The plant-based field continues to attract new fans and supporters as more consumers incorporate healthier options into their daily lifestyles. Daring is meeting these demands as it adds the Los Angeles, California, and Hawaiian markets to its distribution network through a new retail partnership with Costco. To find out more about this explosive company, I got in touch with Justin Neal, Head of Retail, and Ross Mackay, CEO and Co-Founder.
“Adding new retail partners is always a huge milestone for us as a young brand, and to achieve a retail expansion with an iconic partner like Costco—in just our first year of launching at retail—is something we are extremely proud to accomplish,” explains Justin. “With the Costco expansion, we are thrilled to debut our new 24 oz pouch of our flagship Original Pieces, which is 100 percent exclusive to Costco. Our goal is to replace chicken in the food system, and in order to do so, it has to be easy for consumers to find and buy Daring products. Costco has more than 100 million members nationwide who purchase a lot of chicken, so launching in their Los Angeles and Hawaii regions will surely help our mission and attract new consumers.”
Since Daring first launched, the company has expanded to more than 1,100 stores nationwide in addition to Costco, including Sprouts Farmers Market, Gelson’s Markets, Fresh Thyme, Erewhon, Roots Market, Wegmans, Harmons, and Foxtrot.
“From day one, our mission at Daring has been to re-think and replace chicken from our food systems, and we can’t achieve that goal without the help of our retail and foodservice partners in each of our markets,” Ross tells me. “Our goal is for Daring to be available to customers in every store and in every restaurant across the country.”
As Daring hits Costco shelves for the first time ever in over 30 locations, the company is debuting an exclusive new 24 oz pouch of its Original Pieces. This SKU is the first and only 24 oz pouch and can be purchased solely through Costco, while the classic 8 oz pouches are available in four delicious flavor offerings including Original, Cajun, Lemon & Herb, and the new Original Breaded Pieces.
“Daring is a leader in plant-based chicken, offering 100 percent vegan, all-natural, non-GMO plant protein that looks, cooks, and tastes like chicken with as much versatility as the traditional animal counterpart. Unlike other plant-based meat offerings that limit the consumer to one type of meal, Daring was designed to be enjoyed multiple times a week,” Ross continues. “All the products serve as the perfect swap for any dish that calls for chicken. Each Daring product comes with 14g of protein per serving and all-natural spices.”
In addition to brick-and-mortar locations, Daring can be added as a protein option in both Imperfect Foods and Sun Basket subscriptions, as well as in Just Salad restaurant locations nationwide. Not only that, but the plant-based company teased new launches and releases are expected to drop soon.
“We are continuing to expand into more retail and foodservice locations nationwide and have a lot of exciting things in store in the coming months, so stay tuned!” Justin shares.
Check back for more updates and releases in the specialty, deli, and dairy sectors of our industry as Deli Market News continues to report.
