Chef Chris Shepherd Debuts the Impossible Burger at Two Houston Restaurants

Award-winning Chef Chris Shepherd is debuting the Impossible Burger at his Houston restaurants Underbelly and The Hay Merchant, the first time Impossible Foods' plant-based burger will be available in Texas.

The Impossible Burger is the world's only burger that looks, handles, smells, cooks and tastes like ground beef from cows -- but it's made entirely from plants, with a much smaller environmental footprint than meat from animals. It's the flagship product of Impossible Foods, a company dedicated to making the global food system sustainable.

Shepherd is a James Beard Award-winning chef and a leader in America's "whole animal" movement, which seeks to reduce waste and improve the environmental footprint of our favourite foods. His Houston restaurants consistently are two of the most lauded and innovative dining concepts in America.

"At Underbelly and Hay Merchant, I tell the story of Houston through cuisine -- and with Impossible Foods, I hear a fascinating story about food and sustainability on a regional, national and global scale," Shepherd said. "One taste, and I knew I wanted it on my menus."

With its on-site butcher shop, Underbelly puts a premium on local sourcing and pays homage to Houston's diversity -- with a focus on high-quality meats and fresh local produce. Eater ranked it as one of Houston's "essential restaurants." Bon Appetit and Esquire magazines named it one of America's best new restaurants.

Located next door to Underbelly, Hay Merchant is an upscale premium bar with a focus on craft brews and shared plates, most embodying Shepherd's "whole animal" philosophy. Dishes include chicken fried steak and a plate of tacos made with half a pig head. The restaurant's famous "Cease and Desist" burger consistently gets accolades and helps maintain Houston's top standing in Travel & Leisure's ranking of America's Top 10 Burger Cities.

Made entirely from plants, the Impossible Burger uses about 75% less water, generates about 87% fewer greenhouse gases and requires around 95% less land than conventional ground beef from cows. It's produced without hormones, antibiotics, cholesterol or artificial flavours.

In development since 2011, the Impossible Burger debuted in July 2016 in New York City at Chef David Chang's restaurant Momofuku Nishi. It's currently served in nearly two dozen additional restaurants in New York and California.

Discover more about the Impossible Foods brand on its website.