A Visit to the 2022 Plant Based World Expo

September 22, 2022

This past September 7th-8th, we were lucky to not only attend but have our own booth at the Javits Center’s third annual Plant Based World Expo. If you followed along on our social media, you may have already enjoyed a tour from Matt Fried, Ace’s Business Development Executive (pictured below).

The event was self-described as a must-attend for those in the food industry looking to “discover innovative plant-based products, hear from industry leaders and pioneers, and connect with the right people from the trade including retailers, foodservice operators, investors, buyers, distributors, and brokers.” Plus, there were so many amazing samples, we left feeling pretty sure we’d experienced a preview of vegan heaven.

This year, there were over 200 exhibitors in attendance! “This is the future of our food,” said Ace’s COO Alberto Gonzalez. “This is what it’s all about.” We were overjoyed to see many of our innovative vendors and customers among the exhibitors, such as the Edward & Sons team, who were showcasing their delicious line of Native Forest products.

We were also delighted to visit with the team at Upton’s Naturals, an independently owned natural food company with an ever-expanding selection of plant-based meals and meats (think Seitan, Jackfruit, Ch’eesy Macs, and more). It was lovely to see them!

If you’ve been reading the Ace Blog over the past few years, you may already be familiar with Plant Provisions, a company known for its meat-free deli slices. But a plant-based lifestyle hasn’t always been the way for founder Micahel Galbo. You can read all about his journey from growing up in “deli culture” as the grandson of a Bronx butcher to embracing vegetarianism and eventually founding Plant Provisions. It was a pleasure to catch up with Michael and the Plant Provisions team at the Expo!

Current Foods, a newer addition to the Ace vendor family, was also in attendance. If the name is familiar but you haven’t tried their 100% plant-based, sushi-grade, ready-to-eat seafood, we strongly suggest you place an order with us today! (You can also check out their delicious poke recipe here.)

We were also glad to spot Miyoko’s Creamery, an Ace vendor offering “world-changing cheese and butter,” all of which is made from either plant milks or their latest innovation: watermelon seed powder! TLDR: it really is incredible.

We wish we could pay tribute to all of the Ace partners who were in attendance, but the list would be too long. If you don’t want to wait until next year to see some of the vendors mentioned here (and many more!) we will be attending the annual Natural Products Expo East in Philadelphia from September 28th-October 1st. Hope to see you there!