Tofurky
Oregon-based independent vegan brand best known for its soy-and-wheat-protein holiday roast, one of the longest-running plant-based meat companies in North America.
Tofurky (legal name Turtle Island Foods SPC) is an independent, employee- owned American vegan food company, founded in 1980 by Seth Tibbott in Forest Grove, Oregon, and now headquartered in Hood River. It produces tempeh, deli slices, sausages, burgers, pizzas, and the flagship Tofurky Roast — a wheat- gluten-and-tofu holiday centerpiece first sold in 1995.
Why it matters
Tofurky is one of the earliest North American food companies built entirely around vegan production. Its roast made plant-based holiday meals tractable for mainstream households a full generation before “plant-based” became a marketing category. The company has stayed privately held, rejected multiple acquisition offers, and is widely cited within the industry as a model of mission-driven, slow-growth vegan enterprise.
Product range
Tofurky Roast, Ham-Style Roast, Plant-Based Deli Slices, Plant-Based Sausages, Tempeh (original, five-grain, smoky), Pizza (frozen), and seasonal holiday dinner kits. Everything is vegan; most items are non-GMO Project verified.
Advocacy
Tofurky has been a named plaintiff in U.S. state-level lawsuits challenging meat-labeling laws that would have barred plant-based products from using terms like “burger” and “sausage.” Rulings in Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana have largely sided with the company, preserving the First Amendment right to describe plant-based foods by reference to their familiar formats.