M51 Community Spotlight: Celeste Trujillo from The Better Butchers
Discover Celeste Trujillo’s quest to create a healthier, greener and cruelty-free world by leveraging the marvels of food science.
Meet Celeste, The Entrepreneurial Food Scientist with a Vision
Celeste Trujillo is the Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at The Better Butchers, a company that develops and manufactures nutritious and delicious plant-based alternatives to meat products. The company currently specializes in fungi-based products. The Better Butchers’ proprietary blend is free from the top ten most common allergens, notably gluten and soy. In its place, The Better Butchers uses a blend of plant protein and culinary mushrooms to enhance nutrients, such as iron and fiber, that the body can absorb. Celeste’s products do not attempt to imitate any specific animal, such as pork, beef, or chicken. Instead, Celeste focuses on using high-quality herbs and spices to ensure that her meat substitutes are healthy while maintaining the flavour, taste, and texture of traditional meats.
With a Bachelor of Science Degree in Food Science with a minor in Chemistry and Biology, Celeste has over 15 years of experience in food research, IP development, and product manufacturing. Given Celeste’s extensive credentials in the food product development space, she decided to embark on her own entrepreneurial journey two years ago, co-founding The Better Butchers with her business partner, Mitchell Scott. And thus began Celeste’s quest to create a healthier, greener, and cruelty-free world by leveraging the marvels of food science.
What Inspired Celeste to Embark on her Entrepreneurial Journey?
Celeste recognized that meat consumption is a significant contributing factor in exacerbating the harmful effects of climate change. Further, as the population is expected to double by 2050, meat consumption will increase by 70%. With these statistics in mind, Celeste stopped eating meat herself. However, as plant-based meats emerged onto the market, Celeste felt that none met expectations as they either lacked in taste, nutritional benefits, or both. Drawing from her background and profound knowledge of food science, Celeste recognized that she could leverage mycelium, found in mushrooms and fungi, which naturally has meaty textures and a savoury taste, to address the aforementioned issues with the incumbent meat alternatives on the market.
Ultimately, Celeste aims to eliminate products with long ingredient lists containing unpronounceable chemicals from grocery store shelves. Her efforts to minimize and simplify meat alternatives have been well-received by consumers, especially when they taste her products at trade shows. To date, The Better Butchers’ products can be found in over 65 stores and supermarkets in British Columbia.
Exciting News: What’s In Store for The Better Butchers?
Currently, The Better Butchers primarily sells through retailers in British Columbia. In the near future, Celeste aims to get The Better Butchers’ products into Whole Foods. There are also plans to expand into other Canadian provinces like Ontario, Alberta, and Quebec. Eventually, she would like to extend her production capabilities and broaden the variety of her product line through new product launches in order to expand into the international market.
The Better Butchers also sell directly to consumers via its online store. However, Celeste’s ultimate vision is to establish an independent, physical butcher shop where everything is plant-based while maintaining the experiences associated with walking into a traditional butcher shop, such as being greeted by the aroma of smoked meats.
Celeste is also proud to share that The Better Butchers’ Plant-based Chorizo Crumbles, developed by Head of Product Development, Amelia Blandford, and drawing from her Mexican heritage, has been nominated as a finalist for Product of the Year at the Rise Awards, organized by British Columbia Food & Beverage (BCFB).
Additionally, The Better Butchers have the distinct honour of being the only Canadian plant-based manufacturer presenting at The World Food Forum, led by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in October 2024.
Celeste also expressed optimism, citing the increasingly open-minded attitudes of meat-eaters willing to try newer, innovative alternatives to meat as compassion for animals grows.
Reflections on her Career and Advice for Entrepreneurs
Reflecting on her career, Celeste emphasizes the importance of harnessing one’s inner voice, as she believes that one’s thoughts have the power to shape and create reality. Celeste recognizes the negative feedback loop that can occur when insecurities take over, leading to a lack of confidence to take the initiative to start a business, thereby reinforcing those initial insecurities.
Celeste shares that “you have more control than you think,” explaining that the sooner one creates positive thoughts, the easier staying true to one’s purpose will be. She also recommends meditation and breath work as a way to improve mental health and deal with stress.
According to Celeste, having a good mindset is the first step in becoming a good leader, a successful startup founder, and a well-rounded individual.
