Australia has taken a bold leap into the future of food with the approval of the country’s first lab-grown meat. Vow Foods, a Sydney-based biotech startup, has received the green light from Food Standards Australia New Zealand to begin selling its cultivated meat products, marking a landmark moment in the nation’s culinary and scientific landscape. This approval ushers in a new era for the emerging field of cellular agriculture, with Australia joining a select club of countries where lab-grown meat is now legal for sale.
Vow Foods Pioneers Lab-Grown Meat in Australia
The approval allows Vow to commercialise three products developed from cultured Japanese quail cells: a whipped parfait, foie gras, and a tallow candle. These gourmet offerings, designed for high-end venues, are a bold contrast to typical plant-based alternatives. The first venues to plate up these innovations include Bottarga in Melbourne and Nel in Sydney.
George Peppou, CEO and founder of Vow, is optimistic that the company’s creations will shift perceptions. Rather than aiming to replace traditional meats, he sees his products as additions to a consumer’s culinary repertoire.
“We selected going with these very high-end products, very high-end positioning … as a way of trying to shape and influence food culture as much as possible,” Peppou said.
George Peppou, founder and CEO of Vow, as pictured by The Guardian.
What Sets Vow Foods Apart
Unlike some lab-grown meat companies that struggle with texture or consumer acceptance, Vow has focused on creating consistent, homogenous products using quail cells, chosen for their reliable growth in bioreactors. Peppou explains, “Smaller is easier,” referring to the Japanese quail as one of the best-performing cell lines among the 50 species Vow has experimented with.
While other companies such as Eat Just and Upside Foods have entered the lab-grown meat scene in Singapore and the US respectively, Vow is the first to gain traction in Australia. Globally, this places Vow at the forefront of a fast-moving industry where innovation meets high cuisine.
Vow’s State-of-the-Art Facility and Science Behind the Meat
At the heart of the company’s operation is Andromeda, a towering 7-metre food-grade bioreactor located in Alexandria, Sydney. Described by Peppou as “incrementally more complex than beer brewing,” the reactor cultivates the cells into a pale pink protein-rich substance. This base material is then blended with ingredients like cognac, butter, and herbs to form luxurious dishes such as the whipped parfait.
Interestingly, Vow’s technical team includes former brewers, biomedical engineers, and even a former SpaceX engineer—highlighting the crossover between industries like pharmaceuticals and food technology. This interdisciplinary team has enabled Vow to produce what Peppou calls “by orders of magnitude the cheapest factory for cell culture in the world.”
A Market Ready for Innovation?
The arrival of Vow Foods’ lab-grown products could reshape how Australians view meat consumption. While some consumers still view lab-grown alternatives with scepticism, Vow is betting on a top-down approach—starting with high-end restaurants before branching into retail and supermarkets.
The timing is ripe. With rising concerns over food security, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability, cultivated meat offers an alternative that may appeal to eco-conscious meat lovers.
A consumer study commissioned by Food Standards Australia New Zealand found that while many were “neutral or uncertain” about the benefits of lab-grown meat, up to 53% of US consumers surveyed said they would consider it as a replacement for traditional meat. In Australia, this uncertainty could be turned into excitement through quality dining experiences.
A New Kind of Meat Eater
Peppou isn’t trying to win over vegetarians. “When we launch, most of our products will often be on the same plate as meat, and it’s very intentional,” he said. “This is not an alternative, this is not a substitution, this is an addition to the repertoire.”
That addition is already making waves. A single 538kg harvest from Andromeda holds the record for the largest batch of cultured meat globally. And while that figure pales in comparison to Australia’s annual chicken production, it’s a start with exponential potential.
What’s Next for Vow Foods?
Looking ahead, Peppou has big plans. He envisions products that surpass traditional meat not only in sustainability but also in nutrition. One future offering may be a beef mince packed with omega-3s and iron—essentially, “a beef mince that tastes better but has the nutritional profile of salmon.”
For now, Vow’s lab-grown quail products are set to challenge palates and perceptions alike. Backed by $80 million in investment from firms like Blackbird and Square Peg, Vow Foods lab grown meat Australia is poised to take cultured meat from novelty to normality.
Whether the average Aussie is ready for lab-grown foie gras is still up in the air. But one thing’s clear—Vow isn’t just brewing meat, they’re brewing a food revolution.