“One of the things we were trying to address was that meaty texture—and how to do it with ingredients that were understandable and pronounceable,” [Sadrah Schadel] adds. This allows people to connect the dots: “‘This is what I’m eating; this is what’s in my food. I understand what this is; I understand how this impacts my health.’”
Press
At No Evil Foods, we make waves. We also make headlines.
See what others are saying about us.
"This week's guest blog is another epic founder's story from Sadrah Schadel, one of the founders of No Evil Foods. Read in for some major inspiration about plant-based eating and how to stay sane as a founder!"
"Not all food is created equal. This is simply a fact in our industry. Few are those who venture to create a product that is truly revolutionary in quality and substance... one [of whom] is No Evil Foods. The North Carolina plant-based meat company invests not only in the quality of its product, but in the quality of its packaging, touting 100-percent compostability and recyclability."
“'I came to realize that there is a very strong connection between punk rock entrepreneurship and how we’ve approached building and growing our brand,' she [co-founder, Sadrah Schadel] said. 'For us, [punk rock] wasn’t just about loud fast music, it really was about the values that that community of people with that mindset shared.' These values include social causes, as well as a scrappy, DIY mentality that led the pair to start the plant-based meat brand in 2014, 'manufacturing our products by hand, literally one sausage link at a time.'”
"An Asheville farmers market start-up whose quick success has landed it on supermarket shelves, No Evil Foods is an ethically-motivated company that gives a portion of profits to animal and human rights groups. Made with non-GMO wheat gluten enriched with organic tomato paste and chili powder, Mexican oregano, and other seasonings, No Evil El Zapatista Chorizo has the tacky, crumbly texture of loose sausage and just the right flavor to stuff a hard shell."
In this conversation, Sadrah Schadel and Mike Woliansky discuss the affect of COVID-19 on the plant-based foods industry and No Evil Foods itself. They also dive into the current state of the civil rights movement - what they're learning, how the company is changing in response, and the choice to leverage No Evil's social media platforms to open a discussion with consumers.
"No business is too small or insignificant to make a difference. In the digital world, you can raise your flag and be seen by millions of people instantly–that means you have power and influence. No Evil Foods, a small, plant-based meat company... posted this call to action on social media: 'We will not be silent. This won’t be over tomorrow, this doesn’t end when the protests die down. This is an awakening – use your voice, no matter how small it might feel. It’s not enough to say no to racism, we must be anti-racist.'"
"The plant-based meat company No Evil Foods has made multiple donations over the last several days including to the Black Trans Travel Fund and Color of Change. They lay out easy ways to donate and are encouraging their followers to contribute these organizations as well."
"Beginning in April 2020, the company provided a temporary $2.25 an hour increase they are calling 'Our Team Is Freaking Awesome! Pay' to all production line workers. The raise was scheduled to expire on June 5th. However, as the pandemic continues, and many large food corporations have started phasing out similar 'hero pay,' the founders of No Evil Foods chose to extend it through the crisis."
"Recent data show more shoppers are opting for plant-based foods during the pandemic, and sales of meat alternatives are expected to accelerate as the nation faces temporarily tighter supplies of beef, pork and poultry. No Evil Foods, an Asheville, NC, producer of plant protein products, is bracing for the boom."
"For meat eaters concerned about the meat shortage, companies like this one are game-changers. Sadrah Schadel, co-founder of No Evil Foods, shares her insights on being a vegan meat manufacturing business during this time and how it’s impacting the world."
As a food manufacturer, we’re an essential business — a status we don’t take lightly. COVID-19 is directly linked to the mistreatment of animals, and ending that exploitation is at the crux of our mission. We see a union between bringing people closer to the origins of their food and addressing issues like food insecurity and economic justice. COVID-19 is happening because of the very thing we’re committed to fighting against. This is a time for us to bust up the status quo and change the world one bite at a time.