Malaysians can now enjoy plant-based meat alternatives that are rich in Southeast Asian flavours
Kuala Lumpur, 29 November 2022 – Green Rebel, Indonesia’s leading alternative-protein startup has spread its wings to Malaysia as the second market expansion outside of Indonesia and Singapore. Green Rebel offers whole-cut plant-based meat alternatives for Southeast Asian consumers in search of a healthier flexitarian diet. Green Rebel’s products are thoughtfully curated by chefs, nutritionists and food technologists to provide the optimal nutrition and taste profile while minimising carbon footprint.
Green Rebel’s products are ready-to-cook and will only take less than six minutes from fridge to table, and can last up to 12 months in the freezer, which include chicken and beef alternatives, veggie protein and cheese. This has been designed for those who lead busy schedules and live fast-paced lifestyles as it is a more convenient option that many families have started adopting in their daily meal preparations.
Helga Angelina Tjahjadi, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder said, “We are excited to officially launch in Malaysia as Malaysians are known as foodies who enjoy trying new products with strong flavours. Prior to officially unveiling our products today, we have held soft launches in the past months through our participation in the Malaysian Veg Fest and also through our partnership with Hijau Kuala Lumpur to see the receptiveness of our products. We are happy to report that Malaysians have been very welcoming. The feedback we’ve received has been great, especially for our signature range s.a. Beefless Rendang & Satay as the flavours hit the spot and the meat-like texture has been perfected. This is a testament to our R&D capability to create products that are delicious, healthy and sustainable. Swapping to a flexitarian lifestyle is that much easier with our ready-to-cook frozen products.”
Max Mandias, Chief Innovation Officer and Co-Founder said, “In recent years, be it for businesses or consumers, sustainability is becoming a way of life. Consumers are becoming more health and environmentally conscious and as such, we see a trend of people swapping to a flexitarian lifestyle. Our products were conceptualised to cater to the everyday consumer who wants to eat healthy, yet not compromise on taste profiles. With Rebel Texturization and Rebel Emulsion – Green Rebel’s proprietary tech – we are able to create fibrous meat texture from shiitake mushrooms and non-GMO soy, and successfully mimic the experience of eating whole-cut meat. It’s a win-win situation for consumers who want to do right by the environment yet enjoy a hearty meal.”
Green Rebel will be partnering with chef-driven local restaurants in Malaysia to create different renditions of its popular dishes such as the Beefless Rendang (Image 1) and Chick’n Satay (Image 2) as well as a wide range of other plant-based meat alternatives products. Green Rebel will be available at Hijau Kuala Lumpur, Simply Good Food, The Hungry Tapir, Crown Colony, Vicked Good, Atlas, Vegan District, and Tanoshi Mart. Take-home packs will be available for sale at selected retailers, with plans for launch into supermarkets on the horizon.
Beefless Rendang (Image 1)
Chick’n Satay (Image 2)
PROUDLY MADE BY ASIANS
Launched in September 2020, Green Rebel is Indonesia’s leading alternative protein startup that is revolutionising the way we approach plant-based meat alternatives — whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, or even a meat lover.
Combining culinary expertise, nutrition know-how, and food technology, Green Rebel has created the building blocks of truly tasty plant-based meat alternatives. All Green Rebel products are crafted from natural plant-based ingredients, and in addition to having no added MSG, there are also no preservatives and refined sugar used. The result is an exciting range of signature Indonesian and Asian flavours that appeal to palates in this part of the world.
Whole foods such as mushroom and non-GMO soy are combined with minimally processed and wholegrain cassava flour, rice flour and whole oats to create Green Rebel’s nutrition-packed base protein. Natural spices and herbs like lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, coriander, tamarind and chilli not only impart flavour,but has natural umami flavour experience that is integral to our taste buds — eliminating the need for added MSG.
WELCOME TO FLAVOUR TOWN
All Green Rebel products are high in protein, and contain zero cholesterol, less saturated fat and significantly higher dietary fibre compared to their animal counterparts — yet retain the texture and bite of meat thanks to its proprietary tech, Rebel Texturisation and Rebel Emulsion.
Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer Max Mandias has developed a set of unique processes that successfully mimics the experience of eating whole-cut meat. A proprietary formulation of coconut oil, water and natural vegan seasoning, created through emulsion technology, acts as an animal fat replacement to achieve the distinctive taste, aroma and juiciness one associates with animal protein.
This enables Green Rebel to create the fibrous meat textures evident in the whole-cut Beefless and Chick’n products. Some of Green Rebel’s flagship products include the fragrant Beefless Rendang and Beefless Steak — Asia’s first whole-cut steak that is meaty and satisfying — as well as the smoky Chick’n Satay with a hint of chicken flavour and tender texture.
All Green Rebel products are thoughtfully designed to be cooked in different methods popular in the region. Lightly flavoured with a good bite, Green Rebel “meats” are able to absorb deep flavours and marination and are also heat-stable — making them perfect for Asian culinary methods from hotpot and stir-frying to braising, steaming, stewing, grilling, even deep frying while retaining their texture.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Green Rebel is part of the Burgreens Group, Indonesia’s largest leading plant-based eatery chains, and is today available in over 1,000 F&B establishments in Indonesia and Singapore including Starbucks, Fore Coffee, Kopitiam Killiney, and Dominos, as well as in more than 100 retailers in both countries.
Founders Helga Angelina Tjahjadi and Chef Max Mandias — both long-time vegans — started Green Rebel with a commitment to make plant-based meat as an everyday staple for people from all walks of life looking for meals that can be prepared fast, are delicious, cost-effective and widely available while minimising negative impact on the environment. Singapore was the first country outside of Indonesia that Green Rebel expanded into, and after Malaysia, Green Rebel will focus on launching in the Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea, and Australia.
One of the most exciting alt-meat brands to launch in this part of the world, Green Rebel’s regional/APAC expansion was funded by an oversubscribed US$7 million pre-A round ahead of series A funding.
Investors include:
- Unovis, a leader in alt protein investment with over 15 years’ experience that has backed the likes of dairy alternative brand Oatly, and alternative protein brands Beyond Meat, Good Catch and Starfield (China’s top alt protein brand);
- Teja Ventures, a gender-lense venture capital fund investing in women-led and women-impacting startups
- Better Bite Ventures, a mission-driven venture capital fund investing in APAC alternative protein startups with unicorn potential;
- AgFunder, a venture capital fund investing in bold and impactful technologies that rapidly transform our food and agriculture system;
- CJ Group, the leading conglomerate focusing on Asian and Korean flavours
- Kane Lim, Singapore-born entrepreneur and Netflix star
For more information, please log on to www.greenrebelfoods.com
About Green Rebel
Green Rebel — Indonesia’s leading alternative protein start-up offering whole-cut plant-based meat alternatives for the Southeast Asian consumer in search of a healthier flexitarian diet. Founders Helga Angelina and Chef Max Mandias — both long-time vegans — started Green Rebel with a commitment to make plant-based meat delicious, affordable and accessible, while minimising any impact on the environment.
Integrating whole foods such as mushroom, non-GMO soy and rolled oats, as well as natural spices and herbs like galangal, turmeric and chilli, Green Rebel offers signature Indonesian and Asian flavours like Beefless Rendang and Chick’ n Satay.
Green Rebel launched in Indonesia in September 2020, and is founded by the same team that founded Burgreens, Indonesia’s largest and leading plant-based eatery chains. Launching outside Indonesia with Singapore in April 2022, Malaysia in November 2022, Green Rebel is set to expand into the Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea, and Australia.