What is made from seaweed, peas, and konjac root? That’s right: vegan shrimp – or «vrimp,» as Nestlé called the product it tested on the market [in 2021].

Back then, expectations surrounding vegan substitutes were high. Suddenly, it seemed conceivable that millions and millions of people would give up meat and fish and turn to pea protein and jackfruit instead. Manufacturers of meat substitutes such as Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat were celebrated as the pioneers of a sustainable, vegan future, while Microsoft founder Bill Gates and actor Leonardo DiCaprio invested in plant-based burgers.

At the Nestlé headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, people seemed convinced that vegan meat substitutes were the next big thing. But today, just three years later, everything is different. Vrimp? Never made it past the test phase. Beyond Meat? Fighting for survival. And the boom in meat substitutes? Has definitely fizzled out.

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