The Plant Based Seafood Co.

Founded in 2020, The Plant Based Seafood Co. (the alternative seafood arm of Van Cleave Seafood Co.) develops alternative seafood products sold under the “Mind Blown” brand. The products, which include coconut shrimp, dusted shrimp, dusted scallops, and crab cakes, are made using Asian root vegetable konjac, textured wheat protein, pea protein, seaweed, textured vegetable protein (TVP), yams, coconut flour, chickpea flour, and other vegetable starches. Mind Blown products can be found in several state-specific retail locations as well as online vegan retailers. In July 2022, the company entered its first nationwide distribution with Sprouts Farmers Market with the debut of its crab cakes.

In March 2023, the company debuted its shelf-stable plant-based sea scallops. Available through the company’s website, the product is claimed to be the first shelf-stable plant-based seafood item.

Key partnerships

In January 2022, the company partnered with US retailer Harris Teeter to launch Mind Blown products across 261 locations in several states such as Delaware, Florida, and Georgia. Further, in September 2022, the company partnered with kelp producer Atlantic Sea Farms to incorporate kelp into Mind Blow’s product range. In August 2023, the company ​​entered a co-development agreement with ICL Group Ltd., to create novel replication technologies for plant-based seafood alternatives. The companies planned to leverage their resources and knowledge to develop advanced and sustainable plant-based seafood alternatives. In October 2023, The Plant Based Seafood Co partnered with Sam Rust Seafood, a wholesale supplier, to increase the accessibility of its plant-based seafood alternatives to American consumers.

In May 2024, the company partnered with Wegmans Food Markets to distribute its Mind Blown-branded products at 80 Wegmans locations across the US.

Funding and financials

In July 2022, the company netted an undisclosed investment from celebrity chef and investor Spike Mendelsohn.