Plant-based fried oyster analog debuts in New Orleans

The Plant Based Seafood Co. recently debuted a plant-based oyster analog product in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A.

Creating a plant-based oyster po’ boy with the taste and texture of the original was a tall order, the company’s co-founder and vice president of innovations, Shelly Van Cleve, told SeafoodSource. However, the company has done just that, offering the first plant-based oyster analog for a fried oyster po’ boy sandwich at New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A.-based NOLA Po’ Boys in early December.

“My family hails from New Orleans. N’awlins is no joke when it comes to their love of seafood and we knew there was only one place to unveil our plant-based fried oyster. Go big big or go home, so we went big!,” Van Cleve said. “We have a fabulous product and we would never have put it up against or set the bar so high if it were not.”

The unveiling at NOLA Poboy's was so successful the restaurant owner is adding both the plant-based oyster analog and plant-based shrimp analog from the Plant Based Seafood Co. to its menu in 2022, Van Cleve said.

The Plant Based Seafood Co., based in Gwynn’s Island, Virginia, will start shipping its Mind Blown Plant Based Oyster to foodservice companies in the second quarter of 2022.

Oysters have also been expensive and difficult to source, so offering a “clean-ingredient” plant-made fried oyster allows price and availability stabilization on restaurant menus, according to Van Cleve.

“We are the very first to develop this oyster (made from plants) that will further our product line as well as increase the plant-made seafood dishes offered on menus,” Van Cleve said.

The plant-based oyster analog is also the company’s first foodservice offering. Its other Mind Blown plant-based seafood analogs are sold at Harris Teeter, Thrive Market, and numerous other retailers. Products include Coconut Shrimp, Dusted Scallops, and Dusted Shrimp. The company’s Mind Blown scallops received the Best Plant Based Seafood Award at the recent Plant Based World Expo in New York City.

Photo courtesy of The Plant Based Seafood Co.