84. The Vurger Co

Founders: Rachel Hugh and Neil Potts
Founded: July 2016 (launched August 2016)
Website: www.thevurgerco.com 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that veganism and vegan food is sweeping the nation.

In fact, veganism is growing at such a rate that January 2018’s ‘Veganuary’ movement (where Brits go vegan for a month) had 160,000 sign-ups; up from just 3,000 sign-ups in 2015.

So, what’s high on the menu for Britain’s vegans right now?

Last year, demand soared for vegan hotdogs but 2018 is the year of the vegan burger, particularly if London-based The Vurger Co’s rise to food fame is anything to go by.

A 100% plant-based restaurant concept, The Vurger Co is disrupting the fast food industry with an indulgent vegan menu.

Initially launched via pop-ups at festivals and markets, the business opened its first full-service restaurant in Shoreditch in March with burgers made from vegetables, seeds, nuts, grains and legumes that promise to be anything but “dry, tasteless or boring”.

Founders – Rachel Hugh and Neil Potts – attest that their vegan burgers are London’s best. And this is a claim which the public seem to agree.

Since opening its restaurant doors, The Vurger Co has attracted roaring trade with strong revenue figures, a 4.5 TripAdvisor star rating, and an army of social media fans with almost 25,000 on Instagram alone (arguably due to the lip-smacking photos of juicy burgers).

The idea behind The Vurger Co is close to its founders’ hearts too.

Having suffered with chronic stomach issues for 10 years, Potts decided to go vegan in June 2016 and saw his stomach issues disappear in a matter of weeks.

However, when he went to a chain restaurant in London and requested a vegan burger, he received a dry, bland mess as a substitute.

This, he says, was the moment that inspired him and Hugh to take the plunge and make veganism mainstream in London with their own range of vegan burgers.

While Hugh and Potts recognise that the pressure is to keep the business thriving in a volatile industry, the duo are determined to prove The Vurger Co is not niche and has the potential to become just as popular as London’s meat equivalents.

With an ever-growing vegan market, we believe them.