Impossible Foods Expands to the Middle East with Launch at Dubai World Expo and Restaurants in the United Arab Emirates

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE/AETOSWire)-- California-based Impossible Foods has arrived in the United Arab Emirates, the company’s first market in the Middle East. Its flagship product, Impossible™ Burger, is kosher, halal and gluten-free certified, and now exclusively available on the menus of select restaurants across Dubai, United Arab Emirates, including Pickl, Sticky Rice, Akira Back and The MAINE Oyster Bar & Grill.

Beginning Friday, October 1, Impossible Burger will be featured at World Expo 2020 on select menus in the US Pavilion. The event is expected to draw more than 25 million visitors from almost 200 countries across the globe through March 31, 2022.

With its unique geographical location and international population, the United Arab Emirates’ diverse food culture serves as a perfect platform to showcase the versatility of Impossible Burger. As a result, Dubai’s top chefs have created some of the world’s most innovative plant-based dishes to date: Impossible™ Chorizo Gyoza by Chef Akira Back; Sticky Rice’s Impossible™ Pad Krapow; and Impossible™ Spiral South African Boerewors at Sausage Fabrique, to name a few.

“Impossible™ products are made for every cuisine and culture, and we couldn’t be more excited to launch in our first market in the Middle East,” said Dennis Woodside, president of Impossible Foods. “The United Arab Emirates’ status as a global travel and culinary hub will enable a whole new region of consumers to experience Impossible Burger for the first time.”

A longtime fan of Impossible Foods, Pickl CEO and Founder Stephen Flawith created three original Impossible Burger menu items specifically for the homegrown burger chain: Impossible™ Cheeseburger, Impossible™ Double Cheeseburger and Impossible™ Fries.

“These days, people want to reduce their meat intake for many reasons, whether it be environmental, health or ethical reasons,” said CEO and Founder Stephen Flawith. “We’re pumped to round off our Pickl Plant Based menu with the introduction of Impossible Burger. This product alongside Pickl’s homemade sauces and pickles is something that everyone needs to experience. It is truly a game changer.”

Available Today

Pickl’s Impossible™ dishes are also available to order now on Deliveroo, the largest delivery platform in the Middle East.

Impossible Burger will appear on menus today at the following locations:

• Akira Back - Chef Akira Back brings his signature Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean essence to the Middle East. Serving Impossible™ Signature AB Tacos and Impossible Chorizo Gyoza.
• Counter Culture Cafe - Located in the Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites, Counter Culture Cafe offers an array of delicious breakfast items and all-day favorites for travelers and locals alike. Serving Impossible™ Neighborhood Breakfast and Impossible Burger.
• The Croft - This award-winning British eatery in the Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites overlooks the marina’s waterscape and specializes in traditional British cuisine. Serving Impossible™ Roast.
• The MAINE Oyster Bar & Grill - A New England brasserie company founded by Montreal Gastropreneur Joey Ghazal. Serving Impossible™ Short Ribs, Impossible Burger and Impossible™ Tartare.
• Maiz Tacos - Originally a taco truck founded by a husband and wife team, these incredible tacos are making waves in the culinary community. Serving Impossible™ Chili Con Carne Loaded Nachos and Impossible™ Chili Con Carne Burrito.
• Sausage Fabrique - An artisanal butchery shop and delicatessen. Now serving a variety of offerings, including Impossible™ German Bratwurst, Impossible™ Mexican Chorizo, Impossible Spiral South African Boerewors, Impossible™ Sausage & Eggs Breakfast Sandwich and Impossible™ Kofta with Tzatziki.
• Pitfire Pizza - Hailed as amongst the best pizzas in Dubai, Pitfire Pizza offers rustic, artisanal pizza baked in a New York-style "deck oven" to a charred bubbly perfection. Serving the Impossible™ Bill’s Special Pizza: an Impossible™ version of a Pitfire favorite.
• Pickl - Known for its “Fresh.Fast.Food,” Pickl is a hugely popular United Arab Emirates-born chain serving high-quality burgers, sandos, and shakes. Now introducing Impossible Cheeseburger, Impossible Double Cheeseburger and Impossible Fries.
• Sticky Rice - A family operation offering delicious Thai favorites out of an intimate location that’s always packed. Serving Impossible™ Pad Krapow and Impossible™ Larb.

Distribution

The award-winning Impossible Burger will be available for restaurants across the UAE to order early next month via Bidfood Middle East, the preferred distributor of Impossible Burger in the United Arab Emirates and part of the international broad-line foodservice group Bidcorp. All restaurant operators looking to bring Impossible Burger to their menus can reach out to impossiblefoods@bidfoodme.com.

Our Mission

Impossible Foods exists to transform the global food system in order to feed the world sustainably. By creating delicious, nutritious, affordable and craveable meat from plants, we enable people everywhere to make food choices that are tasty and better for the planet.

Impossible Burger uses far fewer environmental resources than traditional meat: 96% less land, 87% less water and 89% fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to beef from cows produced in the U.S. Impossible Burger also contains no animal hormones or antibiotics, and it has as much protein and bioavailable iron as a comparable serving of ground beef from cows. A 113-gram serving of Impossible Burger has 0 milligrams cholesterol, 14 grams of total fat, 8 grams of saturated fat and 240 calories.