Sunshine Coast business Fable Food combines Google and law skills with mushroom science

A Sunshine Coast business has turned its not so meaty ambitions into a success story. Here is how they did it.

Fable Foods' owner Michael Fox and Grill'd assistant restaurant manager Starkea Wyllie at Kawana Shopping Centre. Picture: Patrick Woods

What do you get when you cross an ex-lawyer and Google employee with a mushroom scientist and a regenerative farming whiz?

Just about the best meat-free meal you’ve ever eaten, apparently.

Fable Food and their tantalising range of “meat-free yet meaty” products are taking the global plant-based food industry by storm, and they’re doing it from their Sunshine Coast headquarters.

Co-founder and chief executive Michael Fox blended business acumen gleaned from his background as a lawyer and Google employee with co-founder and chief marketing officer Jim Fuller’s expertise as a mycologist (mushroom scientist) and co-founder Chris McLoglin’s regenerative agriculture brains.

The result was the development of a meat-alternative comparable to pulled pork which forms the basis of the entire company’s success, and its product line.

“Our mission is to help people eat healthier and more sustainably,” Mr Fox said.

“When we developed our primary product, a meaty pulled-mushroom, we decided if we could get one decent chef to use the product and like it, we were on our way.

“We managed to get Heston Blumenthal as our first customer and he now uses the product in his UK restaurants.”

Heston’s uptake was closely followed by Fable’s expansion into major supermarkets, top-notch restaurants across the region and beyond and meal kit provider Marley Spoon.

Fable works across a Sunshine Coast headquarters, development kitchen in Melbourne and has customers in Malaysia, Singapore, UK and China.

Fable Foods’ owner Michael Fox has showcases his vegan mushroom "meat" at Grill'd, Kawana Shopping Centre, with the help of Starlea Wyllie, assistant restaurant manager. Picture: Patrick Woods

And Mr Fox credits their Sunshine Coast location as a big factor in Fable’s success.

“We have such a good network of food and agricultural businesses on the Coast and we have always found incredible contacts and mentors in this environment,” he said.

“There are also investors here and the region is attracting world-class talent.”

Locals can purchase their own Fable products at local supermarkets, or chef-prepared meat-free Fable meals at eateries such as Glasshouse Brewery, Nurture Kawana, cafe Vie, Rosebed + Finch and Maple & Sage.

Fable is working hard to continue its research and development, with product development a core part of its business growth.

“We want to reduce the world’s meat consumption for health, environmental and ethical reasons, but we don’t think customers should ever have to do this at the expense of taste,” Mr Fox said.

“Our products are nutrient-packed and naturally meat-like real food with simple ingredients, mindfully made.”