Quorn

Quorn mince

© Quorn Foods
People

Quorn CEO Steps Down, Ex MD of Heineken UK David Flochel is Appointed, Says “2025 Will Be a Reset Year for the Company”

Quorn Foods today announces that current CEO, Marco Bertacca, is stepping down after five years at the helm. From next month, David Flochel, former MD of Heineken UK, will join the business and take over leadership over the course of the coming months. Bertacca replaced long-standing CEO Kevin Brennan in January 2020, and during his tenure was faced with navigating the business through the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing inflation and cost-of-living crises, plus disruption within the plant-based industry. Turbulent waters The company has since weathered a dip in sales; substantial pre-tax losses; exited retail markets including the Benelux region, and in terms of mass media and public opinion appeared to have shouldered significant blame, receiving a torrent of rather fierce backlash from both press …

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© Quorn Foods
Food Service

Quorn’s Mycoprotein to Be Blended with Animal Pork and Served in NHS Hospitals

First of all, to be clear, blended and hybrid products are no new thing and have existed for years, both successfully and unsuccessfully. As a publication specialised solely in the vegan business niche, we have widely avoided the topic of products consisting of plant (or fungi) meat blended with animal protein, since we do not write about animal products. But this is different and it would be remiss of us to not report, that: Quorn Foods, pioneer of meat-free products since 1985, today announces that “Quorn Foods’ role in the past was to help a few people eat no meat. We have now evolved into a company that helps everyone eat less meat.” Why is this significant? As most people in the food industry are …

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Quorn meatless grounds

© Quorn Foods
Company News

Quorn Exits Retail Market in Benelux Region

UK-headquartered Quorn Foods has withdrawn from retail in the Netherlands and Belgium, the company confirms today. The mycoprotein products have not been listed in Dutch and Belgian supermarkets since February, though they will remain in foodservice channels. The global brand states that the difficult decision was made following losses in distribution as well as challenging market conditions such as inflation and the rising cost of living crisis universally affecting the consumer and competitors across the board. A statement sent to vegconomist reads as follows. “Following significant retail distribution losses, along with high inflation and a consumer cost of living crisis, we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw our Quorn chilled range from retail customers in Belgium and the Netherlands. “The Quorn Foodservice business in …

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Quorn katsu style chicken

© Quorn Foods
Science

Changing the Game for Vegan Analogs: Study Explores Effects of Iron Fortification in Mycoprotein Products Without Egg Whites

In the ever-evolving landscape of food industry innovations, the spotlight is now on the development of meat alternatives that provide consumers with a sustainable option and meet the nutritional needs of comparable animal proteins. A recent study by Professor Brent Murray from the University of Leeds, funded by Quorn Foods, investigated the effects of iron fortification in mycoprotein products developed with potato protein instead of egg whites. Egg whites are incorporated into mycoprotein products as functional ingredients and binders to create appealing textures. However, the growing demand for plant-based meat alternatives and egg allergenicity are driving the replacement of egg white proteins with plant proteins.  In a related research about the interactions between fungal hyphae and egg white protein the scientists found that that potato proteins offer high …

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Marco Bertacca, CEO of Quorn Foods

Marco Bertacca, CEO of Quorn Foods © Quorn
Interviews

Quorn Foods: “We Are Expecting the Category to Recharge and Rebuild This Year”

Launched in 1985, Quorn Foods is one of the UK’s oldest and most successful meat alternative brands. The company was the first to recognise the potential of mycoprotein, a form of single-cell protein derived from fungi, as a healthier and more sustainable protein source. Quorn products are now available in 14 countries, for both retail and food service. In 2023, Quorn’s parent company, Marlow Foods, created an ingredients division to make its mycoprotein available to other brands. Later in the year, the company’s food service unit was rebranded to QuornPro, with the aim of giving the unit its own values and mission. Quorn already has highly successful food service partnerships with major chains such as KFC, Greggs, JD Wetherspoon, and more. We spoke to Marco …

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© Quorn
Investments & Finance

Monde Nissim CEO Provides Financial Support to Quorn from Family Fortune, Confident Growth Will Return

Henry Soesanto, CEO and major shareholder of Monde Nissim Corp., has announced he is to provide financial support for its alternative meat company Quorn via MNSG Holdings, a family business.  In April, Monde Nissin took an impairment charge of over $350 million on Quorn (acquired in 2015) due to the plant-based industry’s headwinds in the UK and globally. Now, Soesanto has pledged to backstop new impairment losses by backing the Quorn with his family’s fortune for the next ten years. The meat-free market is encountering challenges, due to macroeconomic conditions affecting Europe and the USA. However, it is reasonable to assume that growth will come back, he told Inquire.Net.  The news comes only months after Marlow Foods, the parent company of Quorn, launched its ingredients …

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Quorn katsu style chicken

© Quorn Foods
Fairs & Events

Quorn’s Message on World Vegan Day: “Recharge, Rebuild and Head Back Towards Growth”

On World Vegan Day 2023, we spoke with vegan business leaders around the world to invite them to share their thoughts and insights as we approach the end of what has been a turbulent year for many in the industry. We asked, what is your message for the plant-based community on this WVD as we look ahead to 2024? Here, Consumer Director Gill Riley shares a message from Quorn Foods on this special day of reflection about veganism. Respond to the consumer’s needs By Gill Riley  Changes in consumer behaviour led by turbulence in the global economy have resulted in a slowdown in the meat alternatives category, but it comes against a backdrop of many years of strong and rapid category growth. The macro drivers …

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Quorn Foodservice Business Unit announces new brand identity

Paul Jennings, Head of Culinary at QuornPro. © QuornPro
Company News

Quorn Foodservice Business Unit Reveals New Brand Identity

Quorn’s Foodservice Business Unit has announced an “extensive repositioning exercise” and new brand identity. The unit will now be known as QuornPro, as the brand works to position itself as an ideal protein solution for food service customers. The change comes in response to research which suggested that the unit would benefit from having its own values and mission, complementing Quorn’s retail division. According to the brand, the unit has already gone beyond selling frozen food and is now helping chefs at food service outlets to offer sustainable alt meat solutions. Quorn says it aims to be “the best protein on the planet”, becoming more than a classic meat alternative. Starting this month, the rebrand will roll out across the UK and the EU, with …

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Quorn vegan sausage rolls with technology for visually impaired consumers

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Products & Launches

Quorn Expands Frozen Range & Adds Codes for Visually Impaired Consumers to Packaging

Mycoprotein-based meat alternatives brand Quorn has added a new product — Mini Vegan Sausage Rolls — to its frozen range in the UK. “The new Mini Sausage Rolls are our first snacking launch in the frozen category and a great opportunity for retailers to provide more vegan options around social occasions and seasonal events. We expect the product to perform particularly well around the peak seasons of summer picnics and Christmas party season,” said Gill Riley, Marketing Director at Quorn Foods UK. The sausage rolls are the first of 42 Quorn products to carry NaviLens QR codes, which allow blind and visually impaired consumers to listen to the product’s ingredients, preparation instructions, and recycling information on their mobile devices. The codes can be read by …

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Quorn_Hot_Honey_BBQ_Wings

© Quorn
Company News

Quorn Joins PBFA UK to Fight Plant-Based Labelling Restrictions

Meat alternatives brand Quorn has become a member of the UK’s Plant-Based Food Alliance (PBFA), joining other players such as Alpro, Oatly, and Upfield. It comes as the PBFA works to prevent the adoption of new draft trading standards guidance, which would prevent plant-based products from using dairy-like descriptor terms such as “m*lk”, “alternative to cheese”, or “yogurt-style”. “We have been fighting the proposed guidance to restrict plant-based labelling for over a year now and we will continue to do so, because we believe that the Government should be doing all it can to promote the sector rather than hinder it,” said Marisa Heath, PBFA CEO. Food security Quorn was originally founded to provide food security; scientists recognised as far back as the 1960s that …

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Prime Roots x Quorn

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Fungi, Mushrooms & Mycelium

Quorn & Prime Roots Collaborate to Expand Market for Mycelium-Based Alt Meats

Quorn and Prime Roots have announced a collaboration in the US to develop market expansion opportunities for mycelium-based alt meats. The companies will also develop new products together, and Quorn will make a minority investment in Prime Roots. The collaboration is a natural fit, as both brands use proprietary mycelium-based technologies to produce meat alternatives. Both are also members of the Fungi Protein Association, formed last November to represent the interests of the industry. Based in Berkeley, California, Prime Roots makes deli-style products from koji fungus; these include alternatives to salami, pepperoni, bacon, pâté, and fois gras. Last month, the company secured $30 million in Series B funding, taking the total amount it has raised to $50 million. Prime Roots also became the first mycelium-based …

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Quorn expands Chiqin range with vegan strips

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Products & Launches

Quorn UK Expands ChiQin Range With Chef-Approved Vegan Strips for Food Service

Meat alternatives brand Quorn has expanded its successful ChiQin range with a new product for food service — Vegan Strips. Initially launching in the UK, the new products are set to roll out in the  Nordics, Germany, and BeNeLux, according to the company. Made with Quorn mycoprotein, the strips have already been certified by the Craft Guild of Chefs, the UK’s main professional chef association. The previously launched Buttermilk ChiQin Burger has also been certified. “The Craft Guild of Chefs certification gives our products a seal of approval that’s recognised across the industry, which we don’t take for granted. We’re delighted to achieve this stamp of excellence on our crispy coated ChiQin products,” says Phil Thornborrow, Foodservice Director at Quorn Foods UK. Describes as “crispy, …

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Quorn Fried Vegan Chicken Nuggets

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Gastronomy & Food Service

Quorn Partners with Robotic Kitchen Maker Karakuri to Deliver Perfectly Fried Plant-Based Chicken

Karakuri, a company pioneering robotics-powered kitchens, announces it has partnered with leading UK alt meat brand Quorn to optimize preparation of Quorn’s plant-based meats in QSR and fast casual restaurant settings.  Through the partnership, Karakuri and Quorn will work together to ensure that the latter’s products, including meatless nuggets, buttermilk fillets and wings, are “fried to perfection” using Karakuri’s specially automated /FRYR fry lines.  With a growing number of restaurants offering Quorn’s meat-free products, Karakuri says its technology provides ideal cooking and storage parameters to simplify food service. Solving big challenges “Karakuri represents an exciting transformation of QSR and fast casual kitchens and Quorn is excited to be the first meat-free company to be partnering with them,” said Phil Thornborrow, Foodservice Director at Quorn Professionals. …

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Marlow Foods

© Marlow Foods
Ingredients

Quorn Parent Company Marlow Foods Creates Ingredients Division, Making Mycoprotein Available to Manufacturers

Marlow Foods, the parent company of leading UK  brand Quorn, is set to make its hero ingredient mycoprotein available to other food and beverage manufacturers. Derived from fungi, mycoprotein is rich in protein and fiber and low in saturated fat. Studies indicate that it can boost healthy gut bacteria, along with reducing the intestinal genotoxins that cause bowel cancer. The ingredient also uses 90% less land and water than beef, while generating 98% fewer carbon emissions. After producing mycoprotein for over 40 years, Marlow has created a new division called Marlow Ingredients to make the protein available to other producers. The ingredient will initially launch in Europe, before expanding further afield. The move is part of the company’s mission to become a net-positive business by …

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Quorn katsu fillets

© Quorn
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Quorn Launches Vegan “Fakeaway” Katsu Fillets in the UK

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 …

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Prime Roots Deli Meats Slicer

©Prime Roots
Fungi, Mushrooms & Mycelium

All-Star List of Global Industry Leaders Unite to Form Fungi Protein Association

An impressive cast of fungi protein manufacturers from around the planet has united to form a new trade body, the Fungi Protein Association (FPA). The FPA’s founding members include Quorn, Nature’s Fynd, ENOUGH, The Better Meat Co., The Protein Brewery, Prime Roots, Mycotechnology, Mycorena, Aqua Cultured Foods, Mush Foods, MyForest Foods, Bosque Foods, and nonprofit organizations ProVeg and The Good Food Institute. The FPA will represent the interests of its member companies, including advocating for fungi as a sustainable protein in public policy, conducting consumer research, and more. Fungi, a sustainable protein The Fungi Protein Association asserts that meat, egg, and dairy alternatives made using fungi proteins are nutritious, delicious, and more sustainable than wheat, soy, or other plant proteins. The association cites a 2022 …

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quorn proteins in meatballs, pasta served at a big meal

© Quorn

Sustainability / Environment

Quorn Regenerative Farming Initiative Educates Chefs & Farmers on Sustainable Practices

Biohub at Ings Farm is a regenerative farming initiative in the UK to educate current and aspiring chefs and farmers on sustainable farming practices. The project launched in collaboration with Quorn Professionals, the food service division of the meat-free brand; RegenFarmCo (CIC), a specialist regenerative agriculture consultancy founded by Vincent Walsh; and Yorkshire Water, the second largest landowner in Yorkshire. Levy UK + Ireland, the catering and hospitality partner of sport, leisure, heritage, and performing venues, has announced plans to join the collaboration by sponsoring Biohub at Ings Farm. At the farm, Levy UK + Ireland has the opportunity to grow its produce, which the company would use to serve at its partner venues across the UK. The company says that participating in a regenerative farming …

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Bernhard Ilerup, Mycorena

© Mycorena
People

Mycorena Hires Quorn Commercial Director to Drive Growth

Swedish foodtech company Mycorena onboards Bernhard Ilerup as Head of Commercial Growth to support the company’s ongoing growth process. Bernhard Ilerup comes directly from a management position at Quorn Foods, a long-time market leader in mycoproteins. In his new role as Head of Commercial Growth at Mycorena, Ilerup is tasked with taking the company to a new level on the commercial side. With the goal of becoming the market leader in mycoproteins, the company is nearing the start of commercial production at the new Promyc production plant 3P, scheduled for 2023. Recently, there have been reports of a decline in the market for plant-based products, however, the market for mycoprotein is still on the upswing and is expected to continue to increase due to its …

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Quorn truck Downing Street

©Matt Crossick/PA Wire
Politics & Law

Quorn Truck Says “No More Porkies” As Boris Johnson Leaves Office

Quorn has sent a food truck to Downing Street emblazoned with “No More Porkies” (porkies, or pork pies, referring to the rhyming slang for lies) as Boris Johnson gets ready to leave office after a leadership term famous for his repeated lies to the British people. Just hours before Johnson leaves office, the stunt saw Quorn’s truck serving up free pork-free ham sandwiches featuring its new Deli range to the public in order to celebrate the end of the PM’s “porkies”. The pork-free sandwich truck toured Whitehall, Downing Street, Parliament Square and Westminster Bridge with the stunt organised by PR firm Taylor Herring. Quorn’s new Deli range consisting of Yorkshire Ham, Roast Chicken, Roast Beef and Finely Sliced Ham will be available in the chilled aisles …

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KFC France

©KFC France
Fast Food

KFC Launches Quorn Based ‘Colonel Veggie’ in France

From today until 11 October, chicken lovers who want to reduce their meat consumption can purchase the Colonel Veggie at KFC France. The chick*n fillet is produced by Quorn and the burger comes in a sesame seed bun with cheddar cheese and sauces, which should be removed to make vegan friendly. The menu item is reportedly certified by V-Label and is cooked on a separate griddle to animal meat. In May of this year Quorn, the UK’s leading meat alternative brand, contacted vegconomist to announce plans to supply its mycoprotein chick*n to KFC across Europe, including veggie wraps and big buckets, with the range set to roll out into several thousand KFC restaurants around Europe. “We are delighted with this collaboration with Quorn. For us, …

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