BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Summertime Saturdays are for slinging sandwiches. Donning a superhero costume, you can find Andrew Wild at farmers markets across Chittenden County. As the outfit might suggest, he has a superpower… and it’s spreading joy.
“We want to convey that plant-based foods are joyful and exciting and we feel a sense of joy sharing them with other people and seeing how much they enjoy them,” Wild said. But he not only put together his vegan sandwiches, he’s got to make the goods to go in them. “I make plant-based protein slices that are both delicious and nutritious.”
Wild owns Mighty Mudita, a Burlington business with a focus on making sandwich slices that are good for people and the planet. Wild grew up in Wisconsin on a classic meat and cheese diet.
“Over time just discovered these amazing foods that had less animal meat in them and more plant-based proteins,” he said. He and his wife started buying more plant-based protein from the store. “We found ourselves both making like a sandwich each and tossing the plastic, thinking, wow, I wonder if we could just make our own and reduce our waste.”
So, they did. It started with a loaf of seitan, a product made of cooked wheat gluten. “We were sharing them with friends and friends were like, hey, this is really good, I wish we had more locally made options like this,” he said. Those sentiments, and what Wild describes as a life-altering rock climbing accident, gave him all the perspective he needed to jump into something joyful, and Mighty Mudita is that something. In a shared Burlington kitchen, Wild makes loaves of seitan and chickpea-and-pea protein-based slices, which are gluten *and soy-free.
“The seitan is like chewier, it resembles deli meat more. Whereas the chickpea-based slices are softer in texture with bold flavors,” Wild said. Using local products when possible, he chops, mixes, cooks and slices up his plant-based protein, selling both wholesale loaves and slices. When WCAX stopped by the kitchen, he was making a smoky-flavored slice with local beets. He says, not only are these slices better for you than the traditional deli slice, but they’re better for the planet. Commissioned UVM research shows that they come with a significantly smaller footprint.
“They found that the emissions were 85 percent less than turkey meat in comparison,” he said, adding that the World Health Organization has gone on the record saying that processed meat, like deli meat, is carcinogenic. Mighty Mudita slices offer a safe way to enjoy bold flavors and plenty of protein.
City Market, Healthy Living, and the Hunger Mountain Co-op stock his slices. Back at the farmers market, Wild offers incentives for buying in bulk or buying fresh-cut slices wrapped in parchment paper. Plus, his sandwich menu is always a draw. But, Wild contends it’s the community that gave him a successful start.
“A delightful journey, you know. It’s exciting to get them to a place where people, including myself, really enjoy them,” Wild said.
You can find Mighty Mudita alternating between the Shelburne and Burlington markets on Saturdays.