“Nowhere is the environmental crisis more pressing than in the food industry.”
Yvon Chouinard, CEO & Founder, Patagonia
Joy— our perennial example for the art of serving others
Our WHY
We are on a mission to help people have more ECONOMICAL, HEALTHY AND DIFFERENTIATED FOOD OPTIONS while helping ELIMINATE SERIOUS challenges IN our GLOBAL food system.
For vegetarians, it has been a constant challenge to find fresh, high protein options that offer satiety AND broad flavors. For non-vegetarians who want to (or have to) cut back on animal protein (‘flexitarians’), it is still difficult to find options that are BOTH satisfying AND healthy. So, we set out to make a food platform that is offers CRAVABLE, SUSTAINABLE and PROFITABLE food solutions. What’s more, our system is a powerful unlock for chefs and culinary pros looking for dynamic new flavor frontiers in KOJI and beyond.
Beyond health and nutrition issues, we also found ourselves amidst rising concerns with carbon sequestration, water supplies, land use, mono-cropping, methane production and other environmental implications involving livestock. We have also dedicated ourselves to producing a shelf-stable food model that does not require refrigerated or frozen distribution— a massive opportunity to reduce costs while elevating sustainable benefits.
The quest for innovations in our food system became front and center to our entrepreneurial team. Joy and Steven supplied relevant knowledge, invaluable passion and ‘walk the talk’ authenticity. John brought an inventor’s industriousness and a pit-bull’s determination to make this idea REAL.
And, as a partner who has invested in bringing the Planit Pod appliance platform to market, Waring has infused invaluable energy and talent to propel us toward our shared goal of offering TRUE, VALUABLE innovation.
Our inspirational beginning
Gunter and Betsy - the early days
The incubator that sparked a new vision.
Gunter’s tie-dyed vision for peaceand the G APPROVED seal
Flashpoint
After nearly 40 years of making and perfecting tempeh, Gunter Pfaff and Betsy Shipley connected with Joy DuPuis of Tempeh Girls, a website dedicated to the benefits and delight of cooking with tempeh. Through Joy, Steven and John of the DuPuis Group joined with Gunter and Betsy and agreed to complete the US patent and commercialize the duo’s homemade, yet amazing, incubator.
“G APPROVED”
In 2015, after two years of rigorous R&D and osften less than successful results, our inspiring inventor and master tempeh maker, Gunter, lifted a fork to try the latest batch from yet another prototype. After a short pause he simply put down his fork and said, “It’s perfect”.
After that very happy day, only a few months later, we tragically lost Gunter to sudden illness. The “G Approved” seal will be a perennial acknowledgement of Gunter’s wisdom, high standards and significant life’s work that inspired the Planit Protein System. We proceed purposefully in his memory, and proudly, with his approval.
From those early beginnings, through voluminous testing, learning, breaking rules and pushing what even Gunter would have thought possible, we have since eclipsed the food form known as tempeh. Using that foundational learning and science of fermentation, we have introduced new process variables, recipe models and artisan twists that produce an exciting myriad of plant proteins. We could not be more excited by where we are NOW and where we all— together— are GOING.
We intend to see Planit Protein span this beautiful globe and into the hands, hearts and bellies of people like us— good humans who simply want MORE of BETTER.
Gunter: “the man.”
John, Betsy and an early Pod Tower
John Silva, Steven DuPuis and Joy DuPuis