So the deeper we get into this Entrepreneur thing, the more attention we get.
With this attention, comes questioning revolving around who we are, what we do, and why we are doing it with egg and what is the difference. . . I mean why make it difficult for yourself.
The answer is twofold
1) You use what you have at your disposal, even more if it's headed for the disposal.
We are farmers, and have a lot of free range chickens. PECK came about after one of our chicken flocks hit a bumpy patch. A cold, wet winter left them laying lots of eggs that were a bit funny. Funny to look at, funny to touch, not so funny when they end up in the bin. We couldn't figure out why eggs couldn't be something different, something engaging and something healthy that you can take around with you. Eggs were what we knew, so eggs is what we set out to revolutionise. Lucky for us Protein is high on the agenda, and Eggs have a tonne of it!
2) Egg for it's quality, egg for it's pureness.
So once we made the first decision, it was about seeing how egg is used currently, what people think of it, and what other protein drinks did, how and why
So Egg-
PRO great for healthy breakfasts,
PRO egg / avocado / brunch,
PRO easy dinners
PRO occasional gross smelling office snack.
CON Really fragile, can't take it ready to eat anywhere
CON Mostly needs heat, pan and camping stove are not easy things to have readily available.
CON Usually takes some level of effort, not great when bleary eyed and wishing you could have the 10 extra mins sleep.
CON Hard boiled eggs- useless if big fingered or in busy workplace with poor airflow.
CON Unless you have a culinary flare, Egg can get a bit samesy (Suffolk for 'separate occasions that appear or taste very similar)
Here, we decided there were several problems we could solve, especially if we could make it taste great.
Then we get to What else was out there, were there any other egg type drinks?
Yes!!! But not here, we found 6 products in the World, and 4 (which we got our hands on) had a clumpy, weird, thick artificial taste.
In the UK market, approximately 85% of RTD protein products use a type of Whey protein. This come from Milk, but after a long Industrial process that involves a lot of heat, chemical treatment and filtration. Whey concentrates, isolates and hydrolysates all end up having no nutritional qualities other the protein. For all those Vegans out there, a further 10% of drinks are using plant proteins. These may be derived from Soya, Pea, Rice or Wheat.....and quite simply,
(controversy disclaimer, look away now)
Plant proteins are a big let down. They have no green credentials, as you are using a tiny part of the plant ( peas are only 5% protein) which has been so heavily processed and treated, that what you are left with does nothing to resemble the plant you started with. It is incredibly inefficient (less so for soya 36% protein), and the very often the left over fibre and plant material goes to animal feed anyways (the very thing vegans are avoiding). Don't get me wrong, some plant show remarkable potential (we use soya right now, and are exploring hemp also). Hemp has amazing qualities, it is one of the only plants to mimic levels of Omega 3,6 & 9 found in fish, lots of protein and health fats. But for now, we are very heavily against some plant proteins. Maybe it's the farmer in us who hates it when simple things are made complex?!
So after that little rant.
Why Egg compared to other proteins:
Egg however, needs about 50% less heat, (the temperature we work at you could dip your arm in)
Egg keeps all its nutritional qualities ( egg whites still have substantial levels of Selenium, Magnesium, Phosphorous and Potassium)
Egg needs no chemical treatment and minimal industrial processing
Eggs have a drastically lower carbon footprint than cows, and produce much fewer emissions. They are extremely efficient at Protein conversion, even more so when they hunt down grasshoppers, worms, bugs and other insects.
The last bits usually make people's eyes glaze over, but thats because we are geek farmers, none of that pitchfork, 12 toes nonsense.
And on a serious note, these differences, the ones that set us apart from the pack, are the ones that are putting us on shelves!
People reconnecting with traditional foods, ones that are as close to nature as possible, are back on the menu.
EGGS are back on the menu! Did you know that egg consumption in the UK is headed for 300 per person per year? And the people driving that growth..... 18-35 year olds....... Just the right age to break the habit of cooking eggs, and to start drinking them.
I'll be here all week - GOODNIGHT!
Matt