Every now and then you come across products in the food world that really challenge your own understandings, perspectives and choices. 

Take Foie Gras for example! A deliciously buttery, rich yet elegant delicacy made from the fattened livers of force-fed geese. Controversial but damn tasty and once you know how it’s produced, the ethical burden does weigh down on your own decisions to purchase and consume it.

On Tuesday night, I learnt about a totally new product that has taken the concept of meat consumption to a whole other level and it’s spun my mind out of its natural orbit. It’s cultured meat, also known as lab-grown meat.

In a nutshell, cultured meat involves the growth of animal cells in a meticulously controlled environment within a laboratory to create cellular/muscle tissue that is turned into meat products. No animals need be harmed or killed to extract the required cells to build this meat and no animals are off limits…just think about that for a second/decade!

@grantkingchef was handed the seemingly daunting role to design and execute a degustation menu, for 12 open-minded guests, showcasing some early conceptualised meat products made within the @forgedbyvow labs in Alexandria. I, and iHeartWine were lucky enough to be in charge of the wine pairings for each course and had the pleasure of being a part of the evening, the food and the conversations too.

Grant’s clever use of the products proved just how relevant and significant cultured meat can be in the food world of today and tomorrow with dishes like Chicken Liver parfait, tortellini en brodo, belly slider and quail sweetbreads.

Although in its early days, there is no doubt that lab grown meat is here to stay. In its current form, the meat tastes super clean and is delicate in flavour with a texture that blurs the line between that of poached fish, crab and chicken.

The mind races with the potential of this new product, how it will evolve over time and what controversy it will arouse, but there's something undeniable about it and it's the extraordinary leap it has given to the world of sustainable, clean and affordable meat production that can only bring about truly positive change for the planet and its inhabitants ❤️