Unreal Deli: Mrs. Goldfarb Talks Launching The World's Finest Plant-Based Deli Meat and Pitching on Shark Tank
“I had gone vegan to help the animals. At some point, I realized that what I craved most of all was a classic New York deli sandwich – so I wound up creating Unreal Corn’d Beef. I thought it was just going to be a recipe I’d share on my blog until enough people started telling me, “Try to make this into a business!” And it became a thing!” Inspired by 100 years of New York Deli history, today’s woman dreamer, Mrs. Jenny Goldfarb, is the Founder of Unreal Deli, Home of the World’s First Plant-Based Deli Meat. From successfully pitching on Shark Tank, bringing on Mark Cuban as an investor, to how she balances being a mom entrepreneur, Jenny shares her journey as a female founder! Enjoy her story below!
1) You are the founder of Mrs. Goldfarb's Unreal Deli, which has really taken to the food industry. You secured an investment from Mark Cuban and the product is getting into major food chains. What was the inspiration behind this product? What was the need that you saw?
I became vegan to help the animals and started a vegan food blog in my little kitchen with my girls. For this endeavor I needed to make an exciting new recipe each week. At some point, I realized that what I craved most of all was a classic New York deli sandwich – so I wound up creating Unreal Corn’d Beef. I thought it was just gonna be a recipe I’d share on my blog until enough people started telling me, “Try to make this into a business!” And it became a thing!
2) What was it like pitching your venture on Shark Tank? Women can often feel some nerves when pitching to VCs. What are your top three tips for how to present your pitch?
It was the most exhilarating experience of my life! I’m not sure if women feel more nerves than anyone else, it is nerve-wracking, but it’s also awesome!
Three pitching tips:
1. Love your product so much it shines out of you
2. Know your numbers back and front, in your sleep, on one toe
3. Have a few good one liners in your back pocket. The Sharks and the crew want a good show!
3) You are also a mom! How do you find the work-life balance as both a mother & entrepreneur?
It is certainly an ongoing balancing act! I was pregnant for the first six months of starting this business. I would drop two kids off at preschool and then gather all my ingredients and my Vitamix to take to my tiny commercial kitchen. One day, I guess I was rushing so fast carrying everything that I tripped and fell right outside the kitchen and scraped my face! Someone helped me with my things and I was really embarrassed because maybe I was taking on too much. I wiped the blood and kept growing this business and this baby, because I'm committed to showing the world that the best vegan deli requires no compromise! I continue to learn better and better balance as the journey continues.
4) What has been the most interesting project/challenge you have faced?
When the pandemic hit, we had been focusing mostly on food service, and that industry took a huge hit. We had to figure out a new approach. The challenge of pivoting from food service into retail turned out to be one of the best things we could have done! The challenge is still there as so much minutiae is required to get on store shelves in terms of packaging, lab testing, food safety audits, specs on specs. At each step we keep learning on the job & figuring it out. The part that came easy is the customers, the demand, the desire to carry our line by thousands of stores out the gate!
5) As the platform for Women Dreamers, what is your next big dream?
Taking our Unreal deliciousness international, baby!
Thank You For Sharing Your Lovely Story with Us! We are excited to have you in our empowered women’s network!
Bio: Jenny Goldfarb, aka Mrs. Goldfarb, is the founder of Unreal Deli. She grew up on the Standard American Diet (SAD), and in her early 30s, learned about the plight of animals on factory farms, which led her to adopt a plant-based diet. After much trial and error she became a whiz in the plant-based kitchen and realized the thing she missed most after becoming vegan was premium NY-style deli meat. She sought to recreate a corned beef made from beets, chickpeas, tomatoes and high protein wheat. The recipe became such a hit that it encouraged her to produce her Corn’d Beef Reubens for Delis, Whole Foods, even Shark Tank, where she took on Mark Cuban as primary investor. The company then developed Unreal Roasted Turk’y followed by Unreal Steak Slices (coming soon). With no experience in the food sector, let alone launching a company, she gave birth to this rapidly expanding business in her tiny kitchen while pregnant with her 3rd child. The Unreal Deli product line can now be found in thousands of restaurant and grocery locations with more to come.
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