For most vegans, the introduction of Beyond Burgers represents a clear demarcation—of life before, when veggie burgers tasted like wax, and after, when they were not only exciting to eat, but delicious enough to share with your omnivorous friends.
The Beyond Meat brand, founded in 2009 and entering the retail market in 2012, had a quick and early success—through big investors including Bill Gates, high-profile partnerships with outlets from Dunkin’ to KFC, and a first day of trading in 2019 that saw its shares soar by 163%. Plant-based eating, it seemed, was finally having an unbreakable mainstream streak of progress.
