Yumame launches its first ready meal on SBB Trains
Having established its plant-based products at Coop and in food service, Küsnacht-based start-up Yumame Foods is taking the next step: penne with vegan Yumame Bolognese is now served in SBB dining cars as part of Elvetino’s autumn menu. Made from Swiss lentils, mushrooms and grains, it is Yumame’s first ready meal.
“We are incredibly proud that our vegan Bolognese is on Elvetino’s autumn menu,” says Eliana Zamprogna Rosenfeld, founder and CEO of Yumame Foods. “Bolognese is a classic that everyone knows and loves. We give it a twist that is good for people and good for the planet.”
Clean eating, made tasty and easy
The Bolognese has a hearty, slightly textured bite and deep umami notes from the mushrooms and fermentation. It is familiar and comforting, yet distinctive.
Like every Yumame product, it is made with a few wholesome, recognizable ingredients, gentle processing and no additives. Yumame has developed and optimized its own fermentation process, building on the traditional techniques used to produce foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi and tempeh. This low-energy, low-waste method enhances flavour and texture while supporting digestibility. The result is a naturally rich umami taste and a valuable nutritional profile, with protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals.
Built on Swiss agriculture, designed for the world
The lentils, mushrooms and grains come, whenever possible, from Swiss agriculture. Through long-term partnerships with local producers, Yumame helps establish lentils and other legumes as a new crop in Switzerland, supporting soil health and biodiversity even under climate stress.
“Working with Swiss farmers is how we build a food system that is resilient and transparent, and delivers high quality, with the shortest distance from the field to the plate,” says Zamprogna Rosenfeld.
Their fermentation-based method can also be replicated anywhere in the world, using local crops and regional tastes.
From innovation to industrial production
Yumame is scaling up its production and has partnered with Le Patron, a subsidiary of ORIOR Food AG. Le Patron brings its innovation drive in developing healthy and tasty products, its expertise in convenience food manufacturing, and its distribution capabilities.
This partnership enables new recipes, particularly in the ready-meal segment, to be produced at scale and brought to market. Yumame has already developed several new product formulations, formats and recipes in-house, and the possibilities are virtually endless.
“Our technology platform and fermentation know-how allow us even to design products for specific nutritional needs, which opens up a wide range of new applications,” says Zamprogna Rosenfeld. The company is currently raising capital to expand its product portfolio and accelerate sales growth.
About Yumame Foods
Founded in Zurich in 2021, Yumame Foods AG combines expertise in food manufacturing and fermentation science to create a new generation of plant-based foods. Using its optimized fermentation process, the company transforms whole ingredients, including mushrooms and lentils, into foods with a distinctive umami flavour and texture, naturally rich in protein, fibre, minerals and vitamins. Yumame products offer a minimally processed alternative to conventional plant-based foods. Supported by Innosuisse, Gebert Rüf Stiftung and private investors, the company collaborates with Swiss academic institutions. Its products are available across Switzerland at Coop, online and through food service partners.