OUR STORY
THE MAN BEHIND THE REVOLUTION
Jaap Korteweg. The man. The legend. The Vegetarian Butcher himself. But that’s not who he’s always been. He was destined to follow in his parents’ footsteps and become a farmer, until that provocative voice in his head would start telling him to break from his family lineage and pursue unconventional farming methods: organic arable farming, without livestock. And so, the cornerstone for his plant-based revolution was set, and he’d soon be spearheading the new meat movement.
THROUGH THE YEARS
With over 10 years’ experience, we like to think we know what we’re talking about when it comes to meat alternatives…
Jaap Korteweg is a 9th generation farmer and founding father of The Vegetarian Butcher. But how does someone, having grown up on a farm among the cows in the Dutch countryside, decide to become a Vegetarian Butcher? When swine fever and mad cow disease were holding the Netherlands in their grip, Jaap witnessed first-hand the disastrous consequences to livestock.
From that moment on Jaap decided to become a vegetarian. But he missed the taste of animal meat, so decided to commit himself to developing meat substitutes that replicated real meat.
1998
This is the year that Jaap realised things needed to change.
An outbreak of swine fever and mad cow disease surges through the Netherlands, and Jaap is asked if thousands of carcasses can be kept in his cold stores, which he uses for his onions and carrots. Picturing animal carcasses piled high, Jaap declines, and realises the handling of animals must change.
Jaap always pictured tending to animals on his farm in an organic setting, where their quality life came above all else. So, the idea of then slaughtering those animals for meat left a sour taste in his mouth.
But Jaap still loved meat. The texture of it. The juiciness. He still wanted to eat it, but he no longer wanted to sacrifice animals for that desire.
Cue his new meat revolution, where nothing is sacrificed – not the animals, not taste, and, not texture.
A revolution is nothing without the people, though. That’s where you come in. We’re calling on the meat-lovers of the world to unite. To be bold and brave. To not give a cluck and rebel. To Sacrifice Nothing. And sink your teeth into the meat of the future.
The Butcher's Beliefs
WHAT MATTERS WHEN IT COMES TO OUR MEAT
HIGH-QUALITY MEAT
Made by meat lovers, for meat lovers. The Vegetarian Butcher is all about replicating that moreish taste and texture you get from meat, whilst being better for the planet and kinder to animals. We like to say, no meat substitutes, only meat successors.
FOOD REVOLUTION
This is an uprising. A food uprising. We’re standing up for plant-based nutrition and the lifestyle benefits that come with it. We’re part of a movement to change the meat industry for the better good of our health, the planet and animal welfare. Raise your forks, because a new age of meat has arrived.
CHAIN
Just as workhorses have been replaced by mechanical horsepower, animals will also become superfluous for the production of meat. By removing the animal from the food chain, we are working on an impactful change in the food supply. In this way, culinary traditions remain unchanged and you can put the tastiest dishes on the table in no time.