Alt meat brand Quorn has expanded its chilled range in the UK with a new product — chicken-style Katsu Fillets.
The fillets are made from Quorn’s mycoprotein-based meat-free chicken, coated in panko breadcrumbs and served with a coconut-based katsu curry sauce. The brand notes that katsu is “very on-trend right now”; at the beginning of the year, pub chain Wetherspoon began offering a katsu curry made with Quorn nuggets.
According to Quorn, the new product will appeal to consumers looking to recreate restaurant dishes at home. It is said to be ideal for midweek dinners, as it comes in an oven-ready tray and is ready to eat in 20 minutes.
“Crispy coated meat-free chicken continues to be a consumer favourite and many people are recreating their favourites at home, looking to treat themselves whilst tightening the belt,” said Gill Riley, marketing director at Quorn Foods UK. “The vegan Katsu Fillets are our latest chilled mid-week ‘fakeaway’ option, a range which already includes Quorn Tempura Fillets, launched last year. These products are easy to cook, taste delicious and offer great value compared to eating out or ordering in.”
The Katsu Fillets are now available at Tesco and will launch at Morrisons, Waitrose, and Asda in the coming weeks.
“Beacon brand”
The news comes after Quorn’s parent company, Monde Nissin — which also owns Cauldron Foods — reported an impairment charge of over $350 million on its alt meat business. The company blamed reduced demand in the US and global inflation for the slowing growth of the business.
However, Quorn remains the top meat-free brand in the UK, with treble the value share growth of its closest competitor. Monde Nissin expects this growth to accelerate further when inflationary pressures ease, noting that many consumers have temporarily cut back on meat alternatives due to financial concerns.
Demand for Quorn products is already said to be increasing in food service, where the brand has partnerships with KFC, Sodexo, and many more.
“Quorn is the beacon brand within meat-free, bringing in over half a million brand new shoppers to the meat-free category in January alone, and growing ahead of the wider category,” said Riley.
