Neuburger innovation

Meatless needs time

"We pressed the reset button," say Hermann and Thomas Neuburger. The restart took place at the end of March 2023. The packaging design for the Fungi Pad has now been revised.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Hermann.Bio (2), Markus Wenzel, Krone KREATIV)

Instead of different products, there is now just one that leaves it up to the consumer to decide how they want to structure their meatless diet! Thomas and Hermann Neuburger celebrated their comeback in the meatless sector at the end of March 2023 with the Fungi Pad. The exciting packaging design is now history again.

Due to enormous increases in the cost of raw materials, energy and transportation, it was impossible to maintain the business in its current form. In March 2022, Hermann and Thomas Neuburger announced the end of their meatless production, only to relaunch a year later with the Fungi Pad.

The Ulrichsbergers describe their product, which is made from king oyster mushrooms, rice, vegetable oil, organic eggs, salt and pepper, as a "next-level meat alternative". With a very minimalist design that is more reminiscent of medical products, the new launch caused quite a stir.

The Covid-19 pandemic and Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine hit us economically, partly due to the interruption of supply chains, and made it difficult to continue building the brand. At the time, we decided to press the reset button and completely rethink the meat-free diet chapter.

Thomas Neuburger

"We wanted to use the original packaging to differentiate the Fungi Pad from other foods," emphasizes Hermann Neuburger. The criticized design is now history.

Aim: "To make people want to try the Fungi Pad"
Neuburger explains: "When redesigning the packaging, it was important to us that the Fungi Pad is recognizable as a meat alternative more quickly and, if possible, at first glance. That's not so easy with a product that offers more than 100 different preparation options. The most important thing for us is to make people want to try the Fungi Pad."

"Silent revolution that aims to make a lasting change"
How satisfied are they with the comeback? "For us, the focus is not on quick success," says Hermann Neuburger, who speaks of a "silent revolution that is intended to bring about lasting change". The Mühlviertel-based company is currently taking off in Germany, followed by Belgium.

Mushrooms are real "heating mushrooms"
More than 12 tons of mushrooms are currently grown in Ulrichsberg every month. The king oyster mushrooms are proving to be real super talents. "The mushrooms give off heat as they grow, which we feed into our in-house system and use to heat our buildings," says Thomas Neuburger.