Responding to demand

Sausage specialist focuses on meat-free cuisine

Martin (left) and Thomas Berger (right) present the vegan sausage and cheese specialties with Fabian Wagesreither.(Bild: Kristian Schark)

Just in time for the start of the barbecue season, the traditional Sieghartskirchen-based company Berger is launching new meat-free products on the market - mainly thanks to its collaboration with a start-up.

Leg ham, mountain sausage or horseradish ham: when you think of the Berger company, it is mainly meat specialties that spring to mind. No wonder, as the traditional company from Sieghartskirchen in the district of Tulln has been producing them for five generations. But now they are breaking new ground - vegan ones at that!

The vegan creations.(Bild: Kristian Schark)

The vegan creations.(Bild: Kristian Schark)

This is made possible by a collaboration with the start-up Wunderkern from Herzogenburg in the district of St. Pölten. From mid-April, meatless roast sausages based on pea protein and vegan cheese alternatives will be added to the tasty range.

Recipe, but no production facility
Wunderkern specializes in saving fruit stones to produce food from them. Having already launched milk alternatives on the market, the company has now developed a recipe for vegan cheese. However, it is not possible to produce this yourself, as the cheese alternative has to be cooked, cooled, cut and packaged.

And this is where Berger comes into play, as these steps have long been internalized in the company's 130-year history. "We were able to realize our project in just six weeks' lead time," says Wunderkern founder Fabian Wagesreither, delighted with the collaboration. Berger is also benefiting from this, as the demand for plant-based products is growing all the time. "We can't ignore this trend," explain Martin and Thomas Berger.