IS Seafood, a sustainable B2B seafood supplier and part of the Roche Enterprises Group, has formed a strategic cooperation with Z-Rou Meat, a premium, plant-based meat brand. The agreement was signed this week in Shanghai.
Z-Rou Meat officially launched in China last December and started delivering delicious, wholesome plant-based ‘meat’ to mainstream restaurants. This iconic future food is made with 100% plant ingredients including non-GMO soybeans, konjac, coconut oil and shiitake. All ingredients are locally sourced, and the end product is 87% more efficient compared with traditional pork production in terms of environmental impact.
YouKuai Group, the company behind Z-Rou Meat, hopes to empower consumers and chefs with tasty and sustainable plant-based meat alternatives. With Z-Rou Meat, people with different dietary habits can sit together at a dining table and enjoy the same food, while being more environmentally responsible.
Sustainability has been a core value of IS Seafood since day one. The team’s philosophy is to leave more than they take from Mother Nature. Being an expert and leader in the industry, IS Seafood has successfully built a network with top restaurants in China.
Biggi Stefansson, one of the founders and CEO of IS Seafood, stated, “We all care about the future. We all care about our health. We care about our children. We feel it’s important to reduce meat consumption based on environmental factors. When Z-Rou approached me, I was immediately sold, not only about the product but also about the love and passion from the team. I feel IS Seafood and Z-Rou Meat are much aligned on our core values and where we want to head in the future. We are looking forward to introducing this futuristic and tasty product into our network.
Celebrity Chef David Laris who worked closely in bringing the three magnificent companies together, expresses his feelings on the great progress: “I’m personally excited to contribute and close a deal with profound meaning. I hope to see that more environmentally conscious companies enter the consistently developing plant-based market and gain a firm foothold there.” David is part of Acorn Digital team, a leading digital agency that assisted in Z-Rou Meat’s launch in China, who is devoted to sustainability.
When the Founder of Z-Rou Meat, Franklin Yao, was in the US last year, he drew inspiration from eating a lot of Impossible burger and Beyond sausage. It struck him that somebody was going to do this for China, for ground pork, and for Chinese dishes like Mapo Tofu, dumplings, and for Lion’s Head meatballs and it should be started from Shanghai. He founded Z-Rou Meat afterwards, and is happy to see growing momentum for this space with the likes of Omnipork entering China. He envisions Z-Rou Meat as a global brand from China to serve the entire world, to empower customers who want good food and make choices to do more good. He feels fortunate to find like-minded allies in Biggi and David who are also focused on building businesses that create a better world.
Robert Roche 