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Quorn, the traditional British brand for meat-free products, has announced the opening of its new culinary facility in Dallas. The move is part of the company’s expansion plan into the U.S. market as Manila-based parent company Monde Nissin shifts the brand’s focus to compete in the fast-growing North American vegan chicken sector.
The traditional vegetarian and vegan brand Quorn has just opened a new culinary development center in Dallas. The new research and development center will feature new appliances, restaurant models from QSR to fine dining, and a new product development laboratory to accelerate new innovations for the North American market. It will also house new equipment for a revised coating of mycoprotein, Quorn’s main protein component from mushrooms.
American expansion
Quorn’s new US executive chef Stephen Kalil at the research and development facility in Dallas.
The latest move is part of Quorn’s bet on the booming US plant market. The company, which was acquired by Monde Nissin in 2015, will head its North American operations from Judd Zusel, who will serve as president, and chef Stephen A. Kalil, who previously worked with CPG giants such as PepsiCo and Frito Lay as, and restaurant chain The Cheesecake Factory.
Earlier this year, Monde Nissin made clear its intention to capitalize on the fast-growing US plant market on its Philippine IPO debut, which grossed over $ 1 billion in the country’s largest IPO to date.
At the time, the company announced that it would be spending $ 335 million to expand its presence in the country, primarily through its Quorn brand and sister label Cauldron, which makes tofu and other soy-based products.
“I’m excited to join Quorn at a time when the meat alternatives category is really on the rise,” said Zusel. “With Chef Stephen at the helm, we are ready to deliver new and exciting innovations in meatless chicken that will give Quorn and our retail partners a significant competitive advantage.”
Bet on vegetable chicken
Quorn’s main focus for its American expansion is to position itself as the “category leader in chicken alternatives”. The existing range of meatless chicken products includes pieces, nuggets, bites and burger formats – some of them 100% vegan, others only suitable for vegetarians as they contain protein.
While the entire U.S. plant-based retail category has grown rapidly, topping $ 7 billion for the first time in 2020, more brands are now becoming competitive with chicken analogues. Food tech stars Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods have both entered the “vegan chicken wars,” with the former launching its Beyond Chicken Tenders in 400 restaurants in July and Impossible soon to launch nuggets.
Long-standing players in the food industry have also jumped on board, most recently Publix’s own brand Greenwise, which joins other brands with similar vegan chicken offers such as Raised & Rooted owned by Tyson, Cargills PlantEver, Conagra subsidiary Gardein and Maple Leaf Foods. Lightlife brand.
Quorn CEO Marco Bertacca believes that the opening of its new research and development facility will catapult the brand to the top of the competition – not just in the US but in other international markets as well. So far, the brand is available in 18 countries around the world, mainly in Europe, but also in Australia and Singapore.
“Our goal is to become the king of alternative chicken worldwide,” said Bertacca. “With the new leadership, our state-of-the-art culinary center, and new innovations accelerated by this IPO, we believe we are well positioned for it.”
All images courtesy of Quorn.
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