Purezza won Pitch + Plant, a competition open exclusively to companies marketing vegan products and services, with its Mozzarella 2.0 – a completely vegan lab-crafted mozzarella alternative, free-from common allergens such as soya, gluten and nuts.
Tim Barclay, co-founder and co-owner of Purezza, said the investment had set the wheels in motion for where he wanted to take the business.
“We’ll be continuing to raise funds for the factory in coming weeks, and look forward to distributing our mozzarella to stores and restaurants in the near future,” he said.
‘Seeking further investment’
“We’re currently seeking further investment and welcome any interested parties. We look forward to expanding Purezza and changing the world for the better.”
Purezza already manufactures its own cheeses for its range of vegan pizzas, which are sold at its two restaurants in London and Brighton.
With the new factory, the company hoped to start supplying its vegan cheeses to retail, as well as supplying its growing restaurant chain and other businesses looking to serve vegan options.
Purezza planned to raise further investment and seek crowdfunding via Crowdcube in the near future.
Crowdfunding
Operating in Brighton since November 2015 and having opened a London branch in March this year, Purezza specialises in plant-based alternatives to classic Neapolitan pizzas. It develops its own range of vegan cheese exclusively for its restaurants.
It claimed its cheese was a “far more ethical alternative to dairy-based cheeses” and was more environmentally friendly. The cheese is also made from all-natural ingredients, compared with some other plant-based cheese brands that might contain chemical-based additives and preservatives, it said.
Meanwhile, last week, Norfolk-based Crisp Maltings has capitalised on the growth of craft brewing and distilling with the opening of a speciality malt plant as part of a £6.7m spend.