Sheffield vegan company growing thanks to university deal

Dilesh and Jennifer Peiris are behind vegan ready meal firm Vigour Vita.

They approached Sheffield Hallam University to promote their products, in the hope that the university could sell the Vigour Vita range to staff and students on campus.

The company specialises in producing plant-based ready meals and coconut products inspired by the cuisine of Sri Lanka, where the pair are from.

Dilesh said: “As ardent food lovers we were keen to pass on our passion for vegetables to our daughter who was growing up in an environment where more people are becoming aware of the importance of having a majority of plant based food items in their diet.

“Having been successful in getting our daughter to enjoy a variety of vegetables in interesting and tasty dishes, we wanted to share these with our friends, who wholeheartedly encouraged us to share it further.”

Since moving into the kitchen in the university’s Stoddart building, the firm has begun supplying organic shops in Sheffield, Chatsworth House and The University of Sheffield.

They also supply to other catering outlets across Hallam university.

Darren Procter, catering operations manager at Sheffield Hallam, said: “We were so impressed with the food that Dilesh and Jennifer showed us.

“We thought we could work together to expand our vegan offering and help Vigour Vita grow as a business.”