Morning Folks,

I’ve been preparing for a panel I will be on next month (join me at Bridge2Food Europe in Copenhagen!), and i’s got me thinking a lot about why this industry still struggles to connect with the mainstream consumer.

One reason, I think, is that so many people in the future food industry are not actually mainstream themselves. They’re deeply values-driven, often very conviction-led, and that’s part of what makes them interesting…but it also means there’s sometimes a real disconnect between what the sector thinks people want and what ordinary consumers are actually looking for. We still do not do enough consumer segmentation. We still speak too niche (climate/animals/ethics) to a too-broad group. And too often, we end up selling ideology instead of products.

This may be controversial: there is also a fundamental mismatch in this sector that we need to be honest about: vegans are often selling to non-vegans, and that is not working in the way people hoped it would. It does not mean the mission is wrong. It means the communication strategy is wrong. If we want future food to reach beyond the converted, we need to tell this story better, on mainstream terms, and stop assuming the old playbook (science-first, policy-first, ideology-first) is enough.

That is where I think the industry has to get much better. We need more media talent in this space. We need way more content. More podcasts, more independent media, more owned channels, more variety, and much broader messaging. Mainstream media does not fully understand or endorse what this industry is trying to do, so we cannot rely on it to carry the story for us. If we want people to care, we have to meet them where they are, through the formats they already trust and consume.

We also need to stop pretending that the answer is always to “lead with science” or “lead with fact.” That argument rings hollow to me. People are not walking into supermarkets looking to be sold an ideology. They are looking for products that fit their lives, reflect their values, and resonate with their communities. That is why some brands break through while others don’t. Companies like Bold Bean Co (a premium, flavour-first bean brand for people who want convenience without compromise), Brami (a pasta brand that delivers both fiber and protein), and Huel (a health-and-fitness shorthand for clean, easy, nutritionally complete meals on-the-go) understand this much better than most. They are not just making a product; they are making something that people can actually see themselves in.

The future of this space will depend on media as much as on product. We need more storytelling, more nuance, more variety, and more voices that can translate the sector for a wider audience.

Right now, that feels like one of the biggest gaps in the industry. Tell me if you agree.

-Sonalie

 💡 Only On Green Queen

☕️ Inside Oatly’s Drive to Redefine Cold Foam with Barista Plant-Based Milk
Oatly’s hotly anticipated cold foam barista milk is officially invading coffee shops, heralding a new era for non-dairy versions of the viral topping. Here’s Green Queen lead reporter Anay Mridul’s hot take.

 💰 Funding News

🫘 US-based Brami raised $33 million Series B funding to expand its lupini bean pasta portfolio and bring the range to more stores nationwide.
💡Brami’s product, which is made with just two ingredients, is high in protein and fibre, and is centred around beans, have made it the fastest-growing pasta brand in the US.

🧬 US precision fermentation startup Melazyme raised $2 million seed funding to advance its melanin and sweet protein platform, which beats incumbents on purity.
💡The company was founded in 2025 by two alums of precision fermentation trailblazer Perfect Day, who have “rare experience building and scaling precision fermentation companies.”

🌱 South Korea’s Soyft Biome secured financing from MY Social Company’s Extramile Lycon Fund to expand the reach of its plant-based products, which are derived from fermented soybean waste.
💡It plans to accelerate its expansion into the foodservice channel, particularly with café and bakery franchises, as well as the low-sugar and wellness markets.

🥛 The state of Michigan has approved a grant for Fenton Food and Beverage, a new company by the owner of Ya Ya Foods Corp, to build a $56.2 million plant-based milk factory.
💡The new factory will leverage a technology that uses water to extract milk directly from nuts, instead of producing plant-based milk from a paste.

 ✅ Must-Read Headlines

🇮🇹 Italian meat giant Amadori Group has acquired Bologna-based plant-based protein player Unconventional for an undisclosed sum.
💡The acquisition makes it the third-largest player in Italy’s plant-based protein market, which has seen continued growth in the last few years as health concerns drive consumers towards animal-free products.

🇨🇦 Canada’s The Better Butchers has agreed to a reverse takeover of Health Logic Interactive, with a goal of listing the business on the Canadian Securities Exchange.
💡The move will help The Better Butchers expand its portfolio and distribution, as it works to secure further retail expansion in Canada, and has plans to enter the US and Europe. 

📈 Spanish plant-based meat leader Heura reached profitability for the first time in Q1 2026, two years after raising €40 million in Series B funding.
💡The company is now opening up its production tech to other players in markets where it doesn’t compete directly.

📉 German cultivated fat startup Cultimate Foods has filed for bankruptcy amid ongoing funding struggles that are common in the sector.
💡It has initiated a financial restructuring and is actively speaking to investors to help return the business to the path of long-term growth.

 🍫 Alt Chocolate News

🤝🏼 California Cultured and UC Davis have partnered on a project to reduce the production costs of cell-based chocolate, backed by $2.8 million in US government funding. Commercial manufacturing is expected to begin in early 2027 to fulfil their first purchase order from a chocolate company.

🇩🇰 Danish startup Endless Food Co has signed a distribution partnership with Dagrofa Foodservice, opening a “major new lane” for its bean-free chocolate.

🇺🇸 Food industry behemoth Cargill and ethical pantry startup Voyage Foods are bringing their cocoa-free chocolate range, NextCoa, to North America.

🚀 Everything Else In Future Food

🍊 Austria Juice has rolled out a new line of fruit juices with 30% less sugar, produced via yeast fermentation, in line with the EU’s Breakfast Directives.

🇰🇷 South Korean startup Intake is expanding into the B2B sector with the launch of Takein, a brand centred on its yeast-derived protein and fibre ingredients.

🌳 As calls for anti-deforestation laws grow louder, a new House of Representatives bill, modelled on the EU deforestation regulation, aims to ban deforested commodities like palm oil, beef, and chocolate.

💸 Green Queen Wire: Triple Helix has launched an investment council to address capital constraints hindering the deployment of meaningful innovations for agricultural resilience.

🌱🍔  Future Food Quick Bites 

In our weekly column, Future Food Quick Bites, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Lärabar’s new protein range, Valsoia’s dairy-free kefir launch, and Tattooed Chef’s $4.5M settlement.

📆 Scene & Heard

🚀 Catch Up With Sonalie Figueiras At Bridge2Food Europe 2026

💡 Green Queen’s founder and editor-in-chief Sonalie Figueiras will be speaking at Bridge2Food Europe 2026, happening 9-11 June 2026 in Copenhagen, where she will give a keynote titled “The Global Politicization of Food and the Influence on Consumer Choices”. Catch her live to unpack how geopolitics and consumer behavior are increasingly intertwined in the future of food. Register here, and use code GREENQUEENMEDIA to get €200 off your ticket.

👩🏻‍🌾 Tesco, in partnership with Leading Edge Only, has opened applications for the 2026 Tesco Agri-tech Challenge, which invites agri-tech innovators from around the world to submit solutions that can help farmers and suppliers build more resilient, sustainable and productive food supply chains. Find out more here.

🇦🇹 Meet 280+ carefully selected suppliers from across Europe and beyond, showcasing thousands of retail-ready products in high-growth categories such as free-from, plant-based, organic and functional food, at the Free From Food Expo in Vienna on 16th-17th June. Register here.

Business news in 5 minutes flat. Morning Brew breaks down markets, tech, and the economy — clearly, quickly, and with serious personality. 100% free. Join 4M+ Readers.