Plant-based food brand raises £2m in latest funding round
It boasts Steve Easterbrook, the former chief executive of McDonalds; entrepreneur and influencer Grace Beverley; ex-chairman of Quorn Clive Sharpe; and TV personality Spencer Matthews as being among those whose investments have enabled the second seed funding round to top £2m.
The brand was founded by Made in Chelsea star and biomedical science graduate Verity Bowditch and YouTube influencer Mikey Pearce.
Clean Kitchen Club’s latest funding round follows the initial round in November 2021, which saw the plant-based food brand raise £1.1m. It has since achieved a £12m valuation.
£2m pledged
The plant-based brand will close this initial funding round via a week-long crowdfund starting on 8th August. The pre-registration period has already seen £2m pledged.
The monies raised will be used to help Clean Kitchen Club realise its plans to launch multiple sites nationwide, including an outlet on Soho’s Old Compton Street at the end of this month and a 2,441-square-foot flagship restaurant at Battersea Power Station in August. Five further sites are set to open in 2022, including Manchester and Brighton.
There are more development plans in the pipeline, including the growth of its catering business, and the introduction of a new line of ready meals and grab & go items into supermarkets.
“From the moment we launched Clean Kitchen from my aunt’s kitchen in Brighton we have been on a mission to bring plant-based food to the mainstream,” said Pearce.
Success
“The success of our vegan takes on the grab & go classics has surpassed even our wildest dreams. The fact that so many have joined us on this journey, not just in a monetary sense but in advice and practical support, has been the icing on the cake.”
Bowditch added: “The desire amongst the UK’s leading entrepreneurs, as well as fans of the brand, to invest in our company validates our determination to offer the public great tasting, sustainable protein alternatives.
"As more and more people start to realise the need to mitigate the impact that meat production is having on the environment, so they are demanding a fresh, dynamic solution that fits seamlessly into their lifestyle. We provide exactly that.”
