Mushroom-based meat company Fascin8foods is bringing its products to the WA retail market under the IKU brand.
Established in 1985 as Sydney’s first and longest-running plant-based eatery, IKU recently launched a plant-based, ready-made meals delivery service. As of July 2023, the company has featured Fascin8foods’ mushroom-based balls and mince products, which quickly moved into IKU’s top 10.
Fascin8foods CEO and founder Jenny Joseph told Future Alternative that the company began working on moving its distribution into retail in January of this year. She said this led to selling the IKU products with Ethical Foods Distributors (EFD), a leading plant based distributor from WA.
“Our IKU range showcases the mushrooms as a mighty sustainable, plant-based alternative, rich in flavour and packed with essential nutrients,” Joseph told Future Alternative. “Our innovative products are not just a feast for the senses; they represent a lifestyle choice that harmonises well-being with sustainability and delivers the opportunity for unlimited menu variety in one’s daily life.”.
Joseph added that unlike most plant based meats in the market, Fascin8foods’ Plus products are naturally soy and gluten free, removing the concern around allergies to those ingredients.
In addition, Joseph said the company’s offerings would soon be on the shelves of the iconic La Vida Vegan store in Perth, which is also owned by EFD.
Kartik Shah, owner of Ethical Food Distributors and La Vida Vegan store in Perth, said: “Plant-based foods are undoubtedly making their way onto the plates of many consumers across Australia, with more people identifying as vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian. And we’re at the forefront of making sure that good quality wholefood products like IKU’s balls, mince and burgers are being made available to them here in WA”.
In a 2023 interview with Future Alternative, Joseph highlighted the environmental along with taste benefits of mushroom-based meat. She said that because mushrooms can be cultivated indoors vertically, they don’t need the great agricultural land associated with meat production or the growing of other plant-based proteins.
She also emphasised how mushrooms readily absorb the flavours in the cuisine they are being used with to create a natural umami.
Joseph told Future Alternative that Fascin8foods is actively seeking to partner with more distributors across Australia.
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