320: Tindle Revolutionizing Plant-Based Chicken: Sustainability, Taste, and Convenience | JJ Kass

Maya Acosta  00:00

All right. So Maya here with healthy lifestyle solutions podcast and I have JJ Kass with Tindle. Hi, JJ, it's

JJ Kass  00:08

so nice to meet you.

Maya Acosta  00:09

First, tell us what brings you to the vegan Women's Summit this year? Yeah. So

JJ Kass  00:13

I work for Tindle, which is a plant based chicken company. We actually are a sub brand of a larger company called next gen foods that also makes a plant based ice cream called moi. So we're here today because we are a plant based vegan, alternative company. And we want to be part of this community of women and introduce our products to all of these people and be kind of part of this part of this platform. And for us, all of this started with sustainability. So our product was started with the the mission to help save the planet. That's actually where the name Tyndall comes from. So a lot of people don't know the name John Tyndall. But he was a physicist, who initially discovered what we now call the greenhouse gas effect. So the name of the brand is actually an ode to him. So everything we do is around that climate change factor. So being here with like minded individuals, hearing everyone speak, introducing our product to them, that's really the goal.

Maya Acosta  01:10

Well, it talks about introducing the product. So I had some samples because we have a food truck out here at the summit. And I saw that there was a little What do you call that? Almost like the McDonald's little? I don't know, it's been so long for me and McDonald's but and I was looking, I was enjoying the DJ. And I looked over and I saw the little what looked like a Happy Meal course I had to go over there and I grabbed a few samples. And so the chicken nuggets are delicious. Tell us more about where people can find this overall anywhere.

JJ Kass  01:41

Yeah, absolutely. So Tindle launched actually during the pandemic and went fully into food service. So we serve Restaurants today. So we're in now 1000s of restaurants worldwide, actually across nine countries. In the US, it's one of our biggest markets. So you can find us in many restaurants in every single city, we do have a really big focus on vegan restaurants. And we're finding that vegan restaurants are absolutely loving our chicken products from a taste and texture comparison. And so actually what you try the what looks like the Happy Meal Box. It's from one of our restaurant partners called Mr. Charlie's. And they've made what has now been dubbed the vegan McDonald's. And they actually call it a frowny meal. So have you noticed the box is a little sad face on it. They're currently in LA and San Francisco, but they have big plans to expand. But everything they do on their menu is mimicking the McDonald's menu. But all with plant based products, like Tindal. Yeah,

Maya Acosta  02:34

sort of like what we had with Project oil, which was mimicking the other restaurant Chick fil A. So that's a lot of fun. So tell us more about the sustainability, whatever you'd like to tell us in terms of why this is a better alternative, as opposed to just having regular chicken.

JJ Kass  02:49

Yeah, so animal agriculture is a huge strain on our on our environment and a leading cause of climate change. And so when we produce animals, it is not an efficient way to produce calories for humans. Even chickens, which are the most in most are the most efficient. It's nine calories in for one calorie out of meat. So when we take this and we make it plant based, instead, we can actually just use all the nutrients in that and be far more efficient. So when you think about that whole supply chain, and what's required to keep a chicken alive to grow it until it is slaughtered. You're adding water, greenhouse gas emissions land and so when you look at any plant based meat, but chicken as well, significantly less across all of those factors. So Tindall is no no different than that along with all of our other plant based partners who are doing the same thing for the environment.

Maya Acosta  03:37

This is wonder a wonderful way to help the environment. Now Tindle only has the one product the chicken product, is that right?

JJ Kass  03:44

Yeah, so Tindle is that plant based chicken brand. But we have several products within that lineup. Yeah, so we within chicken. We have our chefs edition, which is our first product we launched with, which is actually a moldable chicken substance that chefs can cook just like they cook chicken. So in the I don't know if you watch the chef competition today. So there were three chefs who are competing, using it was like an a top chef style. They had Tindall impossible and wicked kitchen, and they were using our chef's edition so they could cook it in any way you cook chicken it can be molded, shaped, cooked however you want. But then we also have within food service, a whole lineup of products that are breaded so the nugget which you had, and if you had the chicken sandwich, that's our chicken sandwich patty. We also have tenders that are available today in restaurants. And we're getting ready to release a wing as well. That's a boneless wing, which is amazing. If you're coming to the after party tonight, we'll be serving that there. Yeah, and then we also are getting ready to launch in retail. So that's really exciting for us. We know that's how we can reach mass consumers everywhere and within retail. We now have several breaded skews that are ready readily available to launch so we're stay tuned for an update there on who will be launching with in the US. We're already In Europe, with our retail products, but we just released actually, last week, a press release announcing our newest innovation, which we're calling true cut, which is a new home muscle technology that we developed in house. And so we have an r&d team that has decades of plant based experience in protein, fiber and fat. And they have developed this product that is truly indistinguishable from chicken. And we're making a whole suite of products that are whole muscle focused with that that new technology, it's still an early, early release. We don't have a launch partner yet that we're that we're announcing. But stay tuned for that, because that's going to be a game changer for us. Yeah,

Maya Acosta  05:37

definitely have to stay tuned for that. Now, the Tindle right now the product itself, what is it made out of?

JJ Kass  05:44

So the Tindle, the core meet to Tindle is nine ingredients. The first ingredient is water. And then wheat and soy are primary protein sources. But all the ingredients are things you can pronounce. You look at the label, there's nothing, nothing scary behind it. vegetable fats, things like that. And then obviously, the breading system is additional ingredients on that. But the core product is a soy and wheat gluten product. Yeah.

Maya Acosta  06:09

Well, I will tell you that it's exceptionally good. And compare to anything else that I've tried in terms of chicken kind of replacement. So it's a good meal. What what are the things would you like my listeners to know I talk about health a lot here on the podcast. One reason why I wanted to come to the vegan Women's Summit is sort of just because bringing more wonderful women on the show that are entrepreneurs that are investors in that whole space of empowering women is very important to me. Yeah, I

JJ Kass  06:39

love that for me, women, women over 40. I mean, we know these are the people making choices about food in their homes. So they are the ones setting the dinner menu, buying the groceries, as much as we want to put that onto the other gender, it doesn't always happen. So I'm very grateful for your listeners for thinking about food as part of that story. Because it's so easy. We're all so busy. Most women have full time jobs now. And I mean, even if you don't, and you're raising kids, you are so busy planning meals for your family, it's so easy to resort to what's convenient, and what simple and just grab something from the frozen section and put it on the plate. And I mean, I grew up with a mom who was a stay at home mom and planned all our meals and cooked everything thoroughly and made sure we were healthy. And as a kid who went vegan. That was hard for her like it was a real challenge to think about how do I make sure my teenage daughter who's growing and developing is getting protein and is eating healthy. And one thing that I'd encourage all the moms who are listening to like, think about and hopefully be excited about trying is we're bringing some of those elements of that convenience to make their lives easier with just better products today. So Tindle is creating products that are comparable to chicken and their nutritional makeup so that you can be confident your kids are getting protein. And you can be confident what you're getting is healthier than the meat alternatives on the plane. And hopefully it's getting easier and easier to make sure kids like me who are deciding to go vegan because they get it to be fed by their parents with like an easy way that's getting them everything they need. And so my hope is that all your listeners are open and curious and continue to try new products too. Because the innovation is mind blowing. I'm sure you tried things today that you couldn't even believe were plant based. I mean, I know I did. And so continue to try new products. And don't just think that the vegan products of 10 years ago is all that exists today. Because we are innovating so quickly. And the products just keep getting better and better.

Maya Acosta  08:30

And you know what, you bring up a good point. And I was just thinking about this in terms of, you know, the woman sometimes in the household may be the only one that's vegan. So sometimes our husband is still a little reluctant, the children are taking the time, they're not really sure if they want to make the change. However, a nice replacement, sort of like having something like Tyndall in their home would be a nice way for everybody to kind of start to see if they want to go vegan to sample something that mom doesn't have to cook two different meals for everybody. Exactly.

JJ Kass  09:00

Yeah, it's versatile enough that your meat eaters are going to love it. And it really is targeting that flexitarian audience, which we as Tindal care so much about we know it's the only way to make a real meaningful impact is to have delicious products everyone wants to eat. Well. Thank

Maya Acosta  09:14

you so much JJ, tell us first of all, how can people learn more about Tyndall? And then what about you? Would you like to share your social media? Yeah, absolutely.

JJ Kass  09:22

People can follow us on Tindle at Tindle foods. That's our Instagram handle. Also on our website, tinyurl.com. People can sign up for our email list and stay tuned for restaurant launches in their city or grocery store launches, which will hopefully be coming very soon in the US. So definitely follow along there. Like my name is JJ Kass and I'm JJ Kass everywhere so you can you can find me on all the social media platforms that way

Maya Acosta  09:47

we're looking forward to seeing what else will happen. Thank you again.