harm.less

From Impossible Foods to Beyond Meat, lab-grown meatless eats are all the rage these days (just ask the New York Times). But foodies who prefer a more artisanal approach are finding a delicious alternative in No Evil Foods, an Asheville, North Carolina-based plant meat maker.

The cruelty-free, environmentally-friendly company introduced its three signature plant-based meat products just last year, and it’s already expanding into new states and launching an online store with nationwide delivery.

Behind No Evil Foods (the cleverest of company names) are Sadrah Schadel and Mike Woliansky, a dedicated team and couple who have become completely committed to growing this ethical endeavor.

“We started at farmer’s markets at the beginning of last year,” Woliansky says of the indie company’s inception. “It was really a ‘testing the waters’ kind of thing,” using recipes the couple had concocted in their home kitchen. “Plant meat,” they call it — their own unique twist on the ancient Buddhist tradition of turning plants into meat. Since its launch, No Evil Foods has grown rapidly; 50 percent year-over-year, in fact.

The company offers three varieties of plant-based meat: the Prepper (chicken-esque roast), the Stallion (Italian sausage), and El Zapatista (Mexican chorizo). They come wrapped in butcher shop-style brown paper and the production process is still done entirely by hand. Many of No Evil Foods’ customers aren’t vegan or vegetarian, but love the taste of the plant meat nonetheless.

As far as availability, the refrigerated meats are in select Whole Foods, Earth Fares and other specialty stores throughout Western North Carolina and the surrounding region; a Whole Foods in Georgia recently picked them up, too.

“Within six months to a year realistically we do want to be in the major markets within a four or five hour radius of Asheville,” Schadel says of the duo’s future plans. That includes Knoxville, the Atlanta area, the Triangle, etc.

Already, lots of local chefs have utilized the plant meats to create vegan-friendly dishes. In Asheville, Mellow Mushroom offers No Evil Foods sausage as a topping option, and Taco Billy, Bonfire Barbecue, and Wicked Weed (among others), have all brought the company’s products into the kitchen mix.

To help cater to people’s plant-based meat cravings from afar, the duo is launching the online No Evil Butcher Shop on September 30th. “It’s gonna be simple, straightforward bulk packages for people to order,” says Woliansky of the new endeavor. It will offer six-packs and variety cases. As far as delivery radius: “Anywhere in the U.S. for the most part. East coast, west coast and everything in between,” Schadel adds.

No Evil Foods products can be found in specialty stores and restaurants throughout Western North Carolina, as well as in select spots in Florida, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Georgia. As of September 30th, anyone in the U.S. can order online via NoEvilFoods.com. 

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