First Vegan Butcher Shop in the U.S. Set to Open in Minneapolis

The first vegan butcher shop in the U.S. has just been successfully funded through Kickstarter...

Siblings Aubry and Kale Walch, are on a mission to open the world's first vegan butcher shop. After blitzing their Kickstarter goal, this dream is close to becoming a reality with The Herbivorous Butcher set to open its doors in Minneapolis, U.S.A around April, 2015.

The Walches, who started their business in June of this year, have created complex and flavorful products to satisfy any herbivore, omnivore, and even self‐proclaimed carnivores. They've been operating from a stall at the Minneapolis Farmer's Market, and have sold out of their vegan ribs, sausages and deli meats every day since day one.

They say of their product, “We have carefully crafted 100% vegan, cruelty-free meat alternatives that capture the best flavors, textures, and nutrients that meats have to offer without their negative impacts on health, animals, and the environment."

Successfully reaching their Kickstarter goal means the siblings will now be able to set up a commercial kitchen and retail shopfront, plus offer delivery of their products throughout the U.S.

They also say, "A shop would provide us with enough space to make more weekly specials, as well as vegan cheeses, deli meats, meat rubs, marinades, breads, and regular gluten-free products."

The Herbivorous Butcher is a Minneapolis based company; and will continue to keep their ingredient sources close to home. Whenever possible, they will source local, sustainable, organic ingredients from local farmers and milling companies.

Aubry has been a vegetarian for 18 years, while Kale turned from omnivore to vegan more recently. Having grown up in Guam where meat and seafood were a major focus of the dinner table, they have worked hard to perfect their vegan meat products and blend the variety of flavors, spices, and textures used in Guamanian cuisine with culinary cultures from across the world.

So if meat-free Maple-Glazed Bacon, Hawaiian Ribs, Andouille Sausage, Scarborough Chicken, Beer Brats, Mexican Chorizo, Pulled Pork, and Maple Sage Breakfast Sausages sound pretty good to you, you can still support their Kickstarter here .

Why is eating less meat important?

A report conducted by the Chatham House, titled Livestock – Climate Change's Forgotten Sector Global Public Opinion on Meat and Dairy Consumption , explains that the consumption of meat and dairy is a major driver of climate change.

Without a shift in global meat and dairy consumption, it will be impossible to keep temperature rises below 2 degrees celsius.

One person eating just one less 150g serve of red meat a week for 12 months can save significant amounts of carbon pollution (our estimate is about 195kg), and approximately 10,000 litres of water over a year as well.

Manage your weekly diet to include lots of cereals, nuts, fruits and vegetables and/or non red meats.