Shinsegae Foods launches plant-based Better Meat store in Gangnam

Shinsegae Foods is opening its first plant-based store in Seoul, South Korea. The company chose to sell its alternative meat products in the busy shopping mall in the country’s Gangnam District.

Shinsegae Foods will offer its "Better Meat" products in the premium food shop that it will set up at the heart of fashion and trends in southern Seoul. The company’s decision to open a store came about after a very successful introduction of Better Meat alternatives last year.

The company opened a pop-up store in the said region between July and December 2022, and they recorded at least 13,000 visitors. As per Aju Business Daily, Better Meat is Shinsegae’s brand for alternative meat or vegan meat.

These food items are mainly made using plant-based ingredients such as mushrooms, pumpkins, beans, and soy. The company also pays attention to the texture and taste, so it tries hard to replicate the actual meat.

The company said that when cooked, Better Meat products only show very little difference when compared to ordinary real meat. Shinsegae is also expanding its plant-based business as the number of vegan customers continues to increase in and out of South Korea.

In fact, the country’s Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation predicted that the plant-based meat market will reach KRW29.4 billion or about $23.8 million in 2025. This prediction is highly possible with the steady growth in the alternative meat market.

In any case, Shinsegae Foods first launched Better Meat in July 2021. It supplied vegan cold cuts to Starbucks, which used it for its sandwiches. In September 2022, the company introduced the brand in the United States.

“Better Meat’s products are for meat lovers but made from 100% plant-based ingredients,” the company said as it described its vegan products. “Therefore, they are entirely free from cholesterol, animal fat, artificial food coloring, and antibiotics. They use fewer resources and advocate better animal welfare than conventional breeding.”