Introducing Evolved Foods
With all that we do through Rainmatter Health, one of our goals has been to help Indians eat better and live healthier lives. A key component of healthier eating is getting enough protein since it helps fuel your body, repair cells and add muscle mass. Despite the attention protein has been getting over the past few years, many people, especially vegetarians, struggle to get sufficient protein intake daily. There’s also a general bias that protein-rich food doesn’t taste as good as our usual meals. Many protein sources are also not sustainable, with meat and dairy protein sources having a higher carbon footprint.
Evolved Foods’ mission is to ensure every Indian moves from protein-deficient to protein-sufficient while retaining familiar flavour profiles for the average Indian.
Evolved Foods was started in 2018 by Roma and Pradeep, a husband-wife duo. They spent years working on R&D and customer trials, working with renowned chefs across India, to nail their 100% lean plant-based protein. While vegan and vegetarian protein sources like tofu and paneer are available, their products are designed to maintain low-fat content and the highest possible protein density.
Evolved Foods currently sells an unflavoured protein product, which can be used to cook with, and their heat-and-serve line ranges from Donne Biryani to Kung Pao!
We’re happy to continue our support for Evolved Foods; here’s a note from Roma and Pradeep (co-founders, Evolved Foods).
Our journey started on a rainy evening in 2018, in the heart of Bangalore, amidst the bustling traffic, when we grappled with a question, “Why have plant-based meats not gained popularity in India?”; a nation where even an innocent-looking dosa comes in 99 varieties. This got us thinking!
We first launched ‘House of Seitan’, a restaurant which offered ‘Seitan’ (a traditional meat alternative made with wheat protein). For the next 18 months, until the first wave of COVID hit, we personally interacted with more than 6000 customers and gathered feedback. These conversations and insights from the end users gave us the perspective about what food really means to us, the Indians. We knew that Food is an ‘Emotion’, Food is ‘Culture’, Food is ‘Prana’.
The journey of innovation & co-creation
By the end of 2020, amidst the pandemic, we achieved a significant milestone by developing a whole muscle textured plant protein product which was versatile, could absorb flavours and handle various cooking styles. When the entire world was shut down in their homes, we cooked and sent food to people in our apartments and kept improving our offerings based on the valuable feedback we received from people. This journey of innovation and co-creation gave birth to our patented Ready-to-Cook (RTC) product made with soya, rice protein and coconut which was a first of its kind in the market, leading to the establishment of our brand, Evolved Foods.
Feedback, feedback and more feedback
As we developed our manufacturing capabilities when we started selling our products, we also seized every opportunity to conduct consumer trials. This relentless pursuit has not only refined our base RTC product but also enabled us to craft over 150 diverse dishes – from pizzas and burgers to kebabs and biryanis, from Bengali kosha mangsho and Lukhnowi Dehati to Mangalore ghee roast and Tamil Nadu chettinad – showcasing the versatility of our product.
Collaboration and growth
Starting with the HoReCa (Hotel, Restaurant, and Café) sector, our hard work over the last two years has expanded our reach to nine-plus cities and numerous renowned restaurants and hotel chains across India, with our RTC products. We now supply our RTE products to both B2B and D2C clients, and we’re working on our international expansion.
What’s next?
As we continue to evolve, our commitment remains the same – to provide healthier, innovative, and delicious offerings. We aim to make a meaningful impact in the world of plant-based nutrition, ensuring everyone has access to high-quality, protein-rich foods that are as enjoyable as they are nutritious.
As we foray into the consumer space in Bangalore through our own platform and channel partners and unlock major Pan India HoReCa partnerships, we are excited to work on new R&D initiatives to expand our offerings to include diverse sources of proteins and crops which are native to this land.
As we move forward, we hope to continue receiving this love and support from all quarters. 🙂
