Supporting China’s Carbon Neutrality Goal, Presenting Instant Food with More Care and Health

SHANGHAI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Zrou, the plant-based protein brand under YouKuai Group, has launched a series of seven chef line ready-to-heat products created by five Chinese celebrity chefs, including Jereme Leung. The seven products are all made with Zrou plant-based protein’s base product, and cover dumplings, buns, Lu Rou rice, Beijing Zha Jiang noodle and Singaporean curry meatballs. By collaborating with five celebrity chefs including Jereme Leung, Dong Li, Chunfeng Lu, Hu Zhang and Anthony Zhao, Zrou takes another step to lead the way in plant-based food innovation, aiming to become a new healthy choice for China's younger generation. All products are available to consumers through Zrou branded eCommerce channels, including the Zrou official WeChat store, JD store and Douyin store, as well as offline mid-to-high-end supermarkets nationwide including Da’ning Jiuguang FreshMart, City Super, Takashimaya, MUJI, Apita and Apio in Shanghai, 10 Ito-Yokado stores in Sichuan.

Under China’s major strategic goal to reach carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, it has become an inevitable trend for all age groups to pay more attention to healthy diets. YouKuai sees product innovation as the critical path to low-carbon development and hopes to take a leadership role in the food sector in this global green revolution towards the adoption of plant-based diets. Franklin Yao, Founder and CEO of YouKuai, said, "We want to build a world worth inheriting for our next generations, a world that is not only sustainable, but also caring, creative and inspirational. That is why YouKuai has always seen food innovation as the connection between plant-based foods, celebrity chefs, consumers, and convenient and tasty foods.”

The chef line products are a full range of delicious, healthier and low-carbon foods, all made with plant-based ingredients. The entire production process was in line with the respective chefs’ recipes. Chunfeng Lu, renowned chef from Shanghai, created the Zrou Southern Style Dumplings with Mixed Mushrooms and the Zrou Southern Style Buns with Mixed Vegetables; Hu Zhang, the master pastry chef from Beijing created the Zrou Northern Style Dumplings with Pak Choi and Zrou Northern Style Buns with Shiitake and Bean Sprouts; Michelin-starred chef Dong Li created the Zrou Old Beijng Zha Jiang Noodle; popular chef and food blogger from Shanghai; Anthony Zhao created the Shanghainese Braised Zrou Rice; internationally acclaimed Chinese chef Jereme Leung brought his creation of Southeast Asian delicacy to the Singaporean Curry Rice with Zrou Meatballs.

It is worth noting that the chef line series is also the first products launched by the YouKuai Innovation Lab, led by co-founder and celebrity chef David Laris, consisting of an R&D team, a culinary team and a team of chef consultants. “Taste is the key to making plant-based food more accessible to consumers," said David Laris, "We are leading the way in plant-based eating by taking chefs from behind the scenes to the front, creating original recipes with our R&D team, and being personally involved in the development and production process. Our intention is to bring the chef's dedication to excellence to ensure a great first experience of plant-based protein for consumers.”

The chef line products meet the dietary demands of young people seeking "convenient and delicious", allowing consumers to easily enjoy the chefs’ works at home and reinventing the concept of convenient frozen food, giving consumers a low fat, convenient and high-pleasure meal.

About YouKuai Group International

Founded in 2019, YouKuai Group International (“YouKuai”) aims to create a holistic plant-based food and beverage ecosystem in China and to reshape the global plant-based cuisine landscape, starting with Chinese consumers both locally and regionally. The Company’s purpose is to create a world worth inheriting for future generations through protein diversification, and its mission is to empower the world’s consumers to make the “More Good” (plant-based) choice for a worthy world, by creating tasty food with a “More Good” version in all food categories currently using animal protein, and by creating charismatic brands to appeal to more consumers on an intergenerational basis. YouKuai is partnering with scientists and chefs to develop tasty, healthy and sustainable products with creative presentations. With more brands to come, YouKuai’s current portfolio includes plant-based protein brand Zrou with multiple product lines, and sustainable lifestyle content-media brand OwnWhatYouEat. YouKuai takes pride in building an active, influencing and loyal community of enthusiasts and early adopters that would accelerate the adoption of plant-based eating into mainstream consumption. YouKuai Group is a proud advocate of SDGs 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 15 (Life on Land). In July 2021, YouKuai was recognized by the UN Food Systems Summit as one of 50 Best Small Businesses providing “Good Food for All”.

About Zrou

YouKuai’s first brand and product, Zrou, which takes the form of plant-based ground pork, has become a well-recognized plant-based protein brand in China. Zrou sources all of its ingredients in China, including non-GMO soybeans in the Northeast, and is manufactured in China. Zrou offers an alternative to people who want to eat less meat, but still want to enjoy the dishes that they have grown up with and crave. Zrou prides itself as a homegrown brand and is well-positioned to tackle two major challenges of popularizing alternative protein in China: taste and market education.

Zrou Website：https://zroumovement.com/

Zrou Official WeChat Account (ID：ZrouFood)

Contacts

Media：

Cynthia Xia Senior Manager, Brand and PR Phone: +86 186 7560 7875 Email: Cynthia.xia@youkuaifood.com

Angela Chen PR Supervisor Phone: +86 138 1995 0131 Email: Angela.chen@youkuaifood.com