenthal, available at the Motel Fried Chicken store on Goldbelly. To the residents of New York City and Miami, SHOWFIELDS makes available a selection of TiNDLE's retail items. In the near future, grocery shoppers nationwide can look forward to browsing through TiNDLE offerings in stores all over America.
Beginning on March 15, Londoners will have a limited time opportunity to sample Mwah!'s Madagascan Vanilla Gelato exclusively at Floozie Cookies and WAVE (We Are Vegan Everything). At Floozie Cookies in Covent Garden, Pastry Chef Kimberly Lin has crafted the "Cherry and Chocolate Hot Mess" which includes Mwah's plant-based gelato topped with a tangy black cherry compote and flooded with hot chocolate and cookie crumbles. Meanwhile, WAVE offers two special breakfast-inspired recipes at its Hackney and Stokey locations: Mwah! Raspberry Pancakes and Riley Waffles, both served with raspberries, syrup, cinnamon, rose petals and creamy Mwah! vanilla gelato. In the future, Mwah! plans to bring its plant-based gelato to more restaurants by partnering closely with dessert professionals and pastry chefs before entering grocery stores.
Through Next Gen Foods, Mwah! will introduce its products to key markets, including the UK.
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