Cultivated Meat Cleared for Sale in Australia: Vow Leads the Charge with Restaurant Debut

Courtesy: Vow

Cultivated meat is no longer a future-facing promise in Australia—it’s now officially on the menu. In a breakthrough moment for food innovation, Sydney-based startup Vow has received regulatory approval to sell its cell-cultured quail meat, marking the first time cultivated protein will be served in restaurants across Australia. The green light from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) not only places Australia among a small but growing group of countries embracing cultivated meat, but also positions Vow as the first company to commercially launch this novel protein across multiple eateries on home soil.

The approval follows a comprehensive, multi-year food safety assessment by FSANZ and a formal amendment to the Food Standards Code, signaling a significant step forward for regulatory clarity in the region. It clears the path for Vow’s Forged-branded offerings—among them a whipped quail parfait, a foie gras alternative, and an edible tallow candle—to debut at high-end venues in Sydney and Melbourne. Restaurants including Nel, Kitchen by Mike, The Waratah, Bottarga, and The Lincoln will be among the first to feature the cell-based dishes, marking a turning point not only for cultivated meat but for Australia’s culinary scene.

“This isn’t just regulatory progress—it’s a culinary evolution,” said Vow co-founder and CEO George Peppou. “We now have the opportunity to offer Australians something truly original: a new kind of meat made in a new kind of way.”

While cultivated meat has long been discussed as a futuristic solution to some of the food system’s most pressing challenges, few companies have been able to turn scientific promise into something diners can actually experience. Vow has done just that—not by attempting to mimic the familiar, but by crafting an entirely new category of meat, one meant to delight chefs and spark curiosity among diners.

The company’s signature product, cultivated Japanese quail, is produced by growing a small sample of animal cells in a nutrient-rich broth inside bioreactors designed to replicate the conditions of a quail’s body. Over several weeks, the cells multiply naturally, forming a pale, protein-rich base. From there, the material is harvested and transformed into richly flavored formats intended for fine dining: smooth parfaits, seared foie-style cuts, and other dishes that feel indulgent, but without the animal slaughter.

Rather than imitate traditional meats, Vow is inviting chefs into a new creative space—offering them a protein that’s not only consistent and clean but also carries unique sensory qualities. “This is about creating something entirely new,” said Peppou. “Chefs have never worked with a protein like this before, and they’re already finding ways to make it sing.”

Though cultivated meat is still a niche globally, Vow’s approach sets it apart. Unlike many cultivated meat companies that aim for mass-market appeal by starting with everyday products like chicken nuggets or hybrid burgers, Vow is leaning into the premium segment. Forged was always intended to be aspirational: a brand that could shape perceptions and set the tone for what cell-cultured food could look and taste like.

Its early launch in Singapore proved that the model can work. Since debuting there last year, Vow has seen demand rise by 200% month-over-month, with Forged now on the menu at a growing number of restaurants. With Australia’s approval secured, the company becomes one of only a few globally to operate in multiple markets—and the first to bring cultivated meat to restaurants in both Asia and Oceania.

Back home, the milestone carries a sense of pride. Though first served abroad, Forged was born in Sydney—imagined, tested, and refined by a local team driven by a deep love of food. “This is a moment we’ve worked toward for years,” the company said in a statement. “Not just for our team, but for everyone who believes in what food can be. Something exciting. Imaginative. Full of flavor and possibility.”

That spirit of possibility is reflected in how Vow is choosing to launch in Australia. The rollout will be intentionally limited at first, involving a small network of chefs in Sydney and Melbourne who share the company’s ethos of innovation, sustainability, and thoughtful sourcing. “These are people who care not just about how food tastes, but how it’s made,” said Peppou.

Forged isn’t trying to replace traditional meats; it’s offering something entirely different. For diners, it’s a chance to try something that exists not because of tradition, but because of a new way of thinking. “This is more than a launch—it’s an invitation,” said Peppou. “To try something different. Something crafted with care. Something worth discovering.”

That invitation is landing at a time when the global cultivated meat sector is facing growing headwinds. In the United States—once the poster child of cell-based protein—momentum has stalled. Several states have passed or proposed bans on the sale or production of cultivated meat, framing it as a cultural battleground. At the same time, investment in the space has sharply declined, dropping by 75% in 2023 and another 40% so far in 2024. In just three years, total capital raised has fallen below 2021 levels, despite more companies entering the race.

Australia, by contrast, is emerging as a bright spot. With FSANZ becoming only the second regulatory body in the world to establish a dedicated framework for cultivated meat, the approval process for future products is now faster and more clearly defined. According to Kim Tonnet, Head of Regulatory Affairs at Cellular Agriculture Australia, this is a major win for the sector. “This move reduces uncertainty and delays, and opens the door for more companies to follow,” she said.

Vow is already ahead of the curve. Its Sydney facility is home to the largest food-grade bioreactor in the world—nicknamed Andromeda—and recently produced what the company says is the biggest single cultivated meat harvest in history at 538 kilograms. With plans to scale that figure to 900 kilograms per harvest, and eventually over 10,000 kilograms per month, Vow’s production pipeline is outpacing most of its competitors globally.

What’s more impressive is how efficiently the company has grown. With around $80 million in funding—far less than the hundreds of millions raised by companies like Upside Foods and Eat Just—Vow has managed to build what it claims is “by orders of magnitude” the most cost-effective biomanufacturing facility for food. Many of its engineers come from backgrounds in aerospace, brewing, and biotech, and the company is already receiving interest in licensing its technology for broader applications.

Still, cultivated meat remains a blip on the radar compared to the volumes of traditional meat produced in Australia—388,000 metric tons of chicken alone in the first quarter of 2025. Forged’s early offerings are designed to start conversations, not replace commodity meat at scale.

But for those who’ve followed the rise of cellular agriculture, this moment marks something more than regulatory success. It signals a shift from concept to culture—from white papers to wine pairings. As Forged dishes begin appearing in intimate wine bars and iconic dining rooms alike, Vow is not just bringing cultivated meat to market. It’s inviting Australia to experience meat in a completely new way.

And if early curiosity is any sign, the appetite for something different may be just beginning.