Those Vegan Cowboys Leads €1.2M Project on Cow-Free Casein for Sports Nutrition

From mycostories.com

• Dutch precision fermentation start-up Those Vegan Cowboys has been awarded a €1.2M subsidy to lead a consortium developing sports nutrition products from its animal-free casein.

• The project will study the nutritional and functional properties of recombinant caseins, which are made by microbes programmed with specific DNA, and turn the findings into prototypes.

• Running product development alongside regulatory review could shorten the route to market in Europe, where precision-fermented casein needs novel food approval.

Those Vegan Cowboys, a Dutch precision fermentation start-up, will lead a project to develop sports nutrition products using its animal-free casein protein. Partners are Interfood, HAS Green Academy and XXL Nutrition. According to a Green Queen report, the project runs until the end of March 2028 and is funded through the OpZuid programme by the European Regional Development Fund, the Dutch national government and the province of North Brabant.

Credits: Those Vegan Cowboys

Funding and Consortium Structure

The total project budget is €2.58M, of which more than €1.2M is public funding, led by CEO Hille van der Kaa. The partners cover the remainder through their own investment, including R&D capacity, personnel and development work.

Each partner has a defined role. Those Vegan Cowboys develops and produces the caseins. Interfood contributes knowledge of dairy proteins, ingredients and applications. HAS Green Academy provides research and product development expertise, and XXL Nutrition brings sports nutrition expertise, consumer knowledge and a route to products. The project is also meant to strengthen collaboration between companies, researchers and students in North Brabant, with a proving ground at Interfood.

Why Casein, and Why Several Caseins

Precision fermentation involves inserting specific DNA into microbes so that they produce a desired molecule during fermentation, without involving an animal. The technique is already widely used in the dairy industry to make rennet for cheese. Those Vegan Cowboys uses it to make recombinant caseins from cows, sheep, goats, buffaloes, llamas and other mammals, at laboratory scale.

Van der Kaa said casein's complete protein profile, slow digestion and sustained release of amino acids make it of interest for muscle recovery over a longer period than the hours immediately after exercise. She named strength and resistance athletes as the most relevant group. These are the company's working hypotheses, not findings; the project is designed to investigate them.

The start-up also wants to examine individual caseins, combinations and caseins from different species, to see whether any offer additional nutritional or functional benefits for specific athletes or applications. Possible formats include high-protein drinks, shakes, powders and bars. Van der Kaa described exploration as an important part of the work. The project follows Margaret's Finest, a collaborative discovery programme the company set up in July to test its ingredients in applications beyond cheese.

Regulatory Pathway and Market Position

Those Vegan Cowboys has self-affirmed its alpha-S1 casein as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) in the US and expects a "no questions" letter from the Food and Drug Administration later this year. It works with more than 10 food companies, including dairy firms Westland Kaas and Hochland, on cheese and milk chocolate products. Its earlier funding included a recent €12.25M ($14.2M) raise from equity and crowd investors, according to the report.

In Europe, precision-fermented casein requires novel food approval, which takes longer. Van der Kaa said the project lets the team research the proteins and validate applications while that process continues. She added that the exact regulatory timeline is not entirely in the company's hands.

The company has indicated it intends to file in Singapore and the UK as well as the EU. EU approval could automatically allow sales in the UK under a newly signed Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement. Elsewhere in the sector, Nutropy is also developing animal-free casein.

Credits: Those Vegan Cowboys

Open Questions

The potential benefits of these caseins for muscle recovery rest on the company's reasoning about casein's properties, and whether recombinant or cross-species caseins offer any advantage is what the project aims to find out. Consumer acceptance of protein-boosted sports products will also be assessed rather than assumed. The US and European approval outcomes, and their timing, will shape whether any resulting products reach shelves.

https://www.mycostories.com/post/those-vegan-cowboys-leads-1-2m-project-on-cow-free-casein-for-sports-nutrition

Philly’s vegan scene still has plenty on its plate

From billypenn.com

While data shows fewer plant-based eateries around the U.S. in recent years, Philadelphia's vegan restaurants are still vibrant 

Is the vegan restaurant scene in America struggling? That’s the concern expressed in the latest data from vegetarian restaurant guide HappyCow, which notes that the United States “no longer leads the world in vegan-friendly cities — that honour goes to London and Berlin.” 

However, while New York has been hit the hardest, going from 173 vegan restaurants in 2022 to 132 in 2026, and high veg-demand cities like Portland, OR and Los Angeles have also seen a drop in eateries still open, the Philly vegan and vegetarian restaurant scene has been holding its own in everything from award-winning fine-dining (see: Vedge and Pietramala) and weekday classics (e.g. Monster Vegan and the Nile Cafe) to global flavours (e.g. Casa Borinqueña, Unit Su Vedge and Say She Ate) and plant-friendly menus at places where meat is also available. 

What is causing the drop in sustainability for vegan businesses? According to VegNews, “Overall, diners are eating less, thanks to GLP-1 drugs, drinking less, dining out less and ordering in more. And there’s the matter of what they’re choosing to eat.” 

Vedge chef Rich Landau told the magazine that “the protein craze” – and not plant-based proteins like tempeh, tofu, lentils or other options – has been a factor. 

“But it’s a business,” Landau told VegNews. “You’ve got to know what you’re doing. Never take your eye off the ball.” Or in his case, never take your eye off the plates. He watches what comes back to the kitchen after each meal to assess which of his dishes are selling and which aren’t. The charred delicata squash with hominy fritters may make the angels sing, but if not enough people order it, Landau takes it off the menu. “It’s about changing, adapting yourself, your business,” he says. “You grow and you learn.”

It helps that Philly has a history of being welcoming to plant-based diners. It was the home of the American Vegan Center from 2021 until August of this year. It hosted several vegan festivals, history tours, open mic and game nights and other events since (note: World Vegan Month is coming in November, so keep an eye on their calendar!). It was the brick-and-mortar welcoming center for the American Vegan Society (AVS) — the longest-running national vegan organization in the United States, founded in 1960 in Malaga, New Jersey. 

Whether you’re veg-curious or fully onboard the vegan or vegetarian lifestyle or somewhere in between, Philly is fortunately a great place to be. We’ve compiled a list of some of the vegan-focused options around the city below. 

The local staples 

The Nile Cafe (6008 Germantown Ave.) is the oldest and longest-running vegan restaurant in the city. The diverse menu offers a vegan take on classic soul food dishes with a Caribbean-American twist that includes jerk chick’n, Jamaican patties, chick’n & gravy, vegan cakes and more. 

The restaurant also places an emphasis on supporting local farmers markets. 

LUHV Vegan Deli (& LUHV Vegan Bistro) – With a booth at Reading Terminal Market and a bistro at 1131 S. 19th St., LUHV was founded by Argentinian immigrants Silvia and Daniel Lucci and offers cold cuts and vegan sliced cheeses to go along with top-rated sandwiches, like their Reuben on rye and vegan tuna salad, which blends chickpeas and seaweed.

Known for their mushroom-based “chick’un” sandwiches and vegan cheesesteaks, Nourish (177 W. Girard Ave.) is a staple that brings diners from around the region to Northern Liberties for weekly fridge restocks and a cozy atmosphere. 

Also in Northern Liberties in Joy Cafe (630 N. 2nd St.), run by Alice Leung, whose menu of comforting noodle soups, unique sandwiches and more in a small, but thoughtfully decorated space is intended to serve as a third space that spreads “free joy” with notes in takeout orders.

20th Street Pizza‘s (108 S. 20th St.) reputation precedes them beyond Philly for their delicious vegan pizzas with vegan sausage, mozzarella and cashew cheese. 

The fast casual chain HipCityVeg closed two locations in the past year, including their Center City space on Broad Street, but still has their Rittenhouse spot at 127 S. 18th St., serving filling burgers, fries, shakes and more. 

Tattooed Mom (530 South St.) is a Philly street art staple and relaxed hipster bar that takes its vegan options more seriously than many vegan-friendly menus do at mainstream spots. Think: vegan pickle fried chicken sandwich, vegan cheesesteaks, vegan potato and onion pierogi, vegan Nashville hot chicken and more. 

Similarly, Monster Vegan (1229 Spruce St.) brings personality to its plant-based dishes, cocktails and mocktails — combining owners Ron Tadeo and Lauren Margaretta’s love of horror films and great vegan cuisine.

All-vegan diner The Tasty (1401 S. 12th St.) combines an old-school counter-space-only diner vibe with tofu scrambles, tofu egg and cheese, pancakes waffles, in-house baked donuts and more. 

Other popular local staples include: 

• Board game cafe Queen & Rook at 123 South St. (which is soon to expand into the former Thirsty Dice space on Fairmount Avenue)
• 
• Vegan eats and board games at Queen and Rook. (Heather J. Chin/Billy Penn)
•  
• Grindcore House (1515 S. 4th St.) offering coffee, lattes, breakfast sandwiches & vegan baked goods in Dickinson Narrows, 
• Lightbox Cafe (704 S. 4th St.), 
• PS&Co (1706 Locust St.) emphasizing an organic, gluten-free, kosher vegan food in a bright, airy space, 
• All the Way Live’s (6108 Germantown Ave.) raw and vegan cafe, and 
• Yellow Bicycle Canteen (soon to reopeon at 12th and Sansom streets by the end of the year). 

For date nights

Whether you’re planning a date night, girls’ night out or fancy dinner for family, Landau’s James Beard-nominated Vedge (1221 Locust St.) was one of a wave of fine-dining establishments in and before 2011 to normalize and elevate vegan cuisine in the mainstream. 

Then there is relative newcomer and Michelin-recognized Pietramala (614 N. 2nd St.) with its mouth-watering inventive seasonal menus that bring regulars back for more. 

Frequent mentions on Philly message boards also always include Fitz on 4th (743 S. 4th St.) combining a go-to kosher menu with crowd-pleasing tapas, Bar Bombón’s (133 S. 18th St.) signature vegan fare with a Latin flare, Charlie Was A Sinner (131 S. 13th St.) making vegan small plates and cocktails sexy in a moody, dark atmosphere, and Miss Rachel’s Pantry (1908 S. Chadwick St.) offering elevated comfort food and a prix fixe menu. 

Global flavours 

While veganism and vegetarianism are still considered out of the mainstream in the United States, people in the Asia-Pacific region, South Asian and Latin American countries have large populations who follow vegetarian diets. 

Data from YouGov and Veganuary calculated that approximately 25.8 million people globally tried veganism in January 2025. 

That comfort level with plant-based eating is also reflected in Philadelphia. 

• Casa Borinqueña (2557 Amber St.), billed as California’s first vegan Puerto Rican restaurant, soft-launched its second location in East Kensington last year, bringing vegan mofongo cups, tostones, bori fries, pasteles and alcapurrias to the city. 
• Unit Su Vedge (2000 Hamilton St.) has an extensive menu of Chinese classics
• La Llamita Vegana (4500 Worth St., Suite A303) serves traditional Peruvian cuisine with organic, gluten-free and vegan ingredients at both their store and at events around the city. 

• Vegans Are Us (1016-1018 Race St.) inside the Chinatown Square food court comes courtesy of chef Sharonda Harris-Bunton, whose health-centred approach to delicious vegan cooking comes with “a touch of soul.” 
• BTW, It’s Vegan (William H. Gray III 30th Street Station) keeps commuters healthy and stomachs happy thanks to Shon “Chef Sunflower” Emanuel’s menu of hand-crafted bowls, wraps, desserts and dishes like shrimp and broccoli, curry chick’n and bbq ribs. 

• Say She Ate (1408 South St.) is a Mumbai-inspired vegan cafe offering cheesesteaks, kofta bowls and samosas.
• Hibiscus Cafe (4907 Catharine St.) serves Jamaican-inspired vegan cheesesteaks and fresh smoothies in University City.

https://billypenn.com/2026/10/14/vegan-restaurants-philadelphia-vegetarians-plant-based-dining/

Think tofu is boring? These tempeh and tofu products might change your mind

From veganfoodandliving.com

By Holly Johnson, Helen Greaves, Rachel Smith

From simple tofu to tasty tempeh bites, these are the best tofu and tempeh products to buy in UK stores now

When building a healthy, balanced vegan diet, whole-food plant-based proteins like tofu and tempeh are among the best products to include. Packed with complete protein, essential minerals, and minimal processing, these soy staples offer endless versatility in the kitchen.

Tofu is a particularly versatile ingredient, able to soak up the flavours of everything from sweet and sticky stir fries to fiery curry dishes. It’s smooth enough to be blended into a sauce while firm enough to be fried until golden and crispy, and can even be used in sweet vegan tofu dessert recipes.

Meanwhile, gut health-friendly fermented tempeh offers a firm bite and earthy flavour, adding a meat-free meaty chew to a range of vegan tempeh recipes, from chunky tempeh scramble to smoky tempeh burgers.

With dozens of tofu and tempeh products available in UK supermarkets, finding the right one for your meal can feel overwhelming. To help you decide, we’ve picked out the best store-bought tofu and tempeh brands and put them to the test. Here’s what the Vegan Food & Living team thought:

1. Clearspring Organic Japanese Silken Tofu – Best for versatility

RRP: £1.80 | clearspring.co.uk | Available at Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, and Ocado
Overall score: 5/5

Silken tofu is one of the most versatile ingredients in a vegan kitchen, and Clearspring’s Organic Japanese Silken Tofu shows you exactly why. Made from just three ingredients, water, organic soya beans and nigari, it has a clean flavour and a wonderfully smooth texture that lends itself to a wide variety of dishes. I recently used it to create a creamy pasta sauce and was genuinely impressed by the results.

One of the biggest strengths of this product is its adaptability. It can be used in pasta sauces, soups, dips, dressings and spreads, yet works just as well in sweet recipes such as cheesecakes, mousses and puddings. Its mild flavour means it readily takes on the character of whatever ingredients you pair it with, making it an excellent foundation for creative cooking.

Nutritionally, it offers 6.5 grams of protein per 100 grams while remaining low in fat and calories, with just 61 calories per 100 grams. It is also a source of magnesium, making it a useful addition to a balanced plant-based diet.

Tester: Debra Butler

2. Better Nature Original Tempeh – Best for high-protein dinners

RRP: £2.75 | betternaturetempeh.co | Available at Tesco, Asda, and Ocado

Overall score: 5/5

Tempeh seems to be an acquired taste for some, but I would argue that you just need to know how to cook it! More than just a high protein meat alternative, tempeh is core to many of my meals, including tacos, bolognese, ‘’bacon’ sandwiches and curries.

Better Nature tempeh is one of my favourites. It has a lovely, firm bite which is often missing from vegan meals and it slices and crumbles well. I like to air fry it for a short time to crisp it up slightly, marinated first in whatever sauce or spices match my meal choice. What’s more, it’s made with just three ingredients and has a very low-carbon rating.

With 44 grams of protein per pack, this is a staple in my household for keeping teenagers full for longer and myself feeling satiated and ready to tackle a full-on day. A fridge essential!

Tester: Holly Johnson

3. Cauldron Authentic Tofu – Best for creamy sauces & scramble

RRP: £2.90| cauldronfoods.co.uk | Available at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose
Overall score: 4/5

Another staple in my fridge, Cauldron Authentic Tofu is my go-to for tofu scramble. Because it’s packed in water, it’s super soft and mashes easily. It’s also light and airy, meaning it absorbs marinade well. I simply add turmeric, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt and pepper to create a high-protein, tasty breakfast.

This would also work well blended into a thick, creamy sauce for pasta or added to a noodle ramen dish just before serving. However, because of its high water content, this product isn’t ideal for chopping and slicing, if you wanted to use it in a curry or sandwich, for example. You can, of course, press it, but I find that even after doing so it’s still very soft and spongy.

Still, a brilliant, affordable tofu option that’s readily available in most major supermarkets.

Tester: Holly Johnson

4. Tofoo & Co Extra Firm Teriyaki Tofu – Best for cooking in a hurry

RRP: £2.85 | tofoo.co.uk| Available at Sainsbury’s

Overall score: 4/5

Stir-frying tofu over a hot hob in an epic heatwave was not my idea of fun, but definitely worth it for the delicious umami flavours of teriyaki tofu. The Tofoo Co, recently rebranded to Tofoo & Co, is arguably one of the market leaders in the tofu category, and it’s easy to see why. This tofu stays firm and doesn’t crumble when you chop it, and crisps up beautifully in a wok, air fryer or frying pan.

The teriyaki marinade was wonderfully strong and flavourful (sometimes pre-marinated tofu needs a little more kick, but this was just right). I especially liked that the packaging recommended reserving the excess liquid and using it in the finished dish. I made a very simple peanut butter and soy sauce noodle dish – you don’t need to add much more flavour when the marinade is so good.

This is yet another great product from the Tofoo & Co range.

Tester: Jenny Davies

5. Tiba Tempeh Protein Bites – Best for snacking on the go

RRP: £1.50 | tibatempeh.com | Available at Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, and Ocado
Overall score: 4/5

How brilliant to finally have a handy, healthy, high-fibre, protein-packed alternative to crisps when you fancy a savoury snack!

These small bags are super satisfying and actually hit the spot when you need something to munch on as a stopgap between meals or as a pre-or post-workout boost. The flavour is mild and gently seasoned, and reminiscent of sausages with its soft texture.

I would love to see more flavours in the range, or for the flavour profile to be dialled up more to make them even more munchable, as some people may find the flavour a little bland. But the pack size is great (one bag gives you a whopping 12 grams of protein and 2.5 grams of fibre!) while being low in fat.

A fantastic new option to keep in your cupboard for when hunger strikes.

Tester: Rachel Smith

6. THIS Extra Firm Mushroom Tofu (with Spinach & 4 Seed Mix) – Best for something different

RRP: £3 | this.co | Available at Waitrose, Tesco, and Sainsbury’s

Overall score: 4.5/5

If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, move along. This was not the subtly mushroom-based tofu product I was expecting. As soon as I opened the packet, I was hit with a pungent, earthy smell, but luckily, as a fan of funghi, this smelled amazing to me, and I couldn’t wait to dig in.

Raw, it looks a little like grey meatloaf, but it holds firm when sliced and contains chunky morsels of chopped mushroom to help keep the texture moist and interesting. Pan-frying the mushroom tofu makes it look much more appetising, with a golden, crispy edge to each piece.

I was pleased to find that it wasn’t soggy or mushy like some ‘plant loaf’-style proteins can be. This is firm, meaty and chewy, with a good umami flavour that’s not bland when eaten alone, but neutral enough to be used in a variety of recipes. I can also confirm that the taste and texture are still great if you let the pan-fried tofu go cold.

Overall, it’s a delightful surprise to find a genuinely delicious new meat alternative.

Tester: Helen Greaves

How we test our products:

The Vegan Food & Living team sample offerings from various brands – both new launches and established products – rating them on visual appeal, taste, texture, packaging and health credentials. The overall rating awarded is based on all of these factors.

Make the most of your newfound favourites with these delicious vegan tofu recipes

https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/products/best-vegan-tofu-tempeh-products-test/