Manchester-based Herblabism is soon set to supply major sports stadiums, arenas and conference centres with its range of plant-based food.
The local start-up specialises in meat-free products and has now been contracted by Levy UK + I, which provides catering and hospitality at some of the biggest venues in the country.
The two businesses collaborated at the COP26 summit in Glasgow earlier this year on a menu that was 60% meat-free and 40% plant-based.
Thousands of Herblabism mushroom burgers and plant-based sausages were sold at the climate change conference.
James Buckley, Levy’s director of culinary, said: “Collaborating with an exciting and innovative plant-based start-up like Herblabism, which shares the same sustainable vision as Levy, is a great way for us to drive food innovation and change behaviours across the entire food supply chain.
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James Buckley
“Levy is also completely committed to a low carbon, plant-forward strategy. This is something which we clearly demonstrated through our meat-free COP26 menus which accounted for 60% of our total sales. In comparison, our beef-based sales were less than 2%.
“We see Herblabism’s products playing a key role in helping us deliver our Net Zero vision – and we look forward to working closely with them further to supply more of our venues across the UK going forward.”
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Herblabism’s move to feeding crowds at major sporting events and arenas is part of its ambitious journey to revolutionise the way food is cultivated, manufactured and supplied in the UK.
Dr Vincent Walsh, founder of Herblabism, said: “Our vision is one where Herblabism makes an impact in every part of the supply chain, becoming central to the entire ‘farm to fork’ food journey.
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“This spans innovations in circular farming practices, and sourcing better ingredients for our products, through to innovations in the processing of products, their packaging, and their distribution.
“So, while I am incredibly proud that our mushroom burgers and plant-based sausages were so well received at globally significant event like COP26 – and I’m incredibly excited about extending our fantastic partnership with Levy – our ultimate aim is to create a food business which is clean, transparent, efficient, localised, and decentralised.
“I also want to create a sustainable, cost-effective food production model which will be an exemplar for others as we all look to meet the challenges of climate change.”
In addition to being sold through Levy UK + I partner venues, a selection of Herblabism products will soon be available directly to the consumer through their website.
Featured image: Supplied
Food & Drink
Students can join a Wagamama ramen-building workshop for just £5 this week
Daisy Jackson
Students will be able to take part in a build-your-own ramen workshop this week, led by everyone’s favourite pan-Asian restaurant group, Wagamama.
The workshops will cost just £5 (all of which will go to a brilliant cause), and will include the time spent creating your perfect meal, the actual food, plus drinks and sides.
Wagamama has teamed up with mental health charity SHOUT to host this cosy ramen-making workshop.
Students will be invited to join Wagamama chefs in the kitchen, selecting their own broth, protein and veggies, with perfectly-cooked noodles, before sitting down at the restaurant’s benches to slurp up their creations with fellow students.
There’ll also be toppings and garnishes including kimchi, tea-stained eggs, chilli oil, spring onions and more.
With merch to take home too, and steaming bowls of the best-ever autumn dish, this is a one-off event you won’t want to miss.
Students can join a Wagamama ramen-building workshop for just £5 this week. Credit: Supplied
Each £5 ticket includes your food and two drinks, plus a variety of the new Wagamama winter sides and sharers.
All money raised will be donated to SHOUT to support the vital services they provide.
A representative from SHOUT will also be in attendance to talk about student wellbeing and the services available from the charity.
Wagamama says: “At Wagamama, we believe having a conversation is one of the most powerful ways you can support someone struggling with their mental health. Whether it’s a quick check-in via text or an open conversation over a bowl of steaming ramen. no chat is too big or too small to make an impact.
Students can join a Wagamama ramen-building workshop with SHOUT this week. Credit: Supplied
“This ethos is one we share with SHOUT, a free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging service for anyone in the UK who needs someone to talk to. After huge demand during Covid, SHOUT’s service has become increasingly essential + today SHOUT is more highly in demand than ever before.”
The Japanese and pan-Asian restaurant is donating £40,000 to SHOUT this year, plus providing perks and rewards for their team of volunteers, and hosting events in their spaces.
The Wagamama ramen-building workshop will take place at the St Peter’s Square restaurant on Thursday 7 November between 2pm and 4pm. You can get your tickets HERE.
Manchester restaurants to add an extra £1 to bills to help fight homelessness this Christmas
Emily Sergeant
A handful of local restaurants will be adding an extra £1 onto every bill over the festive season to help fight street homelessness.
People in Greater Manchester are once again able to give back while they dine at some of the best restaurants the region has to offer in the run up to Christmas, as the successful StreetSmart fundraising initiative is back for another year.
This year, 13 fantastic restaurants have come together to support local homeless charities as the campaign launched last Friday (1 November).
Manchester independents such as Mana, Climat, 20 Stories, and Tariff and Dale are among those taking part in the campaign this year, alongside several city centre branches chains such as Tampopo, Banyan, BOX, Manahatta, and San Carlo.
StreetSmart works by each participating restaurant adding an extra £1 to every bill they deliver throughout November and December, with all of the money raised going directly to local homeless organisations, thanks to StreetSmart’s official sponsorship from LandAid.
The funds raised by StreetSmart in Greater Manchester this year will support the crucial work of organisations such as CentrePoint, and Akt – a charity supporting LGBTQ+ young people aged 16-25 into safe homes, employment, education, or training.
In 2023, Manchester restaurants alone raised a whopping £25,000 for these life-changing services in the local community.
Manchester restaurants are adding an extra £1 to bills to help fight homelessness this Christmas / Credit: Supplied | Rifqi Ali Ridho (via Unsplash)
“Many of us want to help the vulnerable people in our community during the festive period, and StreetSmart provides an easy way to do this,” explained Glenn Pougnet, who is the Director of StreetSmart.
“We’re grateful to see so many local restaurants stepping forward to help our city’s homeless.
“It’s amazing to witness the kindness that our community has to offer, and see the tangible impact of our efforts and funding in the community.
“This year, we’re proud to be taking another step towards the eradication of homelessness, and look forward to seeing even more restaurants getting involved over the Christmas period.”
The Manc -
13th December 2021 
