Celebrity Chef Neil Perry to Partner With v2food for Vegan Menu at New Restaurant

Plant-based meat company v2food has joined forces with culinary icon and celebrity chef Neil Perry in an effort to develop a more sustainable menu for the launch of his new restaurant, Margaret in Double Bay.

Sydney-based food tech, v2food has partnered with critically-acclaimed Australian chef and restaurateur Neil Perry to create a plant-based menu at Perry’s new Double Bay venture.

Founded by Nick Hazell in 2019 and backed by CSIRO, v2food’s plant-based products include v2sausages, v2mince, and v2burgers. These are available for purchase at all leading Australian supermarkets like Coles and Woolworths and are served to customers at fast food outlets like Hungry Jack’s and Soul Burger. 

First Fine Dining Partnership

This, however, is the first time where v2food will be on the menu of a fine dining restaurant. Through this partnership, Perry will be showcasing the company’s nutritious plant-based meats to diners who visit the new restaurant Margaret.

“Margaret is a world-class restaurant and we are thrilled v2 is on the menu,” Hazell said in a statement. “Neil and his amazing team can show the world how good plant-based can be served alongside the world’s best sustainable Australian meat and fish.”

Speaking about the collaboration, Perry said: “We’re including only the most sustainable practices across all our partners at Margaret. v2food have been selected for their commitment to sustainability, which benefits both our customers and the environment. For many years, I’ve strived to source the finest produce for my restaurants and the addition of v2 to our menu is a new way of doing this among our existing partners.”

Neil and his amazing team can show the world how good plant-based can be served alongside the world’s best sustainable Australian meat and fish

Nick Hazell, founder and CEO of v2food

The restaurant is named after Perry’s late mother, who was the matriarch of the family, and as Perry mentions, she was the carer. These are the same qualities that the chef incorporated into the CARE philosophy reflected even in v2food’s mission – caring for suppliers, the community, and the environment.

The restaurant follows a policy where “only the best will do” through sustainable processes and methods.

For many years, I’ve strived to source the finest produce for my restaurants and the addition of v2 to our menu is a new way of doing this among our existing partners

Chef Neil Perry

Read: Australia’s alternative protein sector poised for exceptional growth thanks to homegrown superstars

v2food Scales

Apart from this partnership, v2food has been making strides with new product launches and additional retail channels. It made its first foray into the fresh sauce category by unveiling its v2sauce, a new plant-based, ready-made bolognese sauce. It is available in Australia through Woolworths in over 400 locations across the country.

Last year, it closed a AU$77 million (US$55 million) Series B round led by institutional investors, like Li Ka-Shing’s Horizons Ventures, Singapore’s sovereign fund Temasek and Sequoia Capital China, making it the most well funded plant-based meat startup in Asia Pacific. The company said it would use the capital to accelerate growth across international markets with a focus on regional Asian locations.

The brand partnered with fast-food giant Burger King to launch a new meatless Whopper to its menu available in over 100 locations across Australia.

In a new report, the plant-based meat industry is thriving in Australia as findings reveal that retail sales soared to 46% year-on-year. A major factor behind this is due to shifting consumer demand towards healthier meat options.

Read: This Australian Senator Wants to Ban Vegan ‘Meat’ Labeling. The Industry Isn’t Having It.

Lead image – Nick Hazell(left) and Neil Perry(right), courtesy of v2food.