Healthy sales for Quorn as consumers ditch fad diets
MEAT alternative food producer Quorn is attributing record January sales to consumers ditching fad New Year diets and pursuing more sustainable food solutions that they are able to stick to.
The Stokesley-based company, which has been shortlisted in TheBusinessDesk.com’s Business Masters 2015 in the large manufacturer category, reported an 8% growth in total global sales over January (£14.6m).
Quorn is also planning to expand into at least one new international market in 2015 as it looks to build on current momentum.
The company experienced surging sales in all of the 15 countries it directly supplies. In the UK, sales rose by 6% to £10.9m, while Quorn’s rapid growth continued in the US where it recorded a 64% increase in sales last month.
Quorn’s strong start to the year comes on the back of a successful 2014 which saw the company achieve record sales of £150m and attract an additional 1.86m new customers, with non-vegetarians now accounting for three quarters of its customer base.
After a successful 2014 with Olympic Gold Medallist Mo Farah fronting its marketing campaign, Quorn has confirmed that it will continue the partnership this year.
The multi-million pound campaign features Farah ‘on the road’ serving Quorn dishes at sporting events across the country.
Kevin Brennan, CEO of Quorn Foods, said: “With January comes the calls for fad diets and with them the long list of things that you’re no longer supposed to eat. But there’s clear evidence that people are increasingly seeing through such diets and instead exploring more sustainable food solutions which they have a better chance of being able to stick to.
“Quorn’s growth is directly linked to trends around health and sustainability. We’ve seen sales grow by 20% over the last two years and we expect to sustain this momentum as people continue to rethink their meat eating habits and explore healthy and sustainable protein alternatives such as Quorn.
“Following successful launches in Germany, Finland and Denmark last year, we’re also looking to expand into at least one new market in 2015 as we strive to create a $1bn business, four to five times its current size. After last year, we really are generating momentum towards this goal.”
To fuel further growth and sustain sales momentum, Quorn is currently investing £30m to double its production capacity at its production site in Billingham, near Middlesbrough, creating up to 400 new jobs in the process.
The company is also continuing to invest millions of pounds into new product development, ensuring its range continues to grow to meet the needs and tastes of a global audience.
