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Daring is seeking to make it easy for consumers
to enjoy clean-label, plant-based chicken
substitutes again and again.
"Daring was designed to be enjoyed multiple
times a week," says co-founder and CEO Ross
Mackay, noting that his soy protein-based
substitute has "as much versatility as its
traditional animal counterpart."
The company, which was forced to navigate
the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic early
in its launch, offers four varieties of its meatless
product—Original, Cajun, Lemon & Herb, and
the new Original Breaded Pieces.
Each is "a perfect swap for any dish that
calls for chicken," says Mackay, who hails from
Scotland but is now based in Los Angeles.
The items contain 11-14 grams of protein
per serving, use non-GMO ingredients, and a
variety of spices, as opposed to the "long list of
hard-to-decipher ingredients" that other plant-
based meat substitutes include, he says.
Daring sells its products primarily through
the retail channel, although it has a rapidly
growing presence in foodservice. It launched
direct-to-consumer sales during the pandemic,
but it remains a small portion of the business
primarily aimed at engaging the company's
most loyal customers.
Mackay says he plans to continue to expand
the company's distribution in both retail and
foodservice.
"Now more than ever, consumers are turning
to healthier, more sustainable food options,"
he says. "We're fortunate to have a level of
demand for our product that has allowed us to
grow Daring's national distribution in retail and
foodservice in a very short time."
The company's recent $40 million Series B
funding round will help with that goal and help
expand Daring's internal team.
"We're always experimenting and working
on future innovation, but our main focus right
now is maximizing Daring availability across
retailers, restaurants, and foodservice operators
nationwide," says Mackay.
—Mark Hamstra
Ross Mackay
CO-FOUNDER
AND CEO, DARING
Age: 29
PHOTO: DARING
P
ioneers of a fermentation process to create dairy proteins that reduce
environmental impact; organizers of a program whereby Black-owned restaurants
use donated funds to fuel protesters, voters, and the food insecure with specialties
like brisket mac and cheese and lobster mashed potato bowls; and two sisters who
were inspired by their mother's Vietnamese home cooking to partner with chefs to
create authentic Asian meal starter kits, are just some of Specialty Food's fifth annual
12 Under 35: Breakout Talent to Watch. Following, in alphabetical order by company
name, are profiles of these talented and tenacious go-getters.
BY ARIELLE FEGER AND MARK HAMSTRA
BREAKOUT TALENT TO WATCH
35
UNDER
18 SPECIALTY FOOD SPECIALTYFOOD.COM
