27. The Vurger Co

Founders: Rachel Hugh and Neil Potts
Founded: 2016
Website: www.thevurgerco.com/

Making its fourth appearance in the Startups 100 (and climbing considerably from 58 in 2020) is The Vurger Co – a vegan juggernaut that’s gone from a market stall in 2016 to a household name in 2021.

Like all the best startups, The Vurger Co is driven by the passion of its founders Rachel Hugh and Neil Potts. After suffering with stomach issues no doctor or test could explain for 10 years, Neil took a trip to California, discovered the benefits of a vegan diet, did his research and (along with Rachel) became vegan on his return to London. And, in a matter of weeks, Neil’s stomach issues were gone.

Now, Rachel and Neil are loud and proud vegan evangelists, eager to spread the word that a plant-based diet is not only good for you, but can also be full of great tasting food like dehydrated coconut that mimics bacon or Shiitake mushrooms braised in BBQ sauce.

a vegan juggernaut that’s gone from a market stall in 2016 to a household name in 2021

And, despite the pandemic, The Vurger Co continued to boom over the last 12 months, opening a new restaurant in Brighton (on top of two in London) and making its mark in retail. Now, it’s got six products in high-profile retailers like Planet Organic, Whole Foods Market and Selfridges, as well as independent retailers nationwide.

despite the pandemic, The Vurger Co continued to boom over the last 12 months

And with veganism becoming bigger and bigger as the world wakes up to the climate impact of eating meat, who knows how far The Vurger Co empire could reach.