Vegetarian Star

Chipotle set a goal of sourcing 50% of its ingredients from local suppliers by 2010.

There’s no official statistics available on how close the Mexican restaurant chain got to this number, but in the San Diego, California area, Chipotles are doing guacamole in style with locally-grown, celebrity furnished avocados.

Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz is about as famous for his avocado farm as he is for his music and the details of his farm being a major supplier for the chain are included in Parade magazine.

(more…)

Possibly Related Posts:

• Chrissy Teigen Failed Vegan Experiment
• Mia Evans Is A “Masterchef Junior” Vegetarian Star
• The Passing Of A Vegan Prince
• Holly Madison Enjoys Vegan Smoothie From M Cafe In Beverly Hills
• Controversy Over Pro-Vegeterian Curriculum In Schools

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. is continuing a test of its latest vegetarian taco and burrito filling by expanding the offering to all 96 of its Northern California restaurants.

The sofrita–a burrito made from shredded tofu–was a favorite in seven California Chipotle restaurants and company officials are hoping the trend will grow in the entire region.

(more…)

Possibly Related Posts:

• Chrissy Teigen Failed Vegan Experiment
• Mia Evans Is A “Masterchef Junior” Vegetarian Star
• Holly Madison Enjoys Vegan Smoothie From M Cafe In Beverly Hills
• Controversy Over Pro-Vegeterian Curriculum In Schools
• Ellie Goulding Creates Protein Bar “Everlasting Joy” With GoMacro

Vegetarians in the Bay area can now enjoy another item at the more environmentally conscious food chain Chipotle.

The company has unveiled it’s sofrita–a burrito made from shredded tofu–to be tested at select San Francisco restaurants.

(more…)

Possibly Related Posts:

• Chrissy Teigen Failed Vegan Experiment
• Mia Evans Is A “Masterchef Junior” Vegetarian Star
• Holly Madison Enjoys Vegan Smoothie From M Cafe In Beverly Hills
• Controversy Over Pro-Vegeterian Curriculum In Schools
• Ellie Goulding Creates Protein Bar “Everlasting Joy” With GoMacro

Rachel Oberlin, better known as her adult start name Bree Olson, is asking Chipotle to make their pinto beans vegetarian.

Some may believe ordering a vegetarian burrito from the restaurant will result in a meat-free meal. But only the company’s black beans are vegetarian, as the pinto beans are cooked with bacon.

“You don’t need to be a vegetarian to want your pinto beans to be piggy free. Please, @ChipotleTweets, save money & lives, let it be vegan,” the Tweet read.

(more…)

Possibly Related Posts:

• Chrissy Teigen Failed Vegan Experiment
• Mia Evans Is A “Masterchef Junior” Vegetarian Star
• Holly Madison Enjoys Vegan Smoothie From M Cafe In Beverly Hills
• Controversy Over Pro-Vegeterian Curriculum In Schools
• Ellie Goulding Creates Protein Bar “Everlasting Joy” With GoMacro

Those who weren’t familiar with Steve Ells before tuning in to America’s Next Great Restaurant were probably at least familiar with his Mexican restaurant chain, Chipotle.

Ells is trying to make Chipotle as sustainable as possible, sourcing local ingredients and aiming for organic when available.

Ells, a meat eater, is concerned with the destruction large scale farms have done in terms of both environmental impact and animal cruelty. That’s why not only is he sourcing Chipotle’s pork from a network of smaller farmers who pledge to treat animals better and do not use hormones or antibiotics, he’s also working to lessen the amount of meat he eats.

(more…)

Possibly Related Posts:

• Chrissy Teigen Failed Vegan Experiment
• Mia Evans Is A “Masterchef Junior” Vegetarian Star
• Holly Madison Enjoys Vegan Smoothie From M Cafe In Beverly Hills
• Controversy Over Pro-Vegeterian Curriculum In Schools
• Ellie Goulding Creates Protein Bar “Everlasting Joy” With GoMacro

Chipotle is aiming to source at least 50% of one produce item locally this year in its restaurants.

The item will depend on both the region the establishment is located and the local growing season.

According to Westword, the 50% goal is up from 2009’s goal of 35% and 2008’s goal of 25%.

The company stated in a news release that it is working with about 50 local, family owned farms to obtain produce such as tomatoes and lettuce.

The locally grown initiative is one of several actions taken by Chipotle that reflect a desire to produce more eco and animal friendly products, including switching its pork supply to farms that do not use antibiotics or hormones, using almost 50% organic beans and using cheese and sour cream from cows not given recombinant bovine growth hormone.

And let’s not forget the vegan meat filling is slowly making it’s way into more restaurants.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Chrissy Teigen Failed Vegan Experiment
• Mia Evans Is A “Masterchef Junior” Vegetarian Star
• Holly Madison Enjoys Vegan Smoothie From M Cafe In Beverly Hills
• Controversy Over Pro-Vegeterian Curriculum In Schools
• Ellie Goulding Creates Protein Bar “Everlasting Joy” With GoMacro

Chipotle first expanded its vegetarian market by offering the vegan filling in its Dupont Circle restaurant in Washington, D.C.

Then, New Yorkers got to sample the Garden Blend in their fajita burritos.

Now, according to the Sacramento Business Journal, Chipotle has claimed Roseville, California as its latest location to test the meatless variety, along with stores in Los Angeles and Denver.

Could the vegan filling one day be available in yourtown, USA, or will it be restricted to larger cities and regions known for residents that are more likely to be open to a meat-free variety?

“We’re still playing with the recipe,” said Chris Arnold, director of public relations with Chipotle. “We don’t have any data yet. But we have had a lot of interest from customers for something like this from all across the country.”

Chipotle has over 1,000 restaurants in 35 states in the United States and Canada.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Chrissy Teigen Failed Vegan Experiment
• Mia Evans Is A “Masterchef Junior” Vegetarian Star
• Holly Madison Enjoys Vegan Smoothie From M Cafe In Beverly Hills
• Controversy Over Pro-Vegeterian Curriculum In Schools
• Ellie Goulding Creates Protein Bar “Everlasting Joy” With GoMacro

Chipotle founder, co-CEO and co-chair Steve Ells says the pork sourced for their products is obtained from Niman Ranch, a small network of family farms that raise their pigs on open pastures or deeply bedded barns, feed them vegetarian diets and give them no hormones or antibiotics.

After switching to this supplier, Ells found sales increased even after having to charge an extra dollar to cover the cost of the non factory farmed meat.

Paul Wills, manager of Niman Ranch Pork Company, is a contributor in Moby and Miyun Park‘s edited collection of essays, Gristle, where he discusses the strain big farms put on small family ones.

Although Wills may be a fish out of water in a book edited by a vegan with a vegetarian slant, the experience with Chipotle restaurant teaches us that the more humane way to raise an animal for food not only puts less stress on the organism and the environment, but results in more satisfaction for the consumer.

Niman Ranch’s “ethical meat” is not a vegetarian carnita, but it’s a step forward in taking better care of the world and every living thing, including part time vegetarians, that inhabits it.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Jon Stewart and Wife Tracey Stewart Adopt Horse
• Chrissy Teigen Failed Vegan Experiment
• Mia Evans Is A “Masterchef Junior” Vegetarian Star
• Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Elephants Retire To Sanctuary
• Holly Madison Enjoys Vegan Smoothie From M Cafe In Beverly Hills