As recently as 2015, the term “vegan butcher” was an unheard-of oxymoron. Today, with dozens appearing across the globe, the phrase raises no eyebrows. These cleaver-throwing vegan entrepreneurs have proven that it’s possible to make meat from plants, and they’re definitely changing the definition of butchery. From Berkeley, CA to Victoria, BC, here are the best vegan butcher shops that have the meats.
1 The Herbivorous Butcher in Minneapolis, MN
Many credit the sister and brother duo behind The Herbivorous Butcher with pioneering the plant-based butcher movement. Kale and Aubry Walch opened their shop in January 2016 with a full menu of charcuterie, cheeses, steaks, sausages and ribs. Today, they ship their products nationwide and educate the general public about what vegan eating can be like. The team appeared on the hit Food Network show Dinners, drive-ins and dives the same year they opened, pleasantly shocking celebrity chef Guy Fieri’s host with their Vegan Turkey and Dill Havarti Sandwich. Since then, the siblings have been busy with their newest launch, Herbie Butcher’s Vegan Fried Chicken.
Learn more here
Very Good Butchers
2 The Very Good Butchers in Victoria, Canada (plus shipping to the US)
Not far behind The Herbivorous Butcher, this Canadian vegan butcher started out on a farmers market stall in 2016 before opening its physical store in 2017. The company focuses on butchering beans to make their herbal products. of meat, as well as on the mixture of natural ingredients. ingredients such as jackfruit, wheat gluten and mushrooms. We like to know all the ingredients on the label. Dishes range from vegan steaks to burger patties, sausages and chorizo.
Learn more here
YamChops
3 YamChops in Toronto, Canada
Those who have been vegan for a while may have forgotten how to season and prepare the meat. YamChops makes your dinner prep simple by offering a wide variety of seasoned, ready-to-eat vegan meats. Rare but delicious finds include Chick*N Schnitzel, Hickory BBQ Ribs, Szechuan Beef and other internationally inspired protein options.
Learn more here
The butcher’s son
4 The Butcher’s Son in Berkeley and Los Angeles, California
Like The Herbivorous Butcher, The Butcher’s Son is much more than a vegan meat shop. This Collegetown deli serves a full lunch and brunch menu in addition to a mouth-watering full bakery menu. However, if you’re only there for the meat, they offer you packaged smoked pastrami slices, seasoned steak slices, and more. SoCal residents, you’re in luck: The Butcher’s Son recently opened a ghost kitchen in Los Angeles to satisfy your cravings.
Learn more here
Chef Tanya’s kitchen
5 Chef Tanya’s Kitchen in Palm Springs, CA
When Native Foods founder Tanya Petrovna sold the company, she set up her own quaint cafe in a nondescript strip mall in Palm Springs, California. Despite the remoteness and lack of foot traffic, the restaurant thrived under the hot California sun. Petrovna now ships its seitan-based bestsellers nationwide. Turkey love roast, pastrami slices, and barbecued ribs are all great choices.
Learn more here
Abbot’s Butcher
6 Abbot’s Butcher in select areas (plus US delivery)
This Southern California vegan meat company got its start enjoying its fantastic chorizo at health food stores. The selection of vegan beef, chicken, meatballs and burgers can now be found at West Coast Whole Foods and other grocers. Nationwide delivery is also available through online retailer GTFO It’s Vegan and Hungry Root. Fun fact: This VegNews editor once worked as a sampler at Abbot’s Butcher. I’ve seen many skeptical omnivores light up in shock that vegan chorizo was “really good”.
Learn more here
In front of the butcher
seven Before the Butcher (UNCUT) in California
Originally a wholesale foodservice distributor, this Orange County, California brand has expanded into retail, starting with a single Bristol Farms location in Yorba Linda. The plant-based butcher now offers a range of meaty vegan burgers, crumbles, shreds and chunks sold under its UNCUT brand.
Learn more here
grass fed
8 Grass Fed in Rochester, NY
This vegan butcher started when its founders were seized with an insatiable craving for a breakfast sandwich with the perfect meat sausage. New vegans at the time, they got into the kitchen to craft the perfect plant-based meat. And the rest is, as they say, history. Today, they make deli slices, pate, gyro meat and everything in between right in the heart of Rochester, NY. Plus, they’re kosher certified to boot.
Learn more here
Maciel’s vegetable butcher and charcuterie
9 Maciel’s Plant-Based Butcher & Deli in Los Angeles, CA
The city’s first full-service butcher and delicatessen, Maciel’s serves more than turkey, bacon and pastrami. Founder Maciel Bañales Luna draws inspiration from her Mexican heritage to create Mexican-style ribs and chorizo. Soon, chicharrones will join the charcuterie menu, sure to appeal to Angelenos. Homemade cheeses, Mexican chocolate mousse and aguas frescoes not to be missed either.
Learn more here
For more vegan meats, read:Why the best new vegan meat products will come from Korea
The Ultimate Guide to the Best Vegan Chicken Brands
Vegetable meat will be cheaper than animal meat
Tanya Flink is a digital editor at VegNews as well as a writer and runner living in Orange County, CA.
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