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Industry First Survey from SuperMeat of American Chefs Reveals 86% are Interested in Serving Cultivated Meat and Most Are Willing to Pay Premiums for a First Taste

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TEL AVIV, IsraelOct. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — SuperMeat, a foodtech company working to supply the world with high-quality cultivated meat, today reveals a survey of chefs across America, spanning fine dining to fast food, showing sentiment on the emerging cultivated meat industry and their candid thoughts on serving it on restaurant menus. Results show consumers are becoming more conscious of the impact of their dietary choices and chefs are interested in the benefits and appeal of cultivated meat options, even if it means paying more. As cultivated meat nears the market, these results signify that the premiere foodservice professionals across the country are prepared and awaiting the opportunity to try it for themselves.

“It is great to see the interest and positivity from the professional culinary community for cultivated meat. This demonstrates that chefs are more than intrigued by cultivated meat, understand the benefits, and are ready to see it served in mainstream dining,” says Ido Savir, CEO of SuperMeat. “SuperMeat is thrilled to continue our work to commercialize cultivated 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

Reflective of US dining habits, the type of cultivated meat chefs are most interested in trying is poultry with 51% indicating they would be interested in tasting it, while the remaining choices of beef, exotic meats, seafood and pork were pretty evenly split from 38% to 35%.

There were, however, some notable differences in meat preferences based on region and type of restaurant:

Diners are Increasingly Interested in Meat Alternative Menu Options

Concern for the environment and animal wellness, health and dietary restrictions and other lifestyle choices have all contributed to higher interest in meat alternatives on menus. In fact, 65% of chefs have seen increased demand in the last five years – in particular, 87% of restaurants in the Midwest and 82% of fast-food establishments noted the rise in consumer interest for meat alternatives.

Increased Food Safety, Environmental Friendliness and Other Benefits all Contribute to Interest

Chefs have a lot to consider when choosing menu items including taste, cost, customer demand and more – and these major factors determine if and why they would incorporate cultivated meat into their menus. Food safety was cited as chefs’ top motivator for serving cultivated meat, with more than half indicating it was important (51%). Other key factors are environmental benefits and customer demand. Motivators differed significantly based on type of establishment as well, fine dining chefs pointed to environmental benefits as a top motivator (52%), followed by control of taste and texture (48%), whereas those working in fast food establishments were more concerned about food safety (60%).

Chefs are Willing to Pay a Premium and are Ready to Begin Adding to Menus

Understanding the multiple benefits of cultivated meat, 77% of chefs are willing to pay a premium to include it on their menu, with two-thirds of chefs saying they’d be willing to pay between 11-15% more than traditional meat.

Most chefs indicated they would be early adopters once cultivated meat became available, with more than half (52%) saying they would be willing to add cultivated meat and poultry to their menu one to two months after it became available. Chefs in the West and Northeast are likely to add cultivated meat much more quickly with 23% and 21% respectively saying they would include it on their menu immediately after it became available, while chefs from the South were much more hesitant with more than half (51%) saying they would wait three to six months.

Chefs are optimistic that cultivated meat will become fully integrated into mainstream hospitality culture and restaurants relatively soon, with 79% believing it will happen in less than one year – indicating diners and consumers alike are eager for the commercialization of cultivated meat.

For more information, visit www.SuperMeat.com.

About SuperMeat

SuperMeat, headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, is a food-tech company working to supply 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 manufactured in a sustainable, slaughter-free way. SuperMeat’s proprietary cultivated meat platform allows food companies to be at the forefront of the emerging cultivated meat industry and manufacture a wide range of products containing cultivated meat inside. SuperMeat is the first B2B company to address the entire category of poultry meat from fat to muscle, providing a complete solution to cultivated meat production. The company has been 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 is planning to host additional events in the near future.

Methodology

The research was conducted by Censuswide, an independent market research consultancy. The survey took place online with 251 Chefs and/or food-service professionals in the US between 07.09.2022 – 20.09.2022. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles and are members of the British Polling Council.

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