. emerge and their candid. ideas for serving it on restaurant menus. Results show that consumers are becoming more aware of the impact of their dietary choices and that chefs are interested in the benefits and appeal of cultured meat options, even if it means paying more. As cultured meat approaches the market, these results show that top food service professionals across the country are prepared and waiting for the opportunity to try it for themselves.
“It’s great to see the interest and positivity from the professional culinary community regarding cultured meat. This shows that chefs are more interested in cultured meat, understand the benefits, and are ready to see it in a mainstream restaurant,” says Ido Savir , CEO of SuperMeat. “SuperMeat is thrilled to continue our work to commercialize cultured meat products and be among the first to bring these options to menus across the US.”
Chefs are Peckish for Chicken – except in the South
In line with US eating habits, the type of cultured meat chefs are most interested in is poultry with 51% indicating they would be interested in trying it, followed by beef, exotic meats, seafood and pork split equally from 38% to 35%.
However, there were some notable differences in meat preferences based on region and type of restaurant:
Diners Have Increased Interest in Alternative Meat Menu Options
Concerns about the environment and animal welfare, health and dietary restrictions and other lifestyle choices have all contributed to increased interest in meat alternatives on menus. In fact, 65% of chefs have seen an increase in demand over the past five years – in particular, 87% of restaurants in the Midwest and 82% of fast food establishments have noted an increase in consumer interest in meat alternatives.
Increased Food Safety, Environmental Friendliness and Other Benefits Add to the Interest
Chefs have a lot to consider when choosing menu items including taste, cost, customer demand and more – and these major factors determine whether and why they would add cultured meat to their menus. Food safety was cited as a key motivation for chefs to serve cultured meat, with more than half indicating it was important (51%). Environmental benefits and customer demand are other key factors. There were also significant differences between the motivators based on the type of establishment, fine dining chefs indicated that environmental benefits were the main motivator (52%), followed by taste and texture control (48%), but they were more concerned with those who worked in fast food establishments. food safety (60%).
Chefs Are Willing To Pay A Premium And Are Ready To Start The Menus
Realizing the many benefits of cultured meat, 77% of chefs are willing to pay a premium to include it on their menu, with two-thirds of chefs saying they would be willing to pay 11-15% more pay than traditional meat.
Most chefs indicated they would be early adopters when cultured meat became available, with more than half (52%) saying they would be open to adding cultured meat and poultry to their menu a month or two after it is available. Chefs in the West and North East are much more likely to add cultured meat with 23% and 21% respectively saying they would include it on their menu immediately after it becomes available, while chefs from the South were far more hesitant with more than half (51%) saying they would stay three to six months.
Chefs are optimistic that cultured meat will be fully integrated into hospitality culture and mainstream restaurants soon, with 79% believing it will happen in less than one year – indicating that both diners and consumers are eager for the commercialization of meat cultivated.
For more information, visit www.SuperMeat.com.
SuperMeat is a food technology company, headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, working to provide the world with high quality meat grown directly from animal cells. The company’s products offer a delicious meat experience and a high-quality nutritional profile, while being produced in a sustainable, no-kill manner. SuperMeat’s proprietary cultured meat platform allows food companies to be at the forefront of the emerging cultured meat industry and manufacture a wide range of products containing cultured meat. SuperMeat is the first B2B company to address the entire poultry meat category from fat to muscle, providing a complete solution for cultured meat production. The company is showcasing the versatility of its meat platform in various events at its pilot production plant, The Chicken, the world’s first farm-to-fork facility for local meat production, and plans to host additional events in the near future.
The research was carried out by Censuswide, an independent market research consultancy. The online survey was conducted with 251 chefs and/or food service professionals in the US between 07.09.2022 – 20.09.2022. All will adhere to and employ members of the Society for Market Research who are based on the principles of ESOMAR and who are members of the British Polling Council.