Garden of Vegan: Burleigh’s new booming business
A bromance has blossomed into a massive success for four Burleigh vegan-loving mates and they now sell thousands of plant-based meals nationwide. Here’s where you can find them.
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A BROMANCE has blossomed into a massive success for four mates in Burleigh.
The founders of Garden of Vegan a 100 per cent organic wholefood, plant-based meal delivery service, are on a mission to help Aussies eat healthier, while serving up delicious food.
Damien Turner, Druen Dorn, Benny Walker and Gareth Sharples took a leap of faith in April 2019 and opened the food preparation and delivery company based out of Burleigh, with the company growing exponentially in that time.
What started off, with the team hand delivering 100 meal boxes a week made in their commercial kitchen in Burleigh Heads on the Coast, has expanded to an east coast service, prepping more than 3000 meals a week.
Co-founder and former Sydney construction worker Damien Turner, 34, said the company was born out of finding like-minded people, after he embraced veganism without the support of friends or family.
“Before I went 100 per cent plant-based I was overworked, stressed, overweight, drank, ate fast foods and was just not happy with my life,” he said.
“With a fatty liver, I knew I needed to change.
“In 10 months I lost 40 kilograms and found a new lease on life and it changed my complete outlook.”
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“I then met Druen working as a head chef in a plant-based cafe in Tweed Heads and fell in love with his cooking and personal philosophy.
“I then met Benny who was my plant-based PT, and then met Gareth.
“After expressing his idea to them, I realised we had the same personal business goal and it just felt right.”
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Damien’s partner and Garden of Vegan educator Melissa Phillips said: “The boys have a real bromance that hasn’t been broken throughout the process.”
Head chef and co-founder Druen Dorn, 21, said they started off with one staff member doing the dishes and the other co-founders, along with immediate family and close friends helping out where they could in the kitchen and deliveries.
“To start with we worked 80 hours a week in the kitchen but it is worth it,” he said.
“It was a dream we really wanted to achieve.”
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The team opened up the location after interest in the wholefood plant-based diet grew, and meal deliveries started in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast by end of April 2019.
“Lets just say we soon let go of the hand-delivering,” Mr Dorn laughed.
“In 2020 we have now expanded to South Australia and Tasmania.”
The grassroots business sell individual meal boxes from $12.95 per meal and are purchased in packs of five, eight, 10, 12, 15, 18 and 21.
The menu includes Pad Thai Stir Fry, Pumpkin Salad with Turmeric Chickpeas, Eggplant Lentil Moussaka, Blueberry and Apple Quinoa Breakfast Bowl, Baked Shepherd’s Pie, Cuban Rice Bowl, Spicy Burrito Bowl and B12 Cacao and Peanut Energy Balls.
Ingredients are sourced from Gold Coast organic and biodynamic farms, and any offcuts and food scraps are donated to local animal sanctuary Head over Hooves and leftover meals to The Movement Gold Coast Homeless Outreach.
Co-founder Gareth Sharples, 34, said his favourite meal was the Tuscan White Bean & Kale Soup.
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“My goal is to help educate other people about nutrition, and provide an easy solution for people to enjoy a truly healthy and wholesome meal,” he said.
“We care about everything we put into every dish – so all our meals are oil free, gluten free, and cooked in filtered water.”
Mr Turner, Garden of Vegan’s logistics manager, said he had inspired his construction mates “give a plant-based lifestyle a go”.
“They saw how well I am doing which has inspired them to ditch the steak and meat pies for lentil curries, pumpkin and broccoli salads,” he said.
Meals can be purchased online at gardenofvegan.com.au. Free pick-up is available at 1/6 Fortitude Cres in Burleigh Heads or Australia-wide home delivery for $15.
KEY POINTS
What: Garden of Vegan, a 100 per cent organic wholefood plant-based meal delivery service.
Founded: April 2019 by Damien Turner, Druen Dorn, Benny Walker and Gareth Sharples.
Staff: 24
Headquarters: 1/6 Fortitude Cres, Burleigh Heads.
Types of meals: Plant-based salad, protein balls, burrito bowls, breakfast bowls and curry.
Delivery locations: Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Tasmania the Gold Coast.
Website: Order online at gardenofvegan.com.au.
Price: $12.95 per meal + $15 delivery for a box of five to 21 individual meals.
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