NPEW 2017

Press Kit for Upton's Naturals

Press contact:
Shaina Ostroff
Reach Public Relations
424-835-4229
shaina@reach-pr.com

Upton’s Introduces 100% Vegan Classic Burger

New Seitan Burger Features Bold Flavors, Meat-Like Texture, and a Good Source of Protein

Chicago, IL – Upton’s Naturals, a pioneer of flavored seitan, is introducing a Classic Burger to its popular lineup. Crafted to have an impressive meat-like texture, this new, wheat-based Burger is perfectly seasoned to mimic the all-American patty. Full-flavored spices like natural hickory smoke, black pepper, sea salt, garlic, paprika, oregano, marjoram and apple cider vinegar marinate a balanced combination of vital wheat gluten, eggplant and tofu.

Made with a clean ingredient list, Upton’s Naturals’ Classic Burger is completely free of artificial ingredients, “natural” flavors, oils and GMOs. Touting a whopping 22g of protein and only 5g of fat per serving, the Burger is also completely free of trans fat and cholesterol, low in sugar and carbs, and OU Kosher Pareve. The product is easy to prepare on a pan or grill and ready to enjoy after heating it for two to four minutes on each side.

Upton’s Naturals’ founder Dan Staackmann shared, “As the meat-alternative industry becomes more science-driven and high-tech, we are committed to providing real-food, plant-based options to consumers across the country. In our new Burger – and all of our products – we use simple and recognizable ingredients that have been around for centuries and season them for the Western palate. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, we’re cooking up delicious food with what nature has to offer.”

The Classic Burger joins Upton’s Naturals’ lineup of Traditional, Chorizo, Italian, Bacon, Ground and Chick Seitan, along with new pre-seasoned, heat-and-serve Jackfruit. Upton’s Naturals’ Classic Burger can be found in the refrigerated section at natural and specialty stores nationwide for an SRP of $3.99 per 6.4oz box and is also available for foodservice customers. The product has a shelf life of 84 days.

About Upton’s Naturals

Upton’s Naturals is an independently-owned natural foods company with a focus on meat alternatives and vegan values. Dedicated to simplicity and the use of real, recognizable ingredients, the Upton’s team takes food that has been around for thousands of years and seasons it for the Western palate. The company’s founder Dan Staackmann pioneered flavored, wheat-based seitan. Together with Nicole Sopko, Upton’s Naturals’ vice president and Dan’s girlfriend, the team is now launching the first-to-market, seasoned and ready-to-eat jackfruit in the United States. Upton’s Naturals’ Jackfruit products are produced in Thailand and the Seitan products are made in-house at a modern facility in Chicago. The 20-year vegan power couple also reside at the location and run a factory caf called Upton’s Breakroom where the public can try the team’s recipes. The company is proud to be a founding board member of the new Plant Based Foods Association. Visit UptonsNaturals.com for more information and find @UptonsNaturals on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Also visit @UptonsBreakroom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Upton’s Naturals Introduces New Ready-to-Eat Jackfruit Flavors

Thai Curry and Original Varieties Join Pre-Seasoned, Heat & Serve, Plant-Based Meat Alternative Lineup

Chicago, IL – Upton’s Naturals, the first company to bring pre-seasoned, heat-and-serve, unripe natural jackfruit to the U.S. market, is expanding its lineup to include two new flavors: Thai Curry and Original.

Blending creamy coconut milk with fragrant lemongrass and earthy cumin, Upton’s Naturals’ Thai Curry Jackfruit brings Southeast Asian taste to a meat-free shredded chicken. For those looking to add their own flavor profiles to plant-based recipes, Upton’s Naturals’ Original Jackfruit contains only pure jackfruit, making it easy for at-home cooks to get creative with this incredible fruit. Like all of Upton’s Naturals’ Jackfruit products, these new varieties offer a good source of fiber, are completely free of cholesterol, gluten, soy, oil, GMO’s, and artificial flavors, and 100% vegan

“By bringing these exotic and classic Jackfruit flavors to the natural food market, we hope to show people that not only do delicious, real-food meat replacements exist; they can open the door to new and exciting recipe ideas,” shared Upton’s Naturals’ founder, Dan Staackmann. “The bold Thai Curry flavor was inspired by our trips to Thailand where we source the jackfruit from a network of family farms, while the Original Jackfruit was designed to serve as an alternative to fresh, unripe jackfruit, which is extremely difficult to find and prepare. We’re excited to share these launches with vegans and non-vegans alike!”

The Thai Curry and Original Jackfruit varieties join Upton’s Naturals’ Bar-B-Que and Chili Lime Carnitas Jackfruit, along with a lineup of flavored Seitan, including a new Classic Burger. Upton’s Naturals’ Jackfruit can be found in the refrigerated section at natural and specialty stores nationwide for an SRP of $4.99 per 10.6oz box and is also available for foodservice customers. The product is shelf stable and packaged in a retort pouch to maintain freshness.

About Upton’s Naturals

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Upton’s Naturals Pioneers the Jackfruit Food Craze

Vegan Food Company Brings Unripe, Pre-Seasoned, Heat & Serve Jackfruit to the U.S. Market

Chicago, IL – Upton’s Naturals, an independently-owned, ethical vegan company, is paving the way in a new category of meat alternatives with its introduction of ready-to-eat, natural Jackfruit. Native to Southeast Asia, jackfruit is the world's largest tree fruit. Beneath its incredibly large and spiky exterior is a mild-flavored, nutrient-dense, plant-based meat substitute. When cooked up young (a.k.a. not ripe) and seasoned right, this tropical fruit has the texture and taste of perfect pulled pork or shredded chicken.

Upton’s Naturals is the first company to make pre-seasoned, heat-and-serve, natural jackfruit nationally available to the U.S. market. Using only simple, recognizable ingredients, Upton’s Naturals’ Jackfruit offers a good source of fiber, is completely free of cholesterol, gluten, soy, oil, GMO’s, and artificial flavors, and 100% vegan. The lineup includes Bar-B-Que and Chili Lime Carnitas, along with new-to-market Thai Curry and an Original variety.

The decision to create a jackfruit product happened when Upton’s Naturals’ founder Dan Staackmann and his girlfriend (also Upton’s Naturals’ vice president) Nicole Sopko were eating at a Nepalese restaurant. They ordered a delicious meal made from jackfruit and thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice if the process to cook this at home were easier?” Knowing that fresh, unripe jackfruit was hard to come by and that the closest thing to convenience in the category was unseasoned jackfruit in a can, the 20-year vegan power couple set on a mission to bring pre-seasoned, ready-to-eat jackfruit to the U.S.

Once picked, the fruit has a shelf life of only a day or two, so Upton's found a partner in Thailand to do all of its processing before shipping the finished product overseas. The company teams with a network of family farms that have been growing cultivated jackfruit for many years. Dan inspired the group to sell him unripe jackfruit in addition to the ripe fruit they were used to selling. This created extra demand for the farmers, who prior to the arrangement often had unused crops, and resulted in a mutually beneficial relationship for both.

“Doing what we believe in is the best part of this business, and to us, success is creating 100% vegan products that can inspire meat-free meals,” shared Staackmann. “Unripe jackfruit is the source of an incredibly versatile and healthful meat alternative that is relatively foreign to the American market. We set out to make jackfruit easier to enjoy and more accessible to the everyday consumer. The response from vegans and non-vegans alike has been amazing.”

Primed to change the landscape of vegan packaged goods, Upton’s Naturals’ Jackfruit can be found in the refrigerated section at natural and specialty stores nationwide for an SRP of $4.99 per 10.6oz box and is also available for foodservice customers. The product is shelf stable and packaged in a retort pouch to maintain freshness.

About Upton’s Naturals

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