If you want the short answer: chefs are helping cultivated meat move from test kitchens to restaurant plates. As of 30 June 2026, the UK still has no commercial sales, but chefs in the US, Singapore and Israel-linked companies have already helped shape dishes, menus and public trust.
Here’s the article in one quick view:
- Dominique Crenn backed cultivated chicken and served it at Bar Crenn in July 2023
- José Andrés backed cultivated chicken and cultivated salmon, with menu use at China Chilcano and Barmini
- Marcus Samuelsson backed cultivated beef through Aleph Farms as an investor and adviser
- Ryan Clift served cultivated quail at Tippling Club in Singapore
- Jeff Yew worked on cultivated chicken for familiar dishes like satay and chicken rice in Singapore
What stands out to me is this: chef support is not just about public approval. It also covers taste, texture, searing, menu format and kitchen use. And there’s demand on the food-service side too: 86% of chefs and food-service workers in one survey said they were interested in serving cultivated meat, while more than half said they would add it within two months of approval.
5 Chefs Supporting Cultivated Meat: Roles, Regions & Focus
Is Cultivated Meat the Future of Food? | Uma Valeti | TED
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Quick comparison
| Chef | Main focus | Company / project | What they do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominique Crenn | Cultivated chicken | UPSIDE Foods | Chef partner; served it in a US restaurant |
| José Andrés | Cultivated chicken and salmon | GOOD Meat; Wildtype | Board role and menu partner |
| Marcus Samuelsson | Cultivated beef | Aleph Farms | Investor, adviser, future menu partner |
| Ryan Clift | Cultivated quail | Vow / Forged | Restaurant partner; served it on a tasting menu |
| Jeff Yew | Cultivated chicken | GOOD Meat Asia | Product lead for familiar everyday dishes |
For me, the main takeaway is simple: these chefs are helping cultivated meat look and taste like real food rather than a science project.
Why Chefs Matter in the Future of Cultivated Meat
Chef endorsements matter because chefs put their reputations on the line with every dish they serve. If a chef backs Cultivated Meat, that sends a strong signal to diners. But endorsement is only one part of it. Chefs also help shape how cooking with cultivated meat works in the kitchen.
They test things that matter on the plate: aroma, structure, heat stability, and mouthfeel across different dishes. In December 2024, French company Gourmey set up the industry's first culinary advisory board, bringing together Michelin-starred chefs Claude Le Tohic, Daniel Calvert, and Rasmus Munk to give feedback on its cultivated foie gras [4]. That kind of hands-on kitchen work goes far beyond a simple seal of approval.
There’s also a clear sign that food service is open to it. A survey of 251 chefs and food service professionals found that 86% were interested in serving Cultivated Meat, and more than half said they would add it to their menus within two months of approval [5]. That points to real menu readiness.
1. Dominique Crenn
Dominique Crenn shows how chef advocacy can move Cultivated Meat from an idea into something diners can actually order. She is a three-Michelin-star chef and the first chef to partner with a Cultivated Meat company [1][9].
Type of Cultivated Meat
Crenn has publicly backed cultivated chicken, with a focus on whole-cut chicken breast made by California-based startup Upside Foods [6][9].
Role in Advocacy
Crenn is Upside Foods' first culinary partner. She has worked in the company's test kitchens to refine the texture, sear and flavour of the product [6][9].
Why She Supports It
In 2019, Crenn removed meat from all three of her restaurants as a protest against the environmental impact of factory farming [7][8]. For her, Cultivated Meat offers a way to serve meat without relying on the same level of animal welfare issues and environmental damage.
"We will save billions of animals as well as the environment if we make the move to cultured meat." - Dominique Crenn, Chef and Owner, Atelier Crenn [8]
How She Uses It in Culinary Work
In July 2023, Crenn served the first cultivated chicken sold to consumers in the United States at Bar Crenn in San Francisco [1][7]. That moment helped show that chef backing can move Cultivated Meat beyond lab talk and onto a serious restaurant menu.
2. José Andrés
Where Dominique Crenn sees Cultivated Meat as a fine-dining move, José Andrés sees it as a way to help tackle food security. For him, it sits at the meeting point of feeding people and pushing restaurants forward.
Type of Cultivated Meat
Andrés has backed cultivated chicken from GOOD Meat, a division of Eat Just, and cultivated salmon from Wildtype [10].
Role in Advocacy
His support goes well beyond words. In December 2021, he joined Eat Just's board to advise GOOD Meat's path to commercialisation. In 2023, he founded the Global Food Institute at George Washington University. Then, in June 2026, he partnered with Wildtype to serve cultivated salmon at Barmini in Washington, D.C. [10]
Why He Supports It
That public role fits his broader view of how food systems need to change. He has said that humans now use one-third of the planet's arable land to grow corn and soy for livestock feed [13].
"We need to innovate, to adapt our food to a planet in crisis. We need to create meals that feed the people at the same time as we sustain our communities and environment." This shift offers significant environmental benefits by reducing the land and water required for protein production. - José Andrés, Chef and Humanitarian [13]
How He Uses It in Culinary Work
Andrés has also brought that view into service. In July 2023, China Chilcano in Washington, D.C., served GOOD Meat's Anticuchos de Pollo, which made him the first chef to serve cultivated chicken on a US restaurant menu [11][12]. He later added cultivated salmon to Barmini in June 2026 [10].
3. Marcus Samuelsson
Marcus Samuelsson brings a practical, people-first view to Cultivated Meat. He frames it not as a gimmick, but as food that needs to earn a place on actual menus. Samuelsson is an eight-time James Beard Foundation award winner and runs 13 restaurants around the world, including Red Rooster Harlem and Hav & Mar. [2]
Type of Cultivated Meat
Samuelsson’s focus is cultivated beef. In June 2023, he partnered with Aleph Farms to back Aleph Cuts, including the "Petit Steak", which is grown from Black Angus cow cells. [2][15]
Role in Advocacy
He joined Aleph Farms as an investor, culinary adviser and launch partner. That means he helps guide product development, menu use and launch plans. [14][15]
"It's essential that we look for new ways to feed our planet sustainably, which is why I was attracted to the mission of Aleph Farms and being part, both as a chef and as an investor, in bringing delicious, cultivated meat to the table." - Marcus Samuelsson, Chef and Investor [14]
His work centres on a simple goal: helping Cultivated Meat make the jump from concept to restaurant dish.
Why He Supports It
Samuelsson supports Cultivated Meat because he sees it as one way to feed people with less strain on the planet, while also making food innovation feel normal rather than far-off. [14][15]
"Right now, it's a pioneering movement and one that I think will only grow to be more important and increasingly commonplace in our lives. What once felt futuristic – like electric cars – soon becomes familiar." - Marcus Samuelsson, Chef and Investor [15]
How He Uses It in Culinary Work
He plans to serve Aleph Farms' cultivated beef in his restaurants once approvals are in place in each market. [2][16]
4. Ryan Clift
In Singapore, Ryan Clift gives Cultivated Meat a place in experimental fine dining. He is the chef-owner of Tippling Club in Singapore, a restaurant known for pushing fine dining in unusual directions.[18]
Type of Cultivated Meat
Clift works with Forged Parfait, a Cultivated Meat product made from Japanese quail cells by Vow's Forged brand.[17][18]
Role in Advocacy
In April 2024, Clift became Vow's first global restaurant partner.[17][18] At that point, Tippling Club was the only restaurant where the public could taste the product. That made his role much more hands-on than a simple endorsement. He was putting it on the menu, serving it to paying guests, and showing that Cultivated Meat could work in a high-end dining setting.[17][18]
Why He Supports It
Clift supports Cultivated Meat because it suits his experimental style and brings sustainable premium ingredients into fine dining. In plain terms, it gives him a way to serve premium dishes with strong presentation and flavour, without giving up on sustainability.
How He Uses It in Culinary Work
Clift added Forged Parfait to Tippling Club's tasting menu.[17][18] Dishes included "Forged Parfait Brûlée" and "The Whipped Quail in The Mont Blanc".[17][18]
5. Jeff Yew
Support for Cultivated Meat doesn’t stop with headline chefs. It also relies on the people doing the less glamorous work in the background: refining how it cooks, how it tastes and how it can be sold in ways people will actually recognise and order. Jeff Yew represents that product side of Cultivated Meat - the step where restaurant curiosity turns into dishes that can go on a menu. Based in Singapore, he works as Product Development Lead at GOOD Meat Asia, where he focuses on cultivated chicken for market use. [19]
Type of Cultivated Meat
Yew works with cultivated chicken from GOOD Meat, a subsidiary of Eat Just. The products he develops include nuggets, shredded chicken for rice dishes and satay skewers - formats meant to feel familiar, not futuristic. [19]
Role in Advocacy
Singapore has a special place in this story as the first nation to commercially approve Cultivated Meat, which makes it a testing ground for what may come next elsewhere. [19] Yew’s work is tied to that role. He helps make cultivated chicken function in settings that range from fine dining to hawker stalls such as Madam Fan and Keng Eng Kee. [19]
That matters because new food ideas don’t win people over on theory alone. They have to work on the plate, in the kitchen and in places where people already eat.
Why He Supports It
For Yew, Cultivated Meat is a practical extension of scientific progress - a way to help feed a growing global population without the environmental and ethical costs of industrial farming. [19]
How He Uses It in Culinary Work
Yew brings cultivated chicken into everyday Singaporean dishes such as chicken rice and satay, which helps the product feel rooted in local food culture rather than set apart from it. Some products sold out in five minutes on Foodpanda. [19]
His role also shows something easy to miss: Cultivated Meat doesn’t move forward on ideas alone. A lot depends on technical kitchen work behind the scenes - the testing, tweaking and format choices that make a new product feel normal enough for dinner. [19]
What These Five Chefs Tell Us About Cultivated Meat
These five chefs show that support for Cultivated Meat goes well beyond publicity. Put them together, and you can see three clear paths for chef involvement: endorsement, investment and product testing.
Their roles cover a lot of ground. Crenn and Andrés sit at the restaurant-facing end, using their dining rooms to make Cultivated Meat feel like a genuine menu option. Samuelsson adds financial backing, plus a network of 13 restaurants worldwide that could serve as a menu platform.[2]
On the product side, chefs who sit on advisory boards help shape the finer points before anything reaches the market. That includes aroma, texture and mouthfeel.[4] It’s the kind of work diners may never see, but it matters. If the eating experience feels off, the idea won’t get far.
Taken as a group, these chefs show that Cultivated Meat is moving through the food industry on several fronts at the same time: consumer-facing advocacy, investment and product refinement. In plain terms, it’s making its way into restaurants, boardrooms and development kitchens all at once, which helps turn a promising idea into something people can order with confidence.
The comparison table below sets out their roles, focus and how each one uses Cultivated Meat.
Chef Comparison Table
The table below sums up each chef’s focus, motivation and role.
| Chef | Region | Partner Company / Project | Type of Cultivated Meat | Main Motivation | Practical Involvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominique Crenn | US | UPSIDE Foods | Cultivated chicken | Climate change and slaughter-free alternatives [20] | Culinary partner and adviser; served Cultivated Meat at Bar Crenn on 1 July 2023 [1]. |
| José Andrés | US / Global | Eat Just (GOOD Meat); Wildtype | Cultivated chicken; cultivated salmon | Food security and climate action [10] | Board member of Eat Just; restaurant partner with Wildtype [10]. |
| Marcus Samuelsson | US / Global | Aleph Farms | Cultivated beef | Food systems that put less strain on the planet and support global food security [2][21] | Investor and culinary adviser at Aleph Farms [2]. |
| Ryan Clift | Singapore | Vow (Forged) | Cultivated quail | Premium ingredients with a lower impact, shaped for experimental fine dining [17][18] | First global restaurant partner for Vow; serves Forged Parfait on Tippling Club's tasting menu [17][18]. |
| Jeff Yew | Singapore | GOOD Meat Asia | Cultivated chicken | Feeding a growing population with fewer costs to the planet [19] | Product Development Lead; adapts cultivated chicken for everyday formats, including hawker dishes [19]. |
How UK Readers Can Follow Cultivated Meat Developments
The chef examples show what Cultivated Meat looks like on a menu. This section shifts to the part most UK readers care about: when it will actually go on sale here.
The UK government has pledged £2 billion for biotechnology, including Cultivated Meat production [22], and the FSA is working with industry on the approval process.
If you're in the UK, the most useful next step is to keep an eye on approvals and launch news. Cultivated Meat Shop tracks product types, taste, health, UK availability, FSA milestones and waitlist sign-ups.
Australia approved cultivated quail in June 2025, with a retail launch expected in September 2026 [3].
For UK readers, that makes it a simple way to follow approvals, launches and availability.
Conclusion
Five chefs, one shared view: Cultivated Meat belongs on serious menus.
Taken together, they show how Cultivated Meat is moving through restaurants, investment and product development. Dominique Crenn and José Andrés are public voices for the restaurant side of the category, putting Cultivated Meat in front of paying diners. Marcus Samuelsson supports the space as both an investor and a culinary adviser. Ryan Clift brings cultivated quail into fine-dining tasting menus at Tippling Club. Jeff Yew turns cultivated chicken into familiar, everyday dishes that feel rooted in local food culture.
That support matters because it places Cultivated Meat on menus, in development kitchens and in live service. And that blend of kitchen testing, menu placement and chef backing is what helps a new food move from novelty to something diners know.
FAQs
Why do chefs matter for Cultivated Meat?
Chefs matter because they make Cultivated Meat feel familiar and easy to try. When they serve it in dishes people already know, diners can focus on the flavour instead of getting stuck on the science behind it.
They also help shape what comes next. Their feedback on taste, texture and aroma can guide how Cultivated Meat develops, while their support helps position it as an ethical, forward-looking option for long-term food supply and food security.
Has Cultivated Meat gone on sale in the UK yet?
No, Cultivated Meat is not yet on sale in the United Kingdom.
It has appeared in limited restaurant settings in other countries, including the United States and Singapore, but it is not currently available to buy in the UK.
Cultivated Meat Shop helps consumers learn about the category and get ready for future availability while the industry works towards regulatory approval and broader distribution.
Which types of Cultivated Meat are chefs serving first?
Chefs are bringing Cultivated Meat to diners through a small set of early menu items.
That includes:
- Cultivated chicken, often used in dishes like satay and tempura-battered bites
- Cultivated salmon, served as crudo or in poke
- Hybrid products, such as meatballs and bacon made with cultivated pork fat and plant-based ingredients
For more on these early innovations, see Cultivated Meat Shop.
