News
October 2024
QuornPro Powers up Protein on NHS Menus
At QuornPro, we believe that food menus should offer a variety of protein options that not only taste great but also look and sound appealing - vegetarian and vegan dishes included. Protein is essential for a well-rounded menu, and while it’s traditionally associated with meat and fish, we’re demonstrating that there’s a better alternative.
QuornPro’s range of foodservice products opens countless possibilities for chefs to create exciting and flavourful menus. With a taste and texture that closely resembles meat, we’re on a mission to make QuornPro the go-to protein option for culinary professionals.
Let's Meat Halfway
The environmental impact of food production is significant, but we’re here to show that there’s a better way. Our protein is grown in fermenters rather than fields, allowing us to farm vertically using 40 metre high fermenters. This approach enables us to produce food on a large scale with minimal impact on land and water resources.
Consider these Quorn mycoprotein stats:
Uses 90% less land and water and generates 98% fewer carbon emissions compared to beef mince1.
The carbon footprint of Quorn mycoprotein is 40 times lower than beef and 6 times lower than chicken1.
Its water footprint is 30 times lower than beef and 6 times lower than chicken1.
Quorn Mince uses 12 times less water than beef mince1.
Additionally, consumer preferences are shifting. More people are identifying as flexitarians-those aiming to reduce their meat consumption for health and sustainability reasons.
This shift is what inspired our "Let’s Meat Halfway" initiative. It’s a simple concept: part meat, part meat-free protein. Our 50:50 approach helps operators create delicious, low-carbon dishes that are good for both people and the planet. This initiative not only reduces meat consumption, thereby addressing climate change and public health concerns, but it also delivers the same great taste that consumers are familiar with.
We’re especially proud to partner with the NHS through Let’s Meat Halfway. This program offers excellent value and taste, meaning NHS caterers don’t have to compromise on quality, affordability, or health while supporting the environment.
Feedback from our NHS partners has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the program’s benefits in lowering carbon emissions, reducing saturated fat and cholesterol, and increasing dietary fibre for both patients and staff.
Assistant Food Production Manager, City Hospital Campus
"The food production management team at NUH was introduced to Quorn’s 50/50 'meat in the middle' concept in January. Following our meeting, we decided to trial some of these dishes as part of our monthly food tastings.
"We prepared two dishes-Beef Chilli and Beef Lasagne-using our existing recipes. The only change we made was substituting half of the beef mince with Quorn mince. It blended in seamlessly and even absorbed some of the excess oil from the meat.
"Personally, I felt the final dishes were just as high-quality as before, and it wasn’t obvious there were two different components in the meat base. The food-tasting group rated both dishes above 90% in the taste test. Overall, the concept was well received, and we’re excited to explore it further in our next menu development cycle."
Let's Meat Halfway Recipes
Our culinary team has developed a range of recipes specifically for the NHS, each one nutritionally analyzed, carbon footprinted, and designed to help caterers save money and reduce carbon emissions.
One standout is our Meat in the Middle Cottage Pie, which has a carbon footprint 46% lower than a traditional cottage pie made entirely with beef mince -and an incredible 92% lower when you choose Quorn alone.
The potential impact is immense. If NHS England switched just 20% of the 140 million meals they serve to the Meat Halfway approach, they could save 47,600 tonnes of CO2 and at least £1.12 million in food costs.
Paul Jennings, Head of Culinary at QuornPro
"The market is changing, our consumer base now includes flexitarians – those who are trying to eat less meat for both health and sustainability reasons. This is just one of the drivers behind the launch of our Let’s Meat Halfway initiative. A bit of meat. A bit of meat free protein. Our new approach is inspiring operators with tasty, healthy, low carbon dishes. It is also playing a really important role in the total amount of meat being eaten - helping tackle climate change and improve public health – while still delivering great-tasting food which people are familiar with."
Paul Jennings, Head of Culinary at QuornPro
"We are incredibly proud to be working closely with the NHS on Let’s Meat Halfway as we believe it provides excellent value and incredible taste, so that NHS caterers do not need to compromise on quality, affordability, health or helping the planet. We’re receiving brilliant feedback from our partners who recognise the numerous benefits this initiative is bringing - reducing carbon emissions, lowering saturated fat and cholesterol, and increasing fibre in the diets of patients and staff."
Data source: 1. Quorn Footprint Comparison Report (The Carbon Trust, 2023)