Back in the early 1900s, Harry Gordon Selfridge opened his eponymous department store in London. The business was pioneering in many ways; it was the first of its kind to give the ladies of British society access to an entire beauty hall, for a start.

To this day, Selfridges is still making headlines. But times have changed, and now, the store is leading the way toward a more sustainable future of food. It is the first of its kind in the world to serve Redefine Meat’s plant-based, 3D-printed products.

In Israel, in 2018, Redefine Meat created its groundbreaking innovation: 3D-printed plant-based steak. Now, it uses a combination of material science, artificial intelligence, and 3D printers to also create realistic-tasting, 100 percent vegan versions of lamb, sausage, ground beef, and beef burgers.

Plant-based meat 20 times more efficient

In Harry Gordon’s Bar & Kitchen and The Brass Rail Restaurant, Selfridges will serve the brand’s sausage and lamb New-Meat alternatives in a Spanish white bean stew and ciabatta roll, respectively.

“Selfridges stands out as a worldwide brand synonymous with quality. Its in-store restaurants are no different and that’s why it’s a natural step for Redefine Meat’s New-Meat products, as defined by their quality, to be listed on their menus,” said Redefine Meat’s CEO Eshchar Ben-Shitrit in a statement. 

“We’re confident that it will continue to surprise and impress the public with the same delicious taste and texture of animal meat, and its truly ground-breaking environmental benefits,” he added.

According to the brand, the production of its plant-based meat is 20 times more efficient than animal agriculture. Compared with the beef industry, it uses 96 percent less water, 98 percent less land, and emits just a fraction of the greenhouse gasses. 

The rising popularity of 3D-printed meat 

Selfridges is the first department store to serve Redefine Meat’s products, but it’s far from alone in the industry.

In Israel, 3D-printed meat is available from a number of hotels and restaurants, and Redefine’s products can also be ordered in Berlin and Amsterdam.

In the UK, Marco Pierre White, restaurateur and esteemed celebrity chef, added Redefine Meat’s plant-based steaks to menus at his steakhouses last year. At the time, he told the Telegraph that he was “mind-blown” at the taste of the 3D-printed meat, before admitting that “the world needs to eat less meat.”

In the UK, the plant-based meat industry is thriving. In fact, in 2021, companies in the UK alternative protein market raised £212 million. A significant improvement on 2020, when brands in the space raised £55 million.

It helps that Brits are increasingly choosing meatless options for environmental and ethical reasons. Last year, data showed that meat and fish consumption in the UK dropped by 17 percent in the last decade.