Aleph Farms has announced that chef Eyal Shani is joining the company as an investor and culinary launch partner.

Through the partnership, Aleph Farms will introduce Aleph Cuts – cultivated beef steaks – in Israel through roaming and exclusive dining experiences inspired by Shani.

Michelin-Star chef Shani is the head chef of 17 restaurants in Tel Aviv, Israel, and around 50 globally, in the US, Canada, Australia, Austria, France, Singapore and the UK.

Didier Toubia, CEO and co-founder of Aleph Farms, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Eyal Shani to the Aleph Farms team. His deep commitment to creating high-quality, accessible and inclusive food that resonates with people from all walks of life aligns perfectly with our mission".

Toubia continued: "Eyal’s dedication to using the finest ingredients and raw materials elevates our new category of animal products, ensuring that it is not only sustainable but also of exceptional quality. His innovative spirit and focus on connecting people through food make him an invaluable partner as we launch Aleph Cuts globally."

Eyal Shani commented: "When Aleph Farms offered me to help spread its message around the world, it was the greatest honour of my life. I was born into a vegan family and until the age of five was fed only plants and roots. Almost 60 years have passed and today, I have over 50 restaurants across six continents, and I serve meat in all of them. I ask myself constantly, what am I bequeathing to the world?"

Shani added: “Aleph Farms has given me the opportunity to bequeath a future that avoids causing suffering to billions of animals, in which people will be one with nature and not harm it, in which Aleph Cuts are more wonderful than the meat we know today and is so without killing a single animal, and in which our happiness does not require that the animals with which we share the world feel pain."

"It sounds like a dream that I don’t want to end, and indeed it is a dream, but it is one whose basis is reality, harnessing the spirit of science and human imagination. And it will change the world, making it a more moral, tastier and truly sustainable place."

It has been a busy year for Aleph Farms. In January, Israel’s government agency issued regulatory approval for Aleph Cuts, the 'world’s first' cell-based beef steaks, and the following month, Aleph Farms partnered with manufacturer and distributor of bio-based products BBGI and Fermbox Bio, to increase Southeast Asian capabilities in the cell-ag space.

In May, Aleph partnered with AI platform BioRaptor to optimise its cell-based meat production process and de-risk its scale-up as it transitions to larger facilities with extensive capital expenditures. In June, the start-up laid off 30% of its domestic workforce to better navigate the challenges of securing capital during its scale-up process.

#AlephFarms #Israel #cultivatedbeef