MIGHTY GOES FOR THE WIN

MIGHTY GOES FOR THE WIN

The Mighty Kitchen, a Cypriot, sustainable and innovative start-up, wins the first IFE’s Big Business Break competition. The Dragon’s Den style competition saw 4 finalists going head to head, in a live, 5-minute pitch, in front of an esteemed panel of judges during the International Food Expo 2023 for a chance to win up to ₤500.000 in business investment from global food giant Surya Foods.

MIGHTY GOES FOR THE WIN

The Mighty Kitchen launched in the UK earlier this year during the Veganuary 2023 campaign and is already listed with leading kebab distributors and multiple foodservice locations. Currently, the Mighty brand is available in 500+ locations in Cyprus, Greece and the United Kingdom. The product range focuses on pea & wheat protein – chicken meat alternatives with Mediterranean flavours, offering succulent chick*n strips, gyros and shawarma as well as Cyprus style m**tballs.

George Vou, CEO and co-founder said: “This is a big deal. There was a lot of competition so even when we got into the final 4 it was tempting to be content with that alone. But we were so happy to win it, this opens up a lot of opportunity for the company and to be approved by respected market leaders, such as Harry Dulai – Surya Foods Managing Director, Noor Ali – ASDA’s Head of World Foods at Asda and Mintel’s David Jago, was incredibly humbling too. It’s a huge step and an honour for the team that has worked hard to bring the brand & product range up to this level. We now look forward to partnering with Surya Foods and taking some big next steps together.”

IFE’s Event Director Philippa Christer said: “It was incredibly tough whittling down all the fantastic entries to just four finalists, but what a final four!”

Harry Dulai, the MD of Surya Foods who co-founded the initiative said: “We were really impressed with the calibre of entries. We are always looking for great new products to add to our portfolio and new brands to work with. This is what inspired our partnership with IFE.

“IFE is perfectly placed to connect us with new talent, it is literally the place new brands cut their teeth and take their first steps into the world of FMCG, so it is really fantastic to have received such a fantastic response in our first year.

“We are very excited to have this opportunity to work with The Mighty Kitchen to help drive growth in the UK market. It really is an innovative product, plant-based but with the most genuine chicken texture I have come across so far in the market. We can’t wait to get discussions going.”

World foods expert Noor Ali added: “This is all about where we can take an established business and idea and take it to the next level. All the brands were amazing, and the products are amazing and the enthusiasm from these brand owners was really great to see.

“Plant-based is a hard market and it’s one that’s really flying at the moment: everyone is interested in plant-based. I look forward to supporting The Mighty Kitchen and mentoring them through this journey.”

About The Mighty Kitchen

Founded in 2019, based in Larnaca, Cyprus, The Mighty Kitchen revolutionises alternative meat products through materials chemistry and data modelling to produce delicious, fibrous, plant-based poultry and other meat products and ingredients. The Mighty Kitchen’s team comprises a complementary blend of food scientists, engineers, and seasoned entrepreneurs.

The Mighty Kitchen aims to evolve food culture by infusing old-world flavours into food options that positively impact the environment, elevate human health, and improve animal welfare globally.

Their Mediterranean range includes chicken-like strips, gyros, shawarma and Cypriot m**balls as well as mainstream breaded chick*n nuggets and tenders.

About Surya Foods

Surya Foods is behind several of the UK’s leading brands and holds the No.1 market position for Laila Basmati1 (No. 1 dry rice brand), Mai Thai1 (No. 1 Jasmine rice brand) and Thai Dragon2 (No.1 sriracha sauce brand.)

About the International Food Expo – IFE

IFE is the UK’s leading trade event for food and drink professionals attracting over 25k visitors. Over 1,500 innovative, global and cutting-edge food and drink manufacturers were exhibiting at ExCeL in London from 20th to 22nd March this year, showcasing their products. The IFE will return next year from 25th to 27th March.