Succession Star Invites Fans to Brunch in New Ad Campaign for Nature’s Fynd’s Fungi Protein Yogurts

Fermentation startup Nature’s Fynd has teamed up with actor Justine Lupe in a marketing campaign for its dairy-free Fy yogurts.

How often do you get to break bread with a cast member of one of TV’s most popular shows ever?

It’s the kind of rarity that Chicago startup Nature’s Fynd is banking on, teaming up with Justine Lupe – star of the HBO mega-hit Succession – for its latest marketing drive.

The company, known for its fungi-based dairy and meat alternatives, has launched a sweepstakes where one winner will get to dine with Lupe at an Optimistic Brunch at Cabra Los Angeles.

The promotional campaign comes nearly a year after Nature’s Fynd introduced its line of dairy-free yogurts made from its signature Fy protein, which will also be the centre of the brunch with Lupe.

Dairy-free brunch with Succession’s Willa

“You know, I’ve discovered that if I have to be up early, I deserve a treat,” Lupe says in a video accompanying the announcement. “A better-for-us dairy-free yogurt that actually tastes good.”

Highlighting the product range’s availability in Whole Foods Market, the actress encourages shoppers to buy the yogurt from the store. They will then need to submit a copy of the receipt on the contest’s website, with entries allowed until the end of the year, before a winner is drawn at random in January.

“You can win a brunch with me and we can do the whole ‘better thing’ together,” Lupe adds. The brunch will take place in February, with Nature’s Fynd covering the flights and accommodation for two nights for one winner and two friends.

The private brunch will feature a spread by Stephanie Izard, James Beard Award-winner and chef-owner of Cabra LA. “Winners will sip, savour, and schmooze about how much better brunch can be with a ​’better for us” yogurt that actually tastes good,” Nature’s Fynd said in a press release.

“With 8g of complete protein plus 4g of fibre, our fungi-powered yogurt is convincing people that they don’t have to compromise on taste. We’re thrilled that Justine agrees and is excited to help us share this story with her fans,” said chief revenue and marketing officer Karuna Rawal.

“I’m so happy to have discovered Nature’s Fynd, as there’s something wonderful about not having to overthink whether what I’m eating is both good for me and good for the planet,” said Lupe, mostly recently seen in Netflix’s Nobody Wants This.

Well-funded Nature’s Fynd looks to tap mycelium boom

“They created this delicious ​‘better for us’ and better for the environment, dairy-free yogurt based on a discovery in Yellowstone National Park. It is a little celebration of optimism about how we can find solutions in nature to some of our biggest challenges,” Lupe said.

Indeed, the startup’s Fy protein was born out of research conducted for NASA on a fungal strain found in the park’s geysers, called Fusarium strain flavolapis. The naturally occurring organism undergoes a unique type of fermentation, where biomass is grown atop a liquid surface, instead of inside a liquid or on top of a solid.

Nature’s Fynd feeds the microbes a select blend of nutrients to kickstart high protein formation – within a few days, filaments grow and interlace to form a mycelial ‘biomat’ with a similar texture to muscle fibres. Then is then steamed, pressed, rinsed and sliced to produce the Fy ingredient, which can be turned into a liquid, solid or powdered state.

The protein has formed the base of breakfast sausage parties and non-dairy cream cheese too. The yogurts, meanwhile, come in vanilla, strawberry and peach flavours, utilising live cultures and boasting essential amino acids and favourable digestion profiles.

These products also have a significantly lower climate footprint, with the fungal ingredient needing 99% less land and water than beef, while generating 94% fewer emissions. These attributes have impressed chefs Andrew Zimmern and Le Bernardin co-owner Eric Ripert, as well as investors like Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Al Gore – to date, Nature’s Fynd has raised $500M in capital.

The partnership with Lupe comes at a time when mycelium has become the darling of the alternative protein industry. This year has seen Meati raise a $100M Series C round for mycelium startup Meati, Infinite Roots secure $58M, and Ecovative close a $28M round for MyBacon.

Meanwhile, The Better Meat Co has received a ‘no further questions’ letter from the FDA, Nosh.bio has launched single-ingredient Koji Chunks, and Matr Foods has obtained a €20M grant from the EU’s investment arm for a mycelium factory, and Beyond Meat has forayed into the world of fungi too, among other developments.