Chicken and waffles is a classic combination but Singapore’s Next Gen Foods is betting on dairy-free gelato and plant-based chicken as the winning combo of the future. This month, the company—best known for its flagship TiNDLE vegan chicken brand—made its first acquisition with dairy-free gelato startup Mwah!.
Based in London Mawah! Founded in 2020 by Damien Piedrahita and Claudia Comini, hospitality industry professionals who met in Italy and shared frustration with the lack of dairy-free gelato options so they created them.
“We are thrilled to join the Next Gen Foods family. We know they are the right company to help us expand and tap into the growing consumer desire for flavor and texture from the dairy category,” said Damian Piedrahita, CEO and co-founder of Mwah!, in a statement.
Next Gen Foods
The acquisition follows Mwah!’s $2 million funding round in 2022 led by Next Gen Foods and officially brings together the founder of the Gelato brand with Next Gen CEO Andre Menezes and CMO Gene Madden (who previously served as a director on Mwah!’s board).
Mwah’s “dairy-inspired” vegan gelato
Wow! Introducing itself to the public with a simple and refined flavor: Madagascan vanilla gelato. The dairy-free gelato is inspired by the delicious experience of eating dairy foods but instead of exploiting cows, the company uses plant ingredients such as cashews, coconut oil, vegetable fiber, natural flavors, sugar, salt and organic Madagascan vanilla.
“We plan to introduce our signature creamy and indulgent products this year—along with our unique, best-in-class gelato experience—and look forward to hearing feedback from dairy lovers everywhere,” said Piedrahita.
The company will receive the first wave of public feedback starting March 15 when its gelato launches in select London dessert shops. First of all, Mwah! London’s Flozzi’s Cookies will feature as part of a “cherry and chocolate hot mess” featuring gelato topped with cherry compote, hot chocolate and chocolate cookie crumble.
Next Gen Foods
At plant-based cafe chain WAVE, the Hackney location is serving Mwah! Raspberry pancakes topped with raspberries, golden syrup, cinnamon, rose petals and gelato. At WAVE’s Stokey location, customers can try a similar waffle dish made with Mwah!’s gelato.
The company will continue to partner with dessert shops and pastry chefs and plans to debut its gelato in the retail market as well.
A plant-based diet for a new generation
Next Gen was founded in 2020 by Menezes, a Brazilian-born poultry exporter and food industry veteran; and Timo Recker, a German native whose family business has been making schnitzel and other meat products for three generations. Its flagship chef-crafted TiNDLE brand features vegan chicken products—made with soy, wheat gluten, and a proprietary vegan fat called “Lippy.”
Since its founding, Next Gen has raised $130 million to develop Next Generation Food, funding that has helped the company expand its distribution to 1,500 restaurants and 6,000 grocery stores worldwide in a span of two years.
Next Gen Foods
“When we started Next Gen three years ago, we knew that making a significant impact on the food system required continued development of delicious foods that consumers love. This means we need to invest in R&D that will help us create products that not only deliver on our commitment to eliminate animal agriculture but also exceed in taste and experience,” Menezes said in a statement.
Mow! Prior to the acquisition, NextGen announced the expansion of its vegan chicken portfolio to include plant-based nuggets, patties, popcorn, tenders and wings.
“Joining forces with Damian and Claudia at Mwah! and expanding our offering [the] With TNDL’s plant-based chicken category, we are committed to ensuring that everyone can enjoy all the food they love,” said Menezes.
And TiNDLE’s flagship chicken has already gained quite a few fans since its launch. Last year, television personality and chef Andrew Zimmeron joined the team as one of its first culinary advisors. The chef’s recipe for TiNDLE Waffles and Ice Cream was recreated for attendees of this year’s trade show Expo West who were able to sample Mwah’s dairy-free gelato topped with TiNDLE’s vegan chicken.
Next Gen Foods
Ahead of its broader retail and restaurant launch later this year, TiNDLE is previewing its plant-based chicken in a variety of ways as part of its Goldbelly digital storefront, a collaboration with Motel Fried Chicken chef Chad Rosenthal. The New York City and Miami lifestyle concepts will get a taste of Tyndall through Schofields.
Apart from chicken and gelato, Next Gen is also looking at creating exciting plant-based food experiences in other dairy, seafood and meat categories.
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Anna Starostenetskaya is Senior News Editor at VegNews and keeps an eye on all things vegan in her hometown of San Francisco, CA and elsewhere.