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Meet The Vurger Co., the vegan foodie company that is taking the veggie landscape by storm. You’ve guessed it, they celebrate the humble vegetable and offer 100% vegan burgers, with patties that are smothered with their very own sauces and toppings. Then there are the sides and shakes for the real authentic experience, all of which have been specially developed in their London production kitchen. Think max taste, that’s good for you and the planet.
Rachel Hugh, the co-founder of The Vurger Co., tells us more about her booming foodie firm.
How long was the company in the making?
Thank you so much! The Vurger Co. was created in 2016 and was born with a mission to revolutionize fast food through the power of plants! We utilize ingredients, products, and techniques that innovate fast food and drag it into the 21st century!
What’s the food development process?
We have worked with incredible chefs over the years, most recently with Gaz Oakley as our Executive Chef from 2018 onwards. Over time we have developed our brand experience to include both restaurants and retail products, and the development process couldn’t be more different. Our development chef manages both sides of the business, and she is phenomenally busy. Our process would start by working on market analysis, then takes into account our company goals for the quarter for the restaurant specials and of course our retail products. Once an idea is formed, we work on making the magic happen; that’s when a little science and a whole lot of trial and error come into play. All of our retail products are made here in the UK; we develop the recipe, formulate, and oversee the whole manufacture process. We are an end-to-end company that takes great care of the quality of our product and the transparency of ingredients.
What are the pillars of your brand?
I love that we’ve been asked this as these are so important to our brand and is what we introduce all of our team to on day one in our company.
Respect
Our colleagues, customers, communities, suppliers, our differences, and our mission.
Integrity and Authenticity
It runs through the heart of everything we do, and without it, we are nothing. We encourage everyone to be truly themselves and embrace inclusivity.
Think big act small
Ideas drive change, and change drives everything. Share ideas, we do the little things well, but we never lose sight of the bigger goal.
Sustainability
We’ve got one chance to preserve our incredible planet. Every small action counts towards reducing our environmental impact.
Socially Conscious
Giving to others makes us human. We invest in social causes, both locally and abroad, and as a team, we try to make a difference. We ask everyone to engage, think deeply, and live consciously.
Work and live with purpose.
Finally, we always remind our team that you’ve got one life, and you have to live it your way, so always do everything with an ‘all or nothing approach.
What’s been your career highlight to date?
For me personally, I came from a luxury fashion background, so coming from a different career altogether into the food industry was a huge challenge in itself. Asking people to believe in me, the mission, the company, and where we’re going was not easy at all, especially in the beginning when chatting to potential investors and veganism was not very well understood.
We, as a business, were continually mocked, constantly poked fun at by other industry leaders for various reasons (our name, being Vegan, our concept), and rarely given a chance to shine in mainstream media for this reason. However, to overcome all of that from 2016 to now in 2021 and really see how far the world has come to accept veganism and a vegan restaurant as a mainstream option is pretty phenomenal, but it took a great deal of work.
For me personally, having a team of close to 60 people all passionately working for our brand, developing and serving the best vegan fast food all day every day, and building a community that entrusts in us to show up every day makes me so proud. I work with the best people all day, every day, who continually push the boundaries; that is a highlight in itself.
What’s the short term and long term goal?
The Vurger Co. is rapidly growing; we have taken the past year to really set in motion our strong foundations and really push forward our innovation strategy also. We are proud that we create our products in-house, and we can develop something new so quickly and efficiently with ease. We’re building our internal team to accommodate our growth strategy in the UK and international markets and continuing to innovate at every opportunity pushing the boundaries of what is possible! Bring on the next year. See more on www.thevurgerco.com.