Juicy Marbles unveils plant-based ribs featuring world-first 'edible vegan bones'

Juicy Marbles, a pioneer of 100% plant-based whole cuts, has unveiled the world’s first plant-based ‘Bone-In Ribs', featuring ‘edible vegan bones’.

As part of the development of the ribs, Juicy Marbles developed its very own plant-based bones, made from almost pure protein. According to the website, once you’ve devoured your last rib, you can bake, fry or air-fry the bones into puffed, crispy snacks that sport as much protein as beef jerky.

But there is a looming question which has sparked fierce online debate since Juicy Marbles first teased the Ribs on Instagram: why even imitate bones in a completely vegan product?

“We’re way past that,” said Vladimir Mićković, Co-founder. “I'm afraid that any rational answer would be pure bulls#*t, as we don't always default to reason. To some, bones from plants may be an ideological provocation, but we shouldn’t take these things too seriously. It’s just fun from every angle. Bones invite you to eat with your hands, to tear off succulent chunks of meat, and share that indulgence with the whole table. It was also fun developing them. Since we made the bones ourselves, we could actually question the concept of bones in general. We could challenge ourselves to make them useful – even edible. At Juicy Marbles, we don’t just aim to re-create a shape of meat, but the entire experience, as well as the macro/micro nutrient profile."

The 'Marbles' say the product’s inception came from a shared sense of nostalgia for the ‘primal joys’ of eating ribs. As well as a need for more ‘food-culture-friendly’ plant-based foods.

“The experience of meat doesn’t end with flavor," Mićković continued. "There is a culture of celebration, sharing, and belonging around meat – part of a food culture thousands of years in the making. Anyone cutting down on meat can probably confirm that the hardest part is not missing meat’s flavour, but feeling excluded from cultural traditions. That’s why we chose ribs as our next product, rather than another cut of steak. We wanted to create something that evokes the primal joys of sharing food.”

Juicy Marbles’ says its flagship product, the 'Whole-cut Loin', also enables a sharing experience and adapts to a wide array of recipes. The company’s Instagram account sports a wall of hundreds of recipes sent in by fans. Additionally, the company website provides recipes for everything from Jamaican patties, to Beef bourguignon, to Guchujang Beef Chunks – all prepared using the Whole-cut Loin.

Juicy Marbles hopes its ‘Bone-in Ribs’ will inspire a similar outburst of creativity from its customers, and provide yet another entry-point into its whole cut universe.

Juicy Marbles doesn’t have a date etched in stone. But, its says that Bone-in Ribs will be available for regular purchase on their web-shop sometime in early 2024. Currently, the product is only available via limited ‘drops’ – where small quantities will go on sale in the UK, EU, and USA.

This isn’t the first time the start-up has ‘pre-released’ a product. Since its founding in 2020, the company has used early customer feedback to help build its products. Previously, Juicy Marbles ‘meat drops’ have sold out within hours, and often minutes.

The first batch is set to drop at the end of August, 2023.