Sydney startup Vow will finally get to serve its cultured quail meat products in Australia following approval from regulatory authorities that it’s safe to eat.
The food safety authority, FSANZ, spent two years picking at Forged, Vow’s cell-based meat created from Japanese quail, including a second round of public consultation late last year.
Meanwhile, the Forged Parfait has been served in Singapore, since early 2024, with Forged Gras, which resembles the French delicacy foie gras (a fatty duck or goose liver), appearing on plates in Hong Kong over Christmas.
Vow plans to serve both products in leading Sydney and Melbourne restaurants in the coming weeks.
Chef-turned-scientist George Peppou launched Vow with former Cochlear design lead Tim Noakesmith in 2019, experimenting more than 50 species of animal cells, including water buffalo, alpaca, kangaroo and fish, before settling on the concept of a premium food product.
The biotech startup received a $7.7 million in a seed round backed by Square Peg, as well as Grok, the family fund of Mike Cannon-Brookes, in early 2021, and then in 2022, $73.5 million in a Series A led by Blackbird and Prosperity 7 Ventures, with support from super fund Hostplus.
While creating global headlines with a marketing stunt described as a “woolly mammoth meatball“, the business was forced to trim its own fat earlier this year, cutting staffing by nearly a third, shedding 25 jobs amid the hunt for more cash in what Peppou told staff was a “very challenging funding environment”.
Peppou said the approval to serve Forged in Australia was a significant milestone
“Australia has always punched above its weight when it comes to food – we’re a country of curious, creative, and deeply thoughtful chefs and diners,” he said.
“To now be able to offer something completely new – not an imitation, but a new category of food that complements local farming – is something we’re incredibly excited about.”
The animal cells are brewed in fermentation tanks, and after 79 days, the meat is “harvested “– separated from the broth like curds from whey – to create the parfait (a smooth pate) and foie gras.
Peppou says it’s all about flavour
“We’re crafting meats that aren’t just rich and complex, but downright irresistible. The kind of food you want to eat straight off the spoon then lick the plate clean,” he said.
To help sell the Forged story, Vow has signed on Sydney chef and restaurateur Mike McEnearney, from Kitchen by Mike, as an ambassador.
McEnearney says the Vow product isn’t about replacing meats “we know and love”, which is good news for fans of his lunch platters of pot-roasted lamb shoulder and slow-cooked pork.
“It’s about trying something entirely new – something that can only exist because of how it’s made,” he said.
“For chefs, that’s incredibly exciting. But for all of us, it’s a huge opportunity.”
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