Walmart stores nationwide are now carrying two of Sophie’s Kitchen frozen plant-based seafood analog products.
The Sebastopol, California, U.S.A.-based plant-based food supplier also revamped its Plant-Based Toona, sold at select Stop & Shop, Wegmans, and other grocery and specialty stores, as well as on Amazon.
Sophie’s Kitchen debuted its Vegan Crab Cakes and Vegan Breaded Shrimp in around Walmart stores in mid-September.
“Not every grocery store is ready for plant-based seafood at this time, but Walmart is ready for plant-based seafood as a part of their long-term strategy,” Sophie’s Kitchen CEO Miles Woodruff told SeafoodSource.
The supplier has been working for more than two years to get its products into Walmart stores.
“We were compared side-by-side with our competitors and selected as the best brand to grow as Walmart expanded their plant-based offerings,” Woodruff said.
The company’s improved canned Plant-Based Toona, made with a pea protein base, is “completely vegan and replicates the taste, shred-able texture, smell, look, and color of its animal counterpart,” the company said in a statement provided to SeafoodSource.
Originally debuting on the market in 2010, the canned Toona now has a more natural texture and taste than its earlier version, along with revamped packaging, according to Sophie’s Kitchen.
The Toona, sold in Sea Salt and Black Pepper flavors, is soy-free, gluten-free, and non-GMO. The average retail price is USD 5.49 (EUR 4.68) per six-ounce can.
As sales in the plant-based food category surge, Sophie’s Kitchen has realized fast growth as well. Woodruff expects sales of Sophie’s Kitchen products to double in 2020, after tripling in 2019.
“We’ve been building the brand and category for 10 years, and with the explosive success of Beyond Meat and movies like Game Changers and NGOs like Veganuary, everything has come together to make the nation ready for plant-based seafood,” Woodruff said.
He also noted that part of the supplier’s core strategy is building its operations in fishing communities so “we're not taking jobs, but creating consistent year-round work in an industry that is erratic and seasonal, and facing an uncertain future because of increasing government regulations.”
“We see this as an opportunity for seafood distributors and buyers, and the industry as a whole, and not as competition,” Woodruff said.
Photos courtesy of Sophie’s Kitchen
