Earth Fare Adds Plant-Based Options at Deli Counter

After a successful launch in its flagship store, Earth Fare is the first grocery store in the Southeast to partner with Prime Roots, a plant-based meat company. The sustainable grocery chain will carry the brand's full line of freshly sliced by-the-pound deli meats, charcuterie and a selection of ready-made sandwiches at the deli counter of its 18 locations. Earth Fare will also carry Prime Roots X Three Little Pigs award-winning pâtés.

California-based Prime Roots is on a mission to reimagine the traditional deli case by satisfying meat cravings with plant-based deli meat that is clean with no nitrates, cholesterol, or top nine allergens. Prime Roots products are also non-GMO, gluten free, soy free and are produced with less impact on the environment than traditional deli meats.

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Prime Roots’ deli classics offer a comforting familiarity while championing an eco-conscious ethos. Through the innovative use of koji — like the roots of mushrooms commonly found in miso and soy sauce — its offerings replicate the umami tastes and textures of traditional deli meats. 

According to Prime Root, its meat uses 92% less water than traditional meats, and each kilogram of Prime Roots’ bacon saves 9 kilograms of CO2 emissions versus pork bacon.

“Earth Fare shares our commitment to making food choices that positively impact not only our physical health, but the health of our planet, and we are thrilled to expand our distribution and bring our deli classics to shoppers in the Southeast, for the first time,” said Kimberlie Le, co-founder and CEO of Prime Roots.

Shoppers can stop by the deli counter for a free sample at any Earth Fare location. 

Asheville, N.C.-based Earth Fare is a natural and organic grocery store in the Midwest and Southeast, with 18 locations in seven states. Led by its Boot List, Earth Fare has developed a Food Philosophy that bans all artificial ingredients, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and added hormones and antibiotics.