Sustainable food brand Clean Kitchen Club has successfully secured funding after less than 12 months in business and is now planning expansion across the UK.
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A new plant-based sustainable food brand, Clean Kitchen Club, has closed its first seed round at £1.4 million with a £7.5 million valuation.
Clean Kitchen Club was set up less than a year ago by Made in Chelsea star and biomedical science graduate Verity Bowditch and former YouTube personality Mikey Pearce.
The new business already has 5 sites in London, with plans to open even more locations across the UK.
The funding
The lead investors in the seed round include Clive Sharpe, ex-chairman of Quorn, and Grace Beverley, fitness influencer and business owner.
The funding and valuation, achieved in less than 12 months since launch, will enable Clean Kitchen Club to continue expanding with the aim of opening up to 40 new sites across the UK in the next few years.
The funding will also enable the brand to launch a range of retail product including Clean canned coffees and meat substitute products which will be available to purchase in grocery retailers, at the Clean Kitchen sites, and via food delivery services.
Mikey Pearce, Co-Founder and CEO of Clean Kitchen Club, commented: “I’m incredibly proud of the team for signing our first investment round and seeing the phenomenal growth Clean Kitchen Club is experiencing every day.
“The idea for Clean was born from my mother’s vegan bacon sandwich and I decided I needed to create a brand that would provide delicious, accessible plant-based food and bring it to the mainstream. We have big ambitions to be the biggest plant-based food brand in the UK – this is just the start.”
Verity Bowditch, Co-Founder and Head of Sustainability at Clean Kitchen Club, added: “There’s a clear demand for delicious, sustainable protein alternatives. People are waking up to the impact that meat production is having on the environment and need a clear solution – one that also fits easily into their lifestyle. We provide exactly that.
“Clean Kitchen Club isn’t just for vegans but anyone looking to lead a more sustainable lifestyle.
“We have a real possibility to change perceptions of plant-based food and help tackle the climate crisis. The brand has grown exponentially since launch and I can’t wait to continue that growth, continue disrupting the industry and taking plant-based food to the mainstream, with our new investors on board.”
Clean Kitchen Club
Mikey Pearce launched Clean Kitchen Club in summer 2020 against the backdrop of a global pandemic and after experiencing first-hand how plant-based food benefited his lifestyle. This experience ignited Pearce’s passion to bring good quality, plant-based food to the mainstream.
After launching in a tiny kitchen in Brighton, Clean Kitchen Club quickly gained local attention for being the only vegan burger brand in Brighton at the time, and saw Pearce expand the business to London with Verity Bowditch as co-founder.
As a sustainable QSR brand, Clean Kitchen Club is on a mission to bring plant-based food to the mainstream, blending outstanding food with eco-friendly ingredients and carbon-neutral packaging.
The company turned over its first million in just eight months and sold over 50,000 burgers in its first year. It continues to grow every day, taking over 2,000 orders daily and growing over 30% month-on-month.
Clean Kitchen Club sold 50,000 burgers in its first year – with hero items in an ever-expanding menu that includes everything from its classic clean burgers, vegan bacon mac n cheese, chicken katsu bowls, no meat meatballs, salads, wraps and desserts.
The brand has also grown to cater for a range of firms including, Dior and Tenzing, as it encourages businesses to become more sustainable in their approach.
Clean Kitchen Club will be opening a larger flagship store in Soho early next year plus four other grab-and-go sites in London next year.
Love finding new places to eat out? Check out our guide to the best vegan restaurants in London
