Packaging Design
300gsm Hot Pressed Card | Pine Shavings
Speculative Design
LabBeef is a speculative food brand concept
Reframing lab-grown steak as a luxury product for high-volume beef consumers.
01

Bought as a treat for a special occasion, shared with family or friends
02

Unboxed by breaking the branded pine-shaving seal, then unfolding the packaging into a pedestal
03

Cooked and served the way traditional beef would be, preserving familiar rituals. Same taste, much smaller environmental impact
The packaging system emphasises ritual and status: a box that opens ceremonially, breaking a branded pine shaving seal to reveal the steak on a pedestal. Natural and sustainable materials: recycled cardboard, Natureflex® vacuum wrap, and local off-cut pine.
Sustainability
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Love, H.J. and Sulikowski, D. (2018) ‘Of meat and men: Sex differences in implicit and explicit attitudes toward meat’, Frontiers in Psychology, 9, article 559.
Mertens, A. et al. (2020) ‘Valuing humans over animals – Gender differences in meat-eating behavior and the role of the Dark Triad’, Appetite, 146, article 104516.
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Pohjolainen, P. et al. (2015) ‘Consumers’ perceived barriers to following a plant-based diet’, British Food Journal, 117(3), pp. 1150–1167.
Rimini Protokoll (n.d.) Hauptversammlung. Available at: https://www.rimini-protokoll.de/website/en/project/hauptversammlung.
Rose, D. et al. (2022) ‘Single-item substitutions can substantially reduce the carbon and water scarcity footprints of US diets’, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 115(2), pp. 378–387.
Serraj, R. and Pingali, P. (2018) Agriculture & food systems to 2050: Global trends, challenges and opportunities. World Scientific Publishing Co.
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The Yes Men (n.d.) [Hijinks project archive]. Available at: https://theyesmen.org/hijinks-all.
Timeo, S. and Suitner, C. (2018) ‘Eating meat makes you sexy: Conformity to dietary gender norms and attractiveness’, Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 19(3), pp. 418–429.
United Kingdom (2006) Animal Welfare Act 2006, c. 45. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/45/contents.
Uteuova, A. (2023) ‘High steaks society: Who are the 12% of people consuming half of all beef in the US?’ (Accessed: 27 May 2024).
Verbeke, W. et al. (2010) ‘European beef consumers’ interest in a beef eating-quality guarantee: Insights from a qualitative study in four EU countries’, Appetite, 54(2), pp. 289–296.
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