Neat Burger set for five openings in six months as it accelerates expansion

Lewis-Hamilton-vegan-burger-chain-Neat-Burger-five-London-openings-Victoria-Canary-Wharf-City.jpg

Neat Burger, the plant-based fast food brand that counts Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton among its chief backers, is to open five new London restaurants in a six-month period.

The vegan chain, which currently has three London locations in Mayfair, Camden and Soho, tells BigHospitality it will launch its fourth site in March in Victoria as part of an expansion drive that will also see it open four more restaurants across the capital by August. 

This will include a site in Canary Wharf that's due to open in April.

Locations for the other three restaurants are yet to be confirmed, but include central London, the City, and a 'major shopping centre' that's understood to be Westfield.

An additional sixth new London site is planned for later this year, as are three regional openings targeting 'major cities' around the UK.

Furthermore, the group says it will announce plans for international expansion in the coming months, with franchise deals already signed in a number of cities across the globe including, it is believed, Los Angeles. 

Neat Burger's streamlined menu has previously featured just three core burgers - The Neat, The Cheese and The Chick’n – alongside a plant-based hotdog option, and a selection of sides including sweet potato fries and tater tots.

This week, however, it added a fourth burger option to its menu: the Filet-no-Fish (pictured below), which is billed as 'the UK’s first plant-based fish burger on the menu of a fast-food chain'.

BurgerShot.jpg

Made with a sustainably-sourced jackfruit patty created by meat-alternative producer Jack & Bry, the Filet-no-Fish burger will be cooked in breadcrumbs, topped with tartare sauce and lettuce, and served in a soft bun with cheese optional.

While Neat Burger's restaurants remain closed for dine-in customers as a result of lockdown restrictions, all three of its current London sites are continuing to operate takeaway and delivery services. 

Hamilton collaborated with hospitality organisation The Cream Group to create Neat Burger, which also counts UNICEF Ambassador Tommaso Chiabra, who was an early backer of US-based food tech company Beyond Meat, as an investor.