It’s World Meat Free Week and this year, plant-based start-up v2food is partnering with Deliveroo and restaurants around the country to increase the number of plant-based dishes on menus for consumers by up to 120 per cent.
Around 70 restaurants across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast will take part in offering plant-based versions of meat dishes through Deliveroo, with searches for the dishes expected to jump to 430 per cent as Australians join in on the World Meat Free Week.
One in three Australians are limiting their meat consumption, while six in 10 have tried or are interested in trying plant-based meat products, a recent report by Food Frontier has found.
It also reported that in 2018-19, consumers spent around $150 million on plant-based meat products, with the domestic market expected to grow to $3 billion by 2030.
“Increasing animal meat production to feed a planet growing towards a population of 10 billion people isn’t sustainable, and more and more people are looking for ways to reduce their meat consumption,” said v2food CEO and founder Nick Hazell.
“v2food’s partnership with Deliveroo will enable Aussies to make more sustainable food choices whilst still enjoying their favourite meals from leading restaurants.”
Deliveroo Australia CEO Ed Mcmanus said sustainability has long been a focus for the business.
“Our partnership with v2foods enables and empowers our customers to make healthier, more sustainable food choices without changing the food they order from their favourite local restaurant,” said Mcmanus.
World Meat Free Week started on 15 June, with v2mince and v2burgers will be replacing meat in popular dishes in select restaurants. Consumers can look for the v2food tag on menu items on Deliveroo.
v2food launched in October and has since raised $35 million in funding to expand its R&D efforts, and also secured a factory site in Wodonga, Victoria. It was created by CSIRO’s Main Sequence Ventures and Hungry Jack’s founder, Jack Cowin.
In April, v2food joined the Marley Spoon menu, making it the first time Australians could cook v2food products at home.a
