Australian plant-based seafood startup Boldly goes to the US
The alternative seafood startup's first shipment of plant-based prawns, calamari and sashimi arrives in California next month. But it's entering the US amid waning enthusiasm for alternative meats.
Australian, self-funded alternative seafood producer Boldly is on the cusp of launching its range of plant-based prawns, calamari and sashimi products in California, with a series of tastings and events scheduled across the state in November.
The products — primarily made from konjac, a root vegetable found throughout southeast Asia — are currently on a ship en route from there to the west coast of the US.
Founder Allen Zelden, who has been selling private label alternative seafood products through a logistics and distribution network in the US through his PlantForm venture, is betting on the small but rising popularity of plant-based seafoods, which currently represent just 1% of the alternative meat market and 0.1% of conventional seafood sales, according to the Good Food Institute.
Zelden is launching his product following an intensely challenging period for the plant-based meat market. US sales volumes fell 8% in 2022, which has largely been attributed to consumers opting for cheaper food products in light of inflation, and a reluctance to pay a premium for plant-based products.
