Founder Spotlight: Henry Pham of By Bon
Meet Henry Pham
Bon Van Pham was baking and selling plant-based food on High Street in Preston in 1996, by his family's own account. His sons went on to run a plant-based restaurant in Northcote, renamed Brother Bon in his honor, and last October they began packing its recipes into frozen retail products. By Bon now runs to 19 items across meals, gelato and chilli oil, and Henry Pham, who handles the retail side, came to it from chemical engineering.
Company:
By Bon
By Bon turns the recipes from Brother Bon, one of Melbourne's favorite vegan restaurants, into ready-in-minutes frozen meals and treats. Our vision is to make plant-based living simple, satisfying and accessible for all.
Location:
Melbourne, VIC Australia
When did you launch the business?
October 2025
Startup Stage?
Bootstrapped
How did this business start?
This business started as an offshoot of our top-rated family restaurant, Brother Bon. As customers would travel far and wide to visit us, we thought how about we come to them.
Through making our recipes into retail food products we can reach people further than our local area, by stocking in grocery stores around Melbourne.
What's one thing you're proudest of so far?
I am proud of how far my brothers and I have come from just an idea into making it into a reality, being stocked in 30 independent stores around Melbourne.
It takes a lot to create a functional business no matter how small, so I am proud of all the things we have been able to do so far, from packaging design, product testing, website design and engaging with retailers.
What's been the most surprising or challenging part of building this business?
The most challenging part of building this business is the many different paths you can take at all stages of the journey, and deciding on which is the “correct” path to take.
What do you bring to this community, and what are you hoping to find?
I am looking to showcase our brand and journey, and see all the other people in similar journeys to ours.
What's something people would be surprised to learn about you?
In my previous life I was a chemical engineer, and do not miss it at all :)
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