Founded by David Jonas in 1987, The Watford based Vegetarian Express is the UK’s leading supplier of specialist plant-based ingredients, with an unmatched range of over 1,000 products (including tofu, tempeh, quinoa, nuts, spices, and pulses) and unrivalled sourcing capabilities. 

It has a strong service culture, working closely with chefs to develop new menu ideas and its ingredients are already consumed across 2,500 catering locations in the UK used by over 1 million diners.

In 2016, Vegetarian Express secured an investment of  £5.6m from Bridges Ventures, taking a more controlling interest in the business working in partnership with the founder and current shareholders. 

Bridges’ investment provides additional capital and support to accelerate Vegetarian Express’ growth plans, to distribute a broader range of ingredients to existing foodservice sites more frequently, while also opening up delivery routes to new customers throughout the UK.

Bridges were attracted to this high-growth sector as part of its focus on finding investable solutions to societal challenges within the area of ‘sustainable living’.