Cultivated meat company Meatly, the first business in Europe to commercialise cultivated meat, has moved into Grapht Works at Imperial College London’s pilot and advanced manufacturing facility in the Old Oak Innovation Cluster.
The relocation represents an important step in Meatly’s plan to expand production ahead of its first manufacturing runs, scheduled to begin in 2027. The company is using its £10.4 million Series A investment, announced in May, to support this next phase of development.
Grapht Works is London’s first dedicated site for pilot and demonstration manufacturing. Imperial established the facility to meet growing demand from deep-tech scale-ups progressing beyond research and development into repeatable commercial production. Located within Imperial’s Old Oak Innovation Cluster and the wider WestTech London ecosystem, the site gives science and technology companies adaptable industrial space to develop, validate and scale their manufacturing operations.
The move also reflects wider food and beverage industry trends, including investment in food manufacturing trends, food processing technology and food and drink industry innovation. Owen Ensor, CEO of Meatly, said: “Moving to Grapht Works is a significant step as we prepare to scale cultivated meat and become fully operational next year. We will be creating Europe’s largest cultivated meat facility and begin the move to large scale production. Imperial has created the perfect space and community for innovators like Meatly who are making the transition from R&D to commercialisation, and we’re looking forward to growing together at Grapht Works as we work to make cultivated meat more widely available for pets.”
Established in 2022, Meatly focuses on cultivated meat for pet food applications. After receiving UK regulatory approval in 2024, the company became Europe’s first cultivated meat seller and introduced the world’s first cultivated pet food product in 2025. Its proprietary bioreactors and culture medium are designed to reduce manufacturing costs and support commercial viability throughout the supply chain.
The company’s progress also aligns with growing attention to food and drink sustainability, changing food and drink consumer trends and evolving food and drink regulations. Advances in food and drink packaging, food and drink marketing and food distribution trends will also influence how emerging cultivated products reach customers.
Alice Sewell, Imperial’s investment director, said: “Our investment in Grapht Works was built on a belief that this is where the UK’s next generation of industrial companies could be built, if they had the right infrastructure. With Meatly taking this step towards full scale production in 2027, it shows that our vision is starting to be realised. Cultivated meat is exactly the kind of frontier industry the UK should be anchoring, and by backing the space that enables companies like Meatly to scale, we’re helping to make sure the jobs, manufacturing capability and economic value they create stay in London and the wider WestTech London ecosystem.”
Grapht Works is designed to help innovators translate laboratory concepts into industrial output. The facility provides secure, flexible accommodation for prototyping, pilot production and demonstration manufacturing, with direct support from Imperial. Its focus on engineering biology, advanced materials and next-generation food technology makes it a strategic base for businesses shaping the future of food production.