Abbot’s, formerly known as Abbot’s Butcher, has launched a new plant-based burger.
“We’ve been working on this product for a year now and it’s exciting to see it come to fruition,” founder and Chief Executive Kerry Song told the Business Journal.
The Costa Mesa-based company, which has received backing from celebrities Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson, is known for its line of plant-based meat alternatives including ground beef, chorizo, chopped chicken and fajita chicken.
Each Whole Burger pack contains two patties and has 22 grams of protein. They’re made from mushrooms, herbs and superfoods like spinach and chia seeds.
Abbot’s recently brought the new product and its other offerings to this year’s Natural Products Expo West, which featured nearly 100 exhibitors out of Orange County and took place at the Anaheim Convention Center from March 12 to 16.
The Whole Burger is now selling exclusively in Whole Foods Market nationally for $7.99 but will expand to other stores in the future.
Whole Foods Partner
People who want a plant-based burger only have two options, Song said.
“On one hand, you have a meat analogue that’s ultra-processed and filled with lots of chemicals,” Song said.
Traditional veggie patties, on the other hand, are a healthier choice but may lack protein and the satisfying bite people often crave with burgers, she added.
Song aimed to make it so people wouldn’t have to sacrifice health for a “meaty” experience.
She said Abbot’s worked closely with Whole Foods on the development of the product.
“They’ve been amazing partners for us,” Song said.
Whole Foods is the first retailer to carry Abbot’s Whole Burger.
“Our shoppers want to trust what’s in their food, so it made sense to collaborate with Abbot’s on their launch of the Whole Burger,” Kara Maloney, category merchant at Whole Foods, said in a statement.
Healthy Alternative
Abbot’s was born out of Song’s own frustration with the lack of healthy meat alternatives.
She described being diagnosed in 2010 with a serious autoimmune disorder and battled with her health for three years.
During this time, she said she learned the importance of gut health and noticed how many existing meat alternatives used inflammatory ingredients such as maltodextrin and canola oil.
“I thought nobody should be eating this, especially when struggling with their health,” Song said.
Abbot’s has since grown significantly in the retail space and is now in over 4,000 stores nationwide.
The company expanded its partnership with Target, adding three SKUs in its store, and last July launched its Chopped Chik’n in all 20 Tocaya Modern Mexican restaurants across California.
Song said later this year the company will be raising a Series B round with the goal of raising somewhere between $10 million and $15 million.
Abbot’s is on track to make around $15 million in revenue this year, according to Song.
“We’re excited to just focus on the exclusive and start expanding to new stores,” Song said.
