Beyond Meat's New Plant-Based Steak Is Coming To Costco

For 2.6 million years, humans have subsisted on animal protein, according to Time, and it's this consumption that was so critical to our evolution, per a 2016 study published in Nature. But there are alternatives, and starting in the 1970s, food scientists began developing plant-based meat substitutes, The New York Times recounts. And those plant-based meat substitutes have only gotten more sophisticated, culminating in 2019's launch of Beyond Meat's Beyond Burger and its various competitors offering hamburger-like plant-based alternatives, as The Washington Post reports. 

Interest in plant-based meats surged throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. But the passion began to wane over the course of 2022, according to Bloomberg, which cited market saturation coupled with high inflation as being among various culprits. But that didn't stop Beyond Meat from pursuing the holy grail of plant-based meats, what VegNews refers to as "whole-muscle vegan steak." On October 24, 2022, the company announced its first steps in creating this product, launching the product Beyond Steak.

The plant-based "steak," which is not actually meant to resemble a whole cut of steak, but rather bite-sized morsels of steak that would work in, say, a stir fry, was rolled out nationwide at Kroger and Walmart stores, as well as select smaller retailers. But notice anything missing? Well, some Costco customers certainly might have noticed their warehouse discount grocer of choice was not stocking Beyond Steak, but that's now changed.

In what may be the biggest news about Beyond Meat's new plant-based steaks since the product was named one of Time's Top Inventions of 2022,  the company announced on its website that Beyond Steak will now be available at select Costco warehouse locations. Beyond Steak is now available at some 50 or so Costco locations throughout Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, and Southern California, though there's no word on why those markets were chosen for this particular Costco rollout. 

What is apparent, however, is that the partnership seems to be a boon for both companies. In fact, TheStreet reports that both Beyond Meat and Costco have already seen a bounce in their respective stock prices. In the case of Beyond Meat, this shows investors the potential for growth, as Barrons explains. In the case of Costco, it's less clear why the stock price rallied as the retailer's customer base is notably rich with carnivores dedicated to its fresh meat counter who have made their displeasure with the move known, according to TheStreet. But what all of this really means — for foodies, especially — is that despite rumors of the slow decline of plant-based meats, it's still too early to think of meat alternatives and meatless diets as passe.