Meat-Free BBQ Brand Barvecue Opens World’s Largest Plant-Based Smokehouse

This summer, Barvecue is making sure that everyone who loves BBQ won't have to give up their pulled pork sandwich. Since plant-based eaters usually get pushed to the sides at the BBQ, the North Carolina-based company decided to develop a product that allows everyone a taste of the main course. The company broke ground for the world’s largest plant-based smokehouse, making the vegan meat available to anyone in the US with nationwide shipping.

Barvecue is leaving animals out of traditional barbeque but refuses to leave behind the beloved recipes or taste. The vegan meat brand’s pursuit to keep barbeque alive while also upholding a cruelty-free process continues to grow as the company plans to open the Carolina Smokehouse, which will be the world’s largest plant-based smokehouse.

The company announced that the smokehouse will be 10,000-square-feet with an initial capacity to produce 800,000 pounds of the brand’s alternative meats annually. Some of the products include the Pulled BVQ (Vegan BBQ pork) and Chopped BVQ (a gluten-free version of the Pulled BVQ).

As the plant-based meat market surges, so too, does the demand for our wood-smoked, plant-based Barvecue,” Founder and CEO Lee Cooper said. “As we grow to keep up with the demand for Barvecue products, we decided it was time to expand production and lead the way in the plant-based barbecue market.”

Demand for plant-based alternatives keeps rising at a rapid pace, and the barrier that prevents people from adopting a fully plant-based diet gets lesser and lesser, as it originates from a desire to not abandon a cuisine. Barbeque is traditionally meat-heavy, but Barvecue aims to disrupt that market without telling people to abandon their favorite dishes. According to Future Marketing Insight (FMI), the global plant-based pork market is projected to rise 24 percent within the next decade. Barvecue is leaping into the market, and with burgeoning sales and popularity, the company plans to expand even further.

Barvecue debuted its plant-based BBQ in 2017 with the mission to mimic the real deal in taste, texture, and application. Since opening, investors who believe in the brand's vision have put $2 million into the company. Barvecue hopes to increase its value by an additional $1 million in the next year.

For eaters of BBQ to embrace these meat-free swaps shows the growing potential of a plant-based diet to reach everyone, even the most staunch meat-eaters. The plant-based BBQ company hopes to reach out and provide a delicious meal for anyone, vegan or not.

“Our goal is to make delicious Barvecue, for everyone,” Cooper said. “We are excited to break ground on the world’s largest plant-based smokehouse so that we can soon do exactly that.”

Barvecue products can be found through online grocery stores including GTFO It’s Vegan, VeganEssentials, and Vejii. The BBQ alternatives can also be found at vegan wholesaler Vedgeco and through the company’s own website. Beyond the online stores, some scattered retailers stock their shelves with alternative meats. The founding of the new smokehouse indicates a cultural shift in one of the most unwavering cuisines. The Carolina Smokehouse will break through into a growing plant-based pork market, and pave the way for a more sweeping change.