Food & Beverage Asia August/September 2021

ON THE TABLE 39
Recently, the company has expanded its
TiNDLE product offering to Hong Kong
and Macau, China in its bid to not only
cater to the Asian palate, but to also
further understand the consumer trends
driving the alternative meat market.
The cities were chosen for their unique,
cosmopolitan identity within the larger
Asia Pacific market.
“Each city was selected with a global,
urban demographic in mind. Hong
Kong is one of Asia’s great food and
cultural hubs. Macau’s popularity
with tourists was a key consideration,
especially coming from Mainland China,
with some 40 million tourists in 2019.
As for Kuala Lumpur, its reputation
for offering a variety in multi-ethnic
delicacies secured the deal,” remarked
Andre Menezes, co-founder and chief
operating officer of Next Gen.
AN ALTERNATIVE FINE DINING
EXPERIENCE
Having secured a foothold in these
Asia’s diverse culinary landscape
makes it the perfect site for expanding
the plant-based protein market
global cities, Next Gen is looking
forward to elevating the alternative
meat experience. This further bolstered
Next Gen’s partnership with Classic
Fine Foods, a fine food specialist who
has helped distribute its products in
Singapore, and will continue to do so
for the three cities. Classic Fine Foods
would bring to this project its market
understanding and knowledge, as well
as its knowledge of consumer trends.
Classic Fine Foods’ understanding of
fine foods would also further elevate the
use of plant-based proteins, as it aims
to incorporate TiNDLE into fine dining.
Already, the company’s in-house chefs
are working closely with restaurant
owners, creating menus with TiNDLE
across the cuisine spectrum.
The introduction of plant-based
proteins could thus provide a refreshing
gastronomical experience. Menezes, for
one, is enthusiastic about introducing
consumers to a healthier, greener
alternative: “Plant-based foods have
been long associated with compromising
on authentic meat experience. We
believe, however, that there is no
dichotomy and that we can create a
better future, without compromising any
factor.
“Having a product that delivers what
chefs are looking for, we believe that
the culinary world can embrace plantbased
foods and create a completely
new world of gastronomic experiences.
Great chefs create mind blowing dining
experiences with the best ingredients in
innovative ways. Innovative plant-based
foods add another layer of possibilities to
this space, and their creations influence
the entire industry on a much broader
level.”
With all these developments, Next Gen is
another step closer to achieving its goal
of creating healthier, sustainable meat
alternatives that do not compromise
on taste and experience. The growing
demand for plant-based proteins in Asia
would also certainly play a big part in the
consumption of their products, changing
the landscape of the meat industry to
accommodate both the traditional and
the sustainable.
“Statistically speaking, the demand
for plant-based products looks good
from a regional perspective. According
to DuPont N&B 1 , demand for plantbased
products in Asia will surge over
200% in the next five years. 78% of
APAC consumers say that plant-based
meat alternatives are here to stay, and
consumption will continue to grow.
“Similar to other transformations we’ve
seen over time across many industries,
the meat industry will continue to
transform and various options will coexist,”
concluded Menezes. FBA
REFERENCES
1
https://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/
plant-based-demand-in-asia-will-surge-over-
200-in-next-5-years-says-dupont-nb.html
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2021