ANOTHER WAY TO ENJOY VEGETABLES

The co-founder of Vince, Debbie Stowe, revealed that the creation of the vegetable mince company began with Stowe searching for a way to change her family’s eating habits as her daughter experienced ongoing issues with eczema.

Following the sale of her cafe, Stowe began considering a new business venture. The inspiration behind Vince stemmed from Stowe noticing parents around her struggling to prepare healthy meals for their families.

As a chef herself, Stowe began experimenting with ways to include more vegetables into meals in an effort to make a positive impact and improve health outcomes.

Vince is a meal-ready solution crafted from New Zealand-grown vegetables, minimally processed with no fillers or preservatives, and has a shelf-life of 18 months. Stowe revealed that at Vince, vegetables are gently air-dried to maintain flavour, and the product itself is easy to prepare by simply adding boiling water.

The vegetable mince comes in three varieties to suit a range of family favourites, including Mexican, Italian, and Kiwi, which has a traditional savoury flavour similar to cottage pie.

Stowe shared that the key feature of Vince was its versatility as a vegetarian alternative.

“We see most customers blending it with beef mince, using it as a cost-effective, nutrient booster in everyday meals. Parents have been grating and blending veggies for years,” stated Stowe.

Rich in vitamins, with a low-carbon footprint, Vince vegetable mince contain high levels of fibre and has significant protein sourced from its vegetables and high-oleic peanuts.

Stowe stated that consumer trust in plantbased products had dwindled, with consumers becoming more knowledgeable and realising that plant-based does not automatically mean that products are inherently healthier.

“We see people wanting to cut back, but not eliminate meat from their diets. And they are doing it for their health. With these drivers, it makes no sense to choose an overly processed alternative without any health benefits.”

Stowe explained that early versions of plant-based products heavily relied on highly processed textured vegetable proteins to create plant-based alternatives that mimic traditional textures. This is a feature of plant-based products that have turned consumers away, said Stowe.

“We use peanuts instead of isolated protein as it is a whole food and gives good flavour and protein to our recipe.”

Stowe was determined to create whole food products that used common vegetables that were easily sourced and New Zealand grown, to lessen supply chain risks while simultaneously supporting New Zealand businesses.

The co-founder and chef stated that Vince was modelled to meet customers where they were on their food journey and to provide a healthy option to support customers incorporating more vegetables into their diets, while also reducing meat intake.

Vince has prioritised engaging directly with growers and food rescue services to make a sustainable company model which is both scalable and profitable. Stowe stated that the company aims to be B Corp certified, which is reflected in the company’s low-energy, lowtemperature drying solutions for vegetables, which are operated from solar power and have similarities to a traditional sun drying process.

Stowe revealed that the company is working toward creating plant-based butter and chicken alternatives that are neutral and can be used for any meal. The Co-Owner revealed that her favourite Vicne product was the Italian Vince, served over pasta with a generous portion of parmesan and a dollop of plant-based sour cream. n