Business Wars: Beyond Meat vs. Impossible Burger | Flame Broiled | Episode 2

Date: December 31, 2025
Host: David Brown
Theme: The fierce rivalry, breakthroughs, and controversies fueling the rise of plant-based giants Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat as they challenge the conventional beef industry.

Main Theme & Episode Overview

This episode tells the thrilling story of how Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat went from Silicon Valley experiments to national sensations, fighting each other and the entrenched cattle industry for a new place in America’s kitchens—and its consciousness. The show dives into dramatic behind-the-scenes boardroom offers, early food-tech innovations, pivotal product launches, and legal and logistical battles with “Big Beef.” It also explores the environmental and ethical ambitions fuelling this food fight and the growing pains experienced as these startups transition to mass-market brands.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Rivalries & Ambitions (00:00–05:39)

• Impossible Foods & Bill Maris’ Buyout Offer

  • In 2015, Google's VC head Bill Maris tries to buy Impossible Foods, recognizing their radical mission to dethrone beef (00:00).
  • Pat Brown (Impossible Foods CEO):

    “I have a serious mission here and I don't want this company to just be one in your suite of nifty projects.” (03:20)

  • Pat’s conviction: Impossible Foods is about more than money—it’s about changing the world.

• Ingredient Wars

  • Impossible bets big on “heme,” a molecule produced through GM yeast for a genuine meaty flavor.
  • Beyond Meat founder Ethan Brown pursues a less “science-y” route, using familiar ingredients to get products to shelves earlier.

2. The First Wave of Commercialization (05:39–11:00)

• Pat Brown’s Rallying Cry at TEDMed (2015)

  • Outlines the environmental necessity of disrupting the livestock industry (06:30).
  • Presents heme as the “bloody” magic behind the Impossible Burger’s realism.

    “Cows aren't getting any better at turning plants into meat. We’re getting better at it every day and we’re going to keep getting better.” – Pat Brown (07:20)

• Industry Backlash Begins

  • Pat receives a warning from a D.C. lobbyist:

    “Someone in the beef industry has been instructed to take you down. They may go through the USDA or FDA or maybe through Congress to do that.” (09:48)

  • Impossible’s use of genetically modified ingredients puts a target on their backs.

3. Winning Shelf Space and Restaurant Menus (11:00–19:42)

• Beyond Meat’s Supermarket Breakthrough

  • After a failed national placement, Ethan Brown hustles for a second chance with Whole Foods (13:12).
  • Whole Foods’ Rocky Mountain VP, Tom Rich, is won over:

    “This is so close to beef that it's incredible. I think this is gonna be a killer product for us.” (14:39)

  • National rollout follows after products sell out, positioning Beyond alongside real meat.

• Impossible’s Glamorous Restaurant Debut

  • Impossible Burger launches at chef David Chang’s Momofuku Nishi in NYC, drawing critical acclaim and sold-out crowds (16:56).
  • Chef David Chang:

    “The first time I tasted it, my mind exploded. It’s bloody and has a texture like beef. Plus, it’s way better for the planet.” (19:04)

  • Scarcity becomes a marketing asset as Impossible leverages exclusivity in trendy eateries.

4. Recognition, Rifts, and Regulation (19:42–25:48)

• Sharing the Global Stage

  • Both Browns (Pat and Ethan) receive the UN’s “Champions of the Earth” award in 2018, highlighting their positive environmental impact (20:47).
  • Despite public comity, ideological disagreements surface:
    • Pat:

      "We don't accomplish anything from an environmental standpoint by stealing customers from Beyond Meat." (21:06)

    • Ethan:

      "I just think their use of genetically modified ingredients isn't necessary or good for the plant-based meat business." (22:04)

• Legal Counterattacks by the Meat Industry

  • Mississippi’s cattle industry successfully pushes for legislation barring plant-derived products from being labeled as “meat” (23:30).

    “Almonds don’t produce milk. They shouldn’t be able to call that stuff almond milk. I don’t want that to happen to beef.” – Rep. Bill Piggott (24:18)

5. Scaling Challenges & Market Explosions (25:48–32:08)

• Impossible Burger Hits Burger King

  • Impossible preps for the landmark nationwide Impossible Whopper rollout, hoping to beat “big meat” at its own game (25:48).
  • Excitement is high as the company launches an ad campaign highlighting taste tests and the absence of beef.

• Supply Shortages Strain Growth

  • Impossible Foods can’t keep up with restaurant and chain demand, risking relationships and opening the door for Beyond to capitalize (27:00).
    • NYC restaurateurs scramble for limited supplies; some consider switching to Beyond (28:00).

• Beyond Meat's IPO Success

  • In May 2019, Beyond Meat’s stock price surges 163% on its first day—an historic performance in the food sector (31:09).
  • Ethan Brown:

    “I think what we just saw with the investors is the same thing we've seen with consumers. Consumers love our product, and they love the good it can do for our planet.” (31:19) “Honestly, I'm less concerned with profitability than I am with the responsibility of keeping up with consumer demand.” (32:01)

• Doubt and Pressure Mount

  • Despite public celebrations, Ethan worries about margins and the sustainability of such rapid, debt-driven growth.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Pat Brown’s Mission-Driven Refusal

  “I have a serious mission here and I don't want this company to just be one in your suite of nifty projects.” – Pat Brown (03:20)

• Impossible's Battle Cry

  “Cows aren't getting any better at turning plants into meat. We're getting better at it every day and we're going to keep getting better.” – Pat Brown (07:20)

• Industry Sabotage Threats

  “Whoever’s coming for you has an essentially unlimited budget to ruin your company.” – Lobbyist to Pat Brown (10:48)

• Beyond's Breakthrough

  “Now we're gonna sell our Beyond Burger right from the meat case. ... Now we’re a legitimate competitor to beef.” – Ethan Brown (12:59)

• Chef Chang’s Approval

  “The first time I tasted it, my mind exploded. It’s bloody and has a texture like beef. Plus, it’s way better for the planet.” – David Chang (19:04)

• The GMO Divide

  “I just think their use of genetically modified ingredients isn't necessary or good for the plant-based meat business.” – Ethan Brown (22:04)

• Investor Euphoria

  “Consumers love our product, and they love the good it can do for our planet.” – Ethan Brown (31:19) “Honestly, I'm less concerned with profitability than I am with the responsibility of keeping up with consumer demand.” (32:01)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 — Bill Maris attempts billion-dollar buyout of Impossible Foods
• 05:39 — Pat Brown’s TEDMed presentation: mission declaration and heme reveal
• 09:48 — Impossible gets word of meat industry’s war plans
• 12:39–15:50 — Beyond Meat wins over Whole Foods, secures meat case launch
• 16:56–19:42 — Impossible Burger restaurant debut at Momofuku Nishi, NYC
• 20:47 — UN environmental awards; public unity, private rivalry between Pat & Ethan
• 23:30 — Mississippi bill: legal backlash over "fake meat" labels
• 25:48 — Impossible Burger lands in Burger King (Impossible Whopper prep)
• 27:00–29:50 — Impossible Foods can’t keep up with demand, restaurants consider switching to Beyond
• 31:09–32:08 — Beyond Meat’s IPO smashes records, but profitability remains in question

Conclusion

This episode brings the listener into the heat of the plant-based meat battle—highlighting the bold personalities, scientific scrambles, regulatory warfare, mindshare triumphs, and existential challenges that defined the booming years for Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat. The stage is set for escalating showdowns with “Big Beef,” fierce rivalry between the plant-based pioneers themselves, and new questions about whether the promise of ethical eating can also survive the sharpest realities of business.