![]() logo for the v2food's burger | |
Industry | Food |
---|---|
Founded | January 2019 |
Founder | Nick Hazell |
Headquarters | Australia |
Key people | Nick Hazell (CEO) Jack Cowin (investor) |
Products | Plant-based patties, mince, sausages |
Website | www |
v2food is an Australia-based producer of plant-based meat substitutes. It is a partnership between Jack Cowin's Competitive Foods Australia and CSIRO's investment fund Main Sequence Ventures. [1] The company produces plant-based meat alternative products using protein extracted from legumes. [2]
v2food was founded in January 2019 out of a partnership between Jack Cowin's Competitive Foods and CSIRO's investment fund Main Sequence Ventures. [3] Jack Cowin's company also owns Hungry Jack's, the master franchisee of Burger King in Australia. [4] [5] CSIRO entered into an arrangement where the organization would generate research in exchange for an equity stake of the company. [6] Founder Nick Hazell is CEO of v2food. [5]
Competitive Foods currently operates a facility in Brisbane. In 2019 the Australian Financial Review reported that a new factory to supply v2food would break ground in Wodonga before the end of 2019. [7] The factory opened in December 2020; however in 2023 the factory was shut down following challenges in the marketplace. [8]
The company intends to expand its reach into China and other parts of Asia. [2]
Hungry Jack's launched v2food's first product in October 2019, the "Rebel Whopper", a meat-free alternative to the fast food company's signature Whopper burger. [7] [5] [9] v2food's burger patties later became available at Soul Burger and Burger Urge outlets, as well as New Zealand Burger King restaurants from January 2020. [10] In late 2020 Burger King launched the "Plant-Based Whopper" featuring v2food's patties in the Philippines and Japan. [11]
In April 2020 v2food's mince product became available in meal kits from Marley Spoon. Their mince and burger patties became available in Woolworths and Coles supermarkets later that same year. [10] The company released a sausage product in 2021. [12]