On the 11th of september 1962 a boy was born on a farm in the province West-Brabant of the Netherlands: Jaap Korteweg. He seems to have been born to take over his parents farming business (8th generation farmers and pastoralists) and he does, but he switches to an organic agricultural system..
Since 1962
1998
The outbreak of the swine fever in 1998 caused at least one person to become a vegetarian. Jaap Korteweg, organic farmer, decides to refrain from eating animals. However, he keeps craving the taste, the bite and the texture of meat.
He gets in touch with producers of vegetable protein and scientists to take meat substitutes to the next level. Together with innovative chefs, he works on processes to capture the flavour of beef, pork and chicken in vegetarian products that are of at least the same, if not better, quality as the original.
2010
On World Animal Day 2010, The Vegetarian Butcher is founded in The Hague. A modern style traditional butcher, where the only thing being slaughtered, is prejudice.
2011
Ferran Adrià (El Bulli, Barcelona) and a team of master chefs try our ‘meat’ made of legumes. They applaud the substitute: “This is more tender than pork and juicier than chicken!”
An increasing amount of greengrocers, certified butchers and fresh product specialists are becoming Vegetarian Butcher retailers.
We are awarded the 2011 “Triodos Bank Hart-Hoofd” prize for ‘most innovative and inspiring company’.
2012
Collaboration with Dutch supermarkets is a fact! As of now, all Coops, Ekoplazas and JUMBO supermarkets offer the Vegetarian Butcher products.
In a feature article in the New York Times, culinary columnist Mark Bittman wonders: “Why, in other words, use the poor chicken as a machine to produce meat when you can use a machine to produce ‘meat’ that seems like chicken?”
On the front page of NRCnext: “Preferring fake chicken over speed-bred chicken”. We’re taking the ‘meat’ out of meatballs! The poultry sector doesn’t like how The Vegetarian Butcher is “riding the wave of chicken’s good reputation” and files a complaint with the Food and Consumer authority about the product names. Even parliament questions the matter. The names are adjusted, proving that the flavour and structure of meat has been hacked and that vegetables could be the new meat.
Our chef develops Fish-free Eel Salad, which is awarded the title of “Tastiest product of the year” at De Smaak van Nederland.
Export to Portugal. Within two years we gain 30 POP/retailers in a country with only 30.000 vegetarians.
The Vegetarian Butcher reaches the Nima Marketing Awards finals.
The “Most animal-friendly company of the year!” award is established by PETA, especially for The Vegetarian Butcher.
Nick & Simon Dutch singer-songwriter duo and eel lovers, on the television show “Life 4 You”, fooled with vegetarian eel salad: “We completely fell for it
Our chef takes third place in the ,Dutch newspaper, Telegraaf’s battle for the Gouden Gehaktbal (Golden Meatball) against 44 other participants all of which use real meat.
Our burger is settling in nicely in the Dutch consumer market: Dutch retail chain HEMA starts selling our mc2 Burger in all its restaurants. Museums follow next!
Together with ‘Natuur & Milieu’ and ‘de Postcodeloterij’ we launch the Flexitarian campaign. 500.000 people are given a free box of Vegan Chicken Chunks or our Vegetarian Meatball!
2014
Our transparent packaging is replaced by recyclable cardboard freezer boxes.
Consumentengids (Consumer association Magazine): Our mc2 Burger is awarded the highest rating of all vegetarian burgers: ‘A delicious herby flavour and appealing aroma.’
The Vegetarian Butcher Jaap Korteweg shares his story at TEDX Ede.
2015
You’ll find our Fish-free Tuna Salad on the menu at Bagels & Beans.
Outside Europe, our veggie meat is in high demand too: Export to South Korea is being initiated with more countries to follow soon.
Our award cabinet gains a trophy: The Veggie Bite Award; the Vegan Award for being ‘Vegan Friendly’.
