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‘Shark Tank’ contestants bring wild bacon-like product with no pork, stun judges and score unexpected deal

A bacon without the cholesterol, or heavy fats? Sounds interesting, but let's see if the sharks will bid on it.

‘Shark Tank’ once welcomed a captivating food product that not only targeted the vegan crowd but also met the cravings. Husband and wife, Marvin and Aleah Montague, entered the tank with their brand Meat the Mushroom’s product, Shroomacon. According to Shark Tank Recap, Marvin came forth with the idea after he adopted a vegan lifestyle and was suffering from early-stage heart disease as well as asthma. Seeking $150,000 for 7.5% equity of their brand, Marvin and Aleah told the sharks, “If it looks like bacon, smells like bacon, and tastes like bacon, it must be mushrooms.” Their introduction had Daymond John confused for a bit.

However, Aleah and Marvin continued with their compelling pitch. Promoting Shroomacon on ‘Shark Tank' Season 15, they said it is “a plant-based bacon made of sliced mushrooms. Shroomacon has only five clean label ingredients, and soy ain’t one.” They continued to describe its taste, calling it “better than pork bacon.” “On a BLT, on a juicy burger, on a salad. Just the thought of it has me hungry,” Marvin said. Aleah then told the investors, “One bite of Shroomacon and you won’t believe you are eating sliced mushrooms. In fact, that's what makes it so special. It’s not highly processed, and it's not made in a mold.” 

To make their pitch even more captivating, they invited a samurai, towards whom Marvin threw huge mushrooms. In their act, the samurai was seen slicing mushrooms, as the contestants said that’s how they slice their mushrooms.  Shedding light on how they came up with the idea, Marvin said that after being diagnosed with a heart condition, he chose to become a vegan. Eventually, his health drastically improved, and his heart condition reversed. Fortunately, even his asthma disappeared with time. Shroomacon was created using King Oyster mushrooms, olive oil, smoke flavor, salt, and black pepper. The product was gluten-free, had no soy, no nitrates, no cholesterol, nor saturated fat.

Giving Shroomacon a try, the sharks were highly impressed, so much so that Kevin O’Leary, who usually hates plant-based alternatives, said he actually liked it. Explaining the cost, Marvin and Aleah said that a pack of Shroomacon costs $2.09 to produce, which is then sold for $4.40 at a wholesale rate. The retail price of their product was $8.99. Marvin and Aleah also explained that they were planning to bring down the production cost to $1.75. Launching the sales in mid-2021, they made $38,000. In 2022, Marvin and Aleah earned $86,000 in profit.  By the time they filmed their episode on ‘Shark Tank' Season 15, Shroomacon had earned them over $238,000. O’Leary instantly jumped in and offered them $150,000 for 33.3% equity, telling them he would not budge.

Mark Cuban, however, dropped out, citing conflict with another company he had already invested in. John did not think the numbers made sense, eventually dropping out as well. By the time Lori Greiner dropped out, O’Leary got frustrated as the contestants didn't accept his offer. He eventually raised the equity to 34%. Guest shark Daniel Lubetzky told Marvin and Aleah that O’Leary’s offer was unusually fair. However, Greiner offered them $150,000 for 33.3% equity. Marvin and Aleah still hesitated. This was when Greiner offered to team up with O’Leary. Next, Aleah countered her offer with $200,000 for 33.3% equity, which Mr. Wonderful declined. Eventually, Marvin and Aleah accepted the joint deal.