Can this Canadian company make a splash in plant-based fish?

It is really hard to make high-quality fake meat. It’s also really hard to commercialize R&D in Canada.

Today we’re speaking with Chris Bryson, founder and CEO of New School Foods, who is trying to commercialize some pet project R&D to produce a Canadian fake meat company offering plant-based whole cuts of salmon.

“We’re not in the business of selling food, we’re in the business of behaviour change.”
Chris Bryson

Bryson comes with pedigree, having founded and sold Unata to Instacart, and the company has raised $12 million USD in funding to date with additional Canadian grants. But New School Foods is starting with the hardest of the fake meats and an intent to change people’s eating habits in an industry that has seen major entrants like Beyond and Impossible explode and then flop. We’re talking exponential complexity.

So what the hell is Bryson thinking?

Now, as a vegetarian who has had my share of plant-based burgers, I can tell you I’m not a fish fan, nor am I a fake fish fan. But I’m rooting for New School Foods to launch later this year through restaurants in LA, New York, and Toronto.

Why? The company is tackling a global problem from Canada, and taking a unique approach relative to competitors.

So, is this the origin story of the obligatory BetaKit cooking show?

Let’s dig in!

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The BetaKit Podcast is sponsored by Innovate BC: a Crown Agency of the Province of British Columbia.

We work to foster innovation in B.C. so that British Columbians in all regions of the province can benefit from a thriving, sustainable, and inclusive innovation economy.

Visit innovatebc.ca to learn more about our programs, initiatives, and ongoing work across British Columbia’s innovation ecosystem.