Australian Food Tech Vow Trials Cell-Cultured Exotic Meat With Famed Chef Neil Perry

Sydney-based food tech Vow has recently served up its cell-based exotic meats in a trial with famed Australian chef Neil Perry. Six different animal species were selected for the trial, from kangaroo to alpaca, representing the first culinary demonstration of the startup’s multi-species cultivated exotic meats platform. 

Vow, a food tech developing meat directly from animal cells, has announced their first culinary trial of their products, prepared and plated by renowned Australian chefs Neil Perry, the founder of the Rockpool restaurant empire, and Corey Costello. Six unique dishes were presented, including cell-cultured kangaroo dumplings, alpaca chilli tamara and a goat cheeseburger slider. Vow’s cultivated rabbit, lamb and pork also featured in the trial. 

It marked the first demonstration of the exotic meats developed by the one-year-old startup, founded by Geoge Peppou and Tim Noakesmith, who are applying cellular agriculture technology to your not-so-common animal protein sources. The company believes that with food technology, the human diet can now include a wide variety of delicious yet sustainably produced animal proteins, offering a unique culinary experience while replacing the conventional meat industry’s enormous environmental footprint.

Blending deep technology with the culinary world opens a new creative era in food, and does so in a way that’s sustainable for future generations. I think that’s an incredibly exciting thing to be a part of.

Chef Neil Perry

“Until now the cultured meat industry has been focused on better ways of making the meat we most commonly eat today,” added Vow co-founder and CEO Peppou. 

“This milestone demonstrates we can grow the cells of any animal, not just those we can farm, marking a turning point for the cultured meat industry and our food system as a whole. To make food without compromise we must stop looking backward to how our ancestors produced and ate food and instead choose how we will eat in the future.”

Speaking about the experience of designing and creating the dishes with Vow’s cell-cultured meats, Perry said: “Blending deep technology with the culinary world opens a new creative era in food, and does so in a way that’s sustainable for future generations. I think that’s an incredibly exciting thing to be a part of.”

Having only started the company last year, the progress of Vow suggests that the world is not far from the commercialisation of cultivated meats. While plant-based alternative proteins have long landed on supermarket shelves and in restaurants, cultivated startups face cost and regulatory hurdles before they can reach market readiness. 

We started this company only 16 months ago and we’ve been able to grow to an insanely awesome team of 16 scientists, engineers and designers here in Australia. Our rapid progress has taken us out of the lab and into one of Australia’s best kitchens and now we’re turning our focus to building a meat prototype that outperforms the sensory experience of any conventional meat we know.

Tim Noakesmith, Co-Founder & CCO of Vow

“This has been an exciting moment for us, and really shows what we’re capable of technically,” said Vow co-founder and chief commercial officer Noakesmith. “We started this company only 16 months ago and we’ve been able to grow to an insanely awesome team of 16 scientists, engineers and designers here in Australia. Our rapid progress has taken us out of the lab and into one of Australia’s best kitchens and now we’re turning our focus to building a meat prototype that outperforms the sensory experience of any conventional meat we know.”

Around the world, industry watchers are keen to see cultivated meats reach consumers, especially as food safety becomes a top concern in light of the coronavirus pandemic, which has exposed the meat industry’s vulnerabilities. Many governments, from the U.S. to China and Japan are all eyeing cultivated protein as a healthier, more sustainable, hygienic and crisis-resilient alternative and are now racing to structure rules and regulations for the burgeoning sector. 

With their first culinary trial under its belt, Vow is looking forward to forging future foodservice partnerships, in particular with upmarket restaurant chefs to show consumers how unconventional cell-based meats can be delicious.  

All images courtesy of Vow.