The pair met in 2013 whilst working at the (CSIRO) and would soon agree that the alternative protein market needed a sustainable animal-free fat solution. Amid a plant-based industry boom, James and Ben would apply their technological expertise to combine science with the processes of fermentation and lipid engineering to reproduce the taste and consistency of meat and dairy products, incorporating this into new and existing plant-based alternatives. 

Speaking on why he decided to pursue the journey to start up Nourish, James said: "I think a lot of technology start-up people are in a similar boat where they could have a pretty nice career in the sciences. It's a pretty good place to be if you're successful at it. But I would have always regretted not having a go, and I think it's the same for a lot of others who end up going out and doing it."

So, join us as we chew the fat and explore the story of Nourish.

Nourish’s tasty solution

With the alternative protein space booming, having gained a whopping $11 million investment in 2019 and an even bigger second helping, $1.3 billion, in 2020, it’s clear there is a demand for meatless alternatives. 

As we mentioned, humans continue to embrace plant-based products as a great source of protein for our diets, with hundreds of alternative animal products on the market. However, very little, if any of these options truly match up to the real thing. So what’s the missing ingredient? Well, Nourish has discovered that it simply comes down to fats and oils. 

Essentially, when you feast your eyes on a juicy piece of grilled chicken on a BBQ or indulge in a cool and refreshing bowl of ice cream on a hot summer's day, what you smell, taste, and see is the fats and oil molecules. These elements give the animal proteins their distinct flavour and aroma. 

Nourish's innovative solution uses precision fermentation, a process similar to how beer is produced, and proprietary yeast strains to brew and tune fats and oils. Their creative production process allows Nourish to recreate the molecular structure of animal fats, ultimately allowing them to create any flavour profile possible. What's more, no animals are involved in the process - it's all formulated in a controlled and sustainable environment using synthetic biology. 

Fermentation: ‘They brew it, you chew it’

“If you really want to capture that original flavour, you have to put that original molecule in.” - James Petrie, Co-founder and CEO, Nourish

Creating these fats and oils is produced using a scientific method dating back centuries. 

Nourish sprinkles some magic into this process, tailoring the DNA of proprietary strains of the yeasts and cultivating them in calibrated environments. This methodology allows Nourish to customise the flavours and textures to best suit the specific products, be it beef, pork, cheese, yoghurt - anything, completely animal-free.

The lipid engineers at Nourish, experts in fats and fatty acid chains, utilise synthetic biology to tweak the biochemical formulas of their yeasts. By essentially remapping the metabolic pathways of the yeast organism, they can ultimately tell the yeasts what types of fats and oils they want to be produced.

James would explain how Nourish came to the conclusion that fermentation was the way forward.

"When you look at a problem like this, the first thing we looked at is what organisms on this planet are capable of making a lot of oil or a lot of fat. (...) at that point we said (yeast) fermentation is the real winner here because we can do it really fast, we can make products pretty quickly for the market, and we can get to a point where people can actually taste this stuff and see how it's working in a matter of weeks or months rather than a decade."

Effectively the production pipeline works like so. Yeast and sugar are combined in a  fermenter reactor. Here the yeasts eat the sugars, and the product of fermentation results in the fats and oils. These tailored fats and oils can then be incorporated into existing plant-based products. 

But how are Nourish getting its products to market?

A hungry bunch of talent

It's clear the work Nourish is bringing to the table is truly helping to transform the landscape of Agriculture and Food Technology. However, none of this would be possible without the passionate people behind the scenes. James was eager to emphasise the importance of the Nourish team and how they look for people motivated to make a difference and who are not just here for a paycheck. 

James said: "In terms of talent acquisition, that's something that never stops. (...) But getting that right is critically important because if you have a team that wants to solve the problem and wants to come on a journey with you, they give 110%, 200%. Whereas if you've got people who are in it for the paycheck, that is an important element, but it is not enough."

Diversity and inclusion are essential aspects any business in any industry must consider. As James would say, with Nourish, they have and continue to build a highly diverse team with a mix of genders, backgrounds, and nationalities. 

"We've ended up in a place where we actually have many more women than men in our company and especially in our leadership group. We weren't trying to hit a metric. We just happened to get there because we were trying to find the best people who would make things work, and in our case, they happened to be women. It has really paid off because we have a lot of nationalities, a lot of cultural backgrounds, a lot of genders in the mix, and they're all able to give a different viewpoint."