It’s Coachella season, and if you’re heading to the first weekend in the California desert, you can expect standout sets from Lady Gaga, Missy Elliot, Charli XCX, Post Malone, Green Day, Travis Scott, and more. But the real headliners? Arguably, it’s the incredible vegan food. This year, Monty’s Good Burger has not one but four different spots at the festival, where it will be serving up its signature burgers, of course, as well as matcha, soft serve, and hot dogs, too. It’s not alone—it will be joined by Happy Ice, Oakberry, Veggie Fam, and many more delicious food outlets. Find out more in our guide to Coachella here.
Not heading to the festival? No worries—another delicious celebration is just around the corner. We’re talking about Easter, the ultimate chocolate-lover’s holiday. Need sweet treat ideas? You can find our guide to the best Easter candy here.
Luckily for us, great vegan food isn’t just a seasonal thing—it’s a year-round event. From Brooklyn’s hottest new vegan dessert bar to spicy new Just Egg burritos and Elmhurst’s latest Whole Foods launch, here’s what’s happening in the world of plant-based eats.
16 Handles launches new proprietary Oat Milk soft serve
New York City-based frozen dessert chain 16 Handles, which has more than 30 shops across the US, is launching its own proprietary blend of oat milk soft serve. The new soft serve will become the base for many new dairy-free flavors from the brand. Right now, it offers more than 22 vegan options, including Cinnamon Bun and Chocolate Cherry soft serve, and a wide range of sorbets. “Our team [has] raised the bar even higher in the dairy-free space,” said 16 Handles’ CEO Nail Hershman.
Prime Roots
Prime Roots is heading to Canada
California-based Prime Roots, which specializes in mycelium-based deli meats like smoked ham and salami, is branching out. The plant-based brand is about to launch its products in the Canadian market, to the excitement of its Canadian-born founder, Kimberlie Le. “I’m excited to finally bring Prime Roots home to tens of thousands of operators and consumers in Canada who have been demanding it,” she said in a statement.
Iceland teams up with TGI Fridays on vegan products in the UK
Popular casual dining chain TGI Fridays has a long-standing partnership with the British supermarket chain Iceland, but things just got more exciting for consumers on the hunt for plant-based products. Iceland, which specializes in frozen groceries, will once again be stocking vegan products from TGI Fridays, including fan favorite No Chick Sesame Strips (complete with a Tennessee-style glaze) and vegan cheeseburgers.
Sodexo is rolling out a new plant-based meal program in hospitals
Major food service provider Sodexo, which is one of the world’s biggest contract caterers, is set to increase its plant-based options in hospitals across the US. The company has been working with the nonprofit Greener By Default since 2022 to reduce its carbon emissions and create more nutritious plant-based meals. Right now, more than 130 Sodexo hospitals have access to the plant-based meal program, and by 2026, it hopes to offer more plant-based options at 400 hospitals.
Molly Matthews, CEO of Sodexo Healthcare and Seniors, said in a statement: “We anticipate continued success of the plant-based menu expansion and its positive impact on our clients and their patients.”
BettaFish
Vegan meat brands score share of $955,000 in EU funding
German vegan seafood brand BettaFish and Swedish plant-based meat company Hooked Foods have secured funding from EIT Food, a food innovation accelerator co-founded by the European Union. The funding, awarded through EIT’s Fast Track to Market Initiative, is intended to help the companies scale their offerings and expand into new markets. The total grant of approximately $955,000 was shared with food waste and sustainable shopping app Afreshed and UK-based agritech firm AgriSound.
New vegan dessert and cocktail bar to open in Brooklyn
Vegan hospitality group City Roots Hospitality is set to debut Reverie, a vegan dessert and cocktail bar, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, this May. Helmed by executive pastry chef Mackenna Hale, Reverie will offer inventive, artfully crafted plant-based desserts. The menu includes creations like The Moon—a celestial-inspired dish featuring yuzu cheesecake and mango ricotta—and The Rainbow, which pairs rosewater meringue with a red velvet tartlet and strawberry preserve. “Our vision is to elevate dessert beyond the expected—where the senses are heightened and the palate uncovers a surprise with each bite. We are redefining what dessert can be: artful, immersive, and truly unforgettable,” said Hale in a joint statement with City Roots Hospitality founder Guy Vaknin.
South Korean alternative protein company raises $9.2 million in funding
South Korean food tech company Intake has raised $9.2 million in Series C funding, bringing its total funding to $20 million. The company uses yeast-based precision fermentation to create protein-rich plant-based products, boasting 1.5 times more protein than conventional yeast. “This Series C funding is proof that our alternative food technologies and products have earned consumer and market trust,” said CEO Nokyeob Han. “Our goal is to finalize the development of core microbial-based alternative food technologies and position them as a viable alternative to the conventional food industry.”
Eat Just
Eat Just’s chili crisp burrito now on the shelves at Sprouts
Eat Just’s new Chili Crisp Burrito has arrived on the shelves at Sprouts, where it will remain exclusively for the time being. The new burrito packs the heat with Sichuan chili crisp sauce, which is combined with Just Egg, edamame beans, bell peppers, and shiitake mushrooms. “The newest member of our frozen breakfast burrito family doesn’t believe in subtle flavors,” Eat Just posted on Threads.
Whole Foods relaunches dark chocolate bunnies for Easter
If you’re putting together Easter baskets, don’t miss Whole Foods’ seasonal dark chocolate bunnies, relaunched this year just in time for the holiday. These rich, indulgent treats are made with 72 percent Fair Trade cocoa.
Elmhurst partners with Whole Foods Markets
You can now find three Elmhurst 1925 dairy-free milks—Pistachio Barista Edition, Unsweetened Coconut Cashew Milk, and Maple Walnut Barista Edition—in select Whole Foods Markets across the US. “The Whole Foods Market shopper is looking for the tastiest, high-quality, and most wholesome plant-based products available—that’s exactly what Elmhurst delivers,” Heba Mahmoud, Senior Director of Brand Innovation at Elmhurst, said in a statement. “As we continue to set the standard for what plant-based alternatives should be, we look forward to customers nationwide discovering an even greater variety of Elmhurst 1925 offerings.”
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
