Fable Food Co today announces the launch of its Plant Based Braised Beef in 470 Coles stores around Australia.

Backed by celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal, Fable is a whole food plant-based meat alternative with a sumptuous slow-braised meat texture that looks, cooks and tastes like slow cooked pulled meats. The vegan friendly protein was developed by resident fine dining chef and mycologist Jim Fuller and 2018 Australian Organic Farmer of the Year Chris McLoghlin leveraging their decades of expertise in mushrooms.

Fable harnesses the nutritious benefits and natural umami flavours of mushrooms that help make meat so appealing. It is made with minimally processed shiitake mushrooms together with all natural plant-based ingredients, and has the endorsement of Heston Blumenthal, who features it on the menus of his Michelin Star restaurants. 

Fable’s deal with Coles comes just 4 months after the brand launched in Woolworths in June, in a move that saw its plant-based braised beef products hit over 600 stores shelves. Retailing at a comparable price point to slow cooked pulled meat options in grocery stores across the country, Fable is giving Aussies the opportunity to enjoy the Heston Blumenthal-approved meat alternative without paying a sustainability or fine dining premium.

Demand for delicious and nutritious meat-free products has soared as more Australians adopt plant-based or flexitarian diets. To meet this uptick in demand, Coles is expanding their range of meat alternatives on their supermarket shelves.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in interest and demand in the plant-based food category, and we are working to provide our customers more choice and variety. We’re excited to offer Fable’s premium plant-based braised beef products to more Aussie kitchens and continue building our offering in the growing category,” said Aliette Errington, Coles Category Manager, BBQ and Meat Free.

Within its first year of launching, Fable has inked deals with supermarket giants Woolworths and Coles, specialty grocery chain Harris Farm Markets, and is featured on the menus of over 100 restaurants in Australia, Singapore, and the UK. The brand has also partnered with meal kit delivery services Marley Spoon and Dinnerly to bring plant-based meat to more Aussie kitchens. 

“Bringing our delicious plant-based braised beef products to Aussies in partnership with Coles marks an important milestone in our mission to make plant-based food more appealing and accessible for everyone. We want to show Aussies that plant-based proteins can be as delicious as meat and help make it easier for people to make more sustainable food choices without compromising on taste or quality,” said Michael Fox, co-founder and CEO of Fable.

Fable is continuing to develop its product range and has a number of launches and partnerships slated for later this year and early 2021.

“We’re continually developing our product offering and looking for ways to bring plant-based more into the mainstream. We’re looking forward to announcing more launches and partnerships in the coming months, and giving Aussies more options to incorporate plant-based food into their diets,” said Fox.