Beyond Meat® Announces Latest Expansion in Plant-Based Chicken Platform

Following this summer’s introduction of Beyond Chicken^® Tenders in foodservice and successful launches of plant-based chicken at Panda Express and A&W Canada, Beyond Meat is debuting Beyond Chicken Tenders in prominent retail chains in select markets across the U.S., starting in October

Beyond Meat is also increasing accessibility of its revolutionary plant-based offerings at Walmart, including a 70% increase in the number of stores offering Beyond Breakfast Sausage^® Patties

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Sept. 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Beyond Meat^® (NASDAQ: BYND), a leader in plant-based meat, today announced that following multiple successful launches of its best-in-class plant-based chicken items in foodservice, it is debuting its Beyond Chicken^® Tenders (MSRP: $4.99) at select retailers nationwide in response to consumer demand.

In addition to the retail rollout of the delicious plant-based chicken tenders, Beyond Meat is also increasing its retail product distribution of other Beyond Meat products at Walmart stores in which Beyond Meat products are currently sold, making this the third such expansion this year alone.

Beyond Meat, a pioneer in the plant-based poultry category, introduced its first chicken product in 2012 and has since doubled down on the category with multiple plant-based chicken launches this year. In response to positive taste reviews and consumer demand, Beyond Meat is proud to debut Beyond Chicken Tenders at select retailers nationwide. With crunchy, golden breading and a juicy, tender bite, Beyond Chicken Tenders are designed to offer the same great taste as traditional chicken tenders but with 50% less saturated fat.¹ Like all Beyond Meat products, Beyond Chicken Tenders contain no GMOs, antibiotics, hormones or cholesterol.

Unlocking the potential of the faba bean

Through rapid and relentless innovation, Beyond Meat’s research, innovation and culinary teams are focused on creating plant-based meat that is indistinguishable from their animal equivalent in taste while being better for people and the planet.

The protein in Beyond Chicken Tenders is derived from the faba bean, a nutrient-packed legume crop. Its unique qualities make it the optimal ingredient for replicating the taste and texture of traditional chicken tenders. After popularizing pea protein with the iconic Beyond Burger^®, Beyond Meat continues to unlock the potential of new plant protein sources.

Doubling down on poultry as early pioneers in the category

The retail rollout of Beyond Chicken Tenders follows a successful foodservice launch earlier this summer. Right out of the gate, the National Restaurant Association awarded the foodservice Beyond Chicken Tenders the prestigious 2021 Food and Beverage (FABI) Award for its groundbreaking taste and versatility, marking the company’s fifth straight FABI win.

Beyond Chicken Tenders is one in a series of breakthrough plant-based chicken innovations from Beyond Meat, including:

• Beyond™ The Original Orange Chicken™, a plant-based take on the best-selling menu item at Panda Express that was available for a limited time at select locations this summer, and became one of Panda’s most successful regional launches to date. Less than two weeks into its launch, Beyond The Original Orange Chicken sold out across all participating Southern California locations.
• Beyond Meat Nuggets, a plant-based chicken nugget that debuted in more than 1,000 A&W Canada locations nationwide for a limited time this summer. The product was so popular it sold out across all stores.
• Beyond Fried Chicken™, a plant-based chicken innovation created exclusively for KFC and offered for a limited-time in Atlanta in 2019 and Charlotte, Nashville and SoCal in 2020, making KFC the first national U.S. QSR to introduce plant-based chicken.
  

“Following the success of our plant-based chicken in restaurants, fans were eager to get their hands on a retail product that’s readily accessible and can be cooked at home anytime,” said Deanna Jurgens, Chief Growth Officer, Beyond Meat. “We’re thrilled to be answering consumer demand by launching Beyond Chicken Tenders at prominent retailers nationwide, continuing our momentum in the plant-based poultry category.”

Beyond Chicken Tenders come pre-cooked, ready-to-heat in the air fryer, oven or microwave for a crowd-pleasing meal that’s ready in under 10 minutes. Starting in October, shoppers can find Beyond Chicken Tenders in the frozen food aisle in select Walmart, Jewel-Osco, Safeway NorCal, Harris Teeter, Giant Foods and ShopRite stores across the country with additional availability expected to be added later this year.

Increasing accessibility to plant-based meat options

In addition to offering the new Beyond Chicken Tenders, Walmart plans to increase the number of stores offering Beyond Breakfast Sausage^® Classic Patties by more than 1,500 stores and Beyond Breakfast Sausage Spicy Patties by more than 1,300 stores, as well as increasing availability of Beyond Meatballs™ and Beyond Beef^® Crumbles. This broader product expansion at Walmart is already the third this year, following the introduction of Beyond Meatballs™ in May and Beyond Sausage^® Hot Italian in March.

Visit Beyond Meat’s store locator to find Beyond Chicken Tenders, Beyond Breakfast Sausage and more at a store near you.

About Beyond Meat
Beyond Meat, Inc. (NASDAQ: BYND) is one of the fastest growing publicly-traded food companies in the United States, offering a portfolio of revolutionary plant-based proteins made from simple ingredients without GMOs, bioengineered ingredients, hormones, antibiotics or cholesterol. Founded in 2009, Beyond Meat products are designed to have the same taste and texture as animal-based meat while being better for people and the planet. Beyond Meat’s brand commitment, Eat What You Love™, represents a strong belief that there is a better way to feed our future and that the positive choices we all make, no matter how small, can have a great impact on our personal health and the health of our planet. By shifting from animal-based meat to plant-based protein, we can positively impact four growing global issues: human health, climate change, constraints on natural resources and animal welfare. As of June 2021, Beyond Meat had products available at approximately 119,000 retail and foodservice outlets in over 80 countries worldwide. Visit www.BeyondMeat.com and follow @BeyondMeat, #BeyondBurger and #GoBeyond on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

Beyond Meat Forward Looking Statements
Certain statements in this release constitute “forward-looking statements.” These statements are based on management’s current opinions, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or projections regarding future events or future results. These forward-looking statements are only predictions, not historical fact, and involve certain risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions. Actual results, levels of activity, performance, achievements and events could differ materially from those stated, anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements. While Beyond Meat believes that its assumptions are reasonable, it is very difficult to predict the impact of known factors, and, of course, it is impossible to anticipate all factors that could affect actual results. There are many risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements made herein including, most prominently, the risks discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 1, 2021, and the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 3, 2021 filed with the SEC on August 12, 2021, as well as other factors described from time to time in the Company's filings with the SEC. Such forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release. Beyond Meat undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law. If we do update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be made that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

Media Contact:
Shira Zackai
shira.zackai@beyondmeat.com

                                              

¹ Vs. the leading traditional breaded tenders

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5b017f60-9d6a-4235-bb35-8508be579cdb