The Quorn Story
The search begins
Back in the early 1960's, nutritionists and health experts were concerned that the predicted growth in population would mean global food and protein shortages in the future. Food scientists started a search to find new sources of food, which would help to meet the predicted increase in demand.
An amazing discovery
After several years of searching around the globe, an organism was amazingly found occurring naturally in the soil in a field in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, which ultimately gave Marlow Foods the opportunity to develop a completely new food ingredient. And mycoprotein was born!
The first pie
Research and development work progressed for many years to find ways to bring this breakthrough food to a wider audience, but it wasn't until the early 1980's that mycoprotein could be grown on a big enough scale to launch a range of products nationally. In 1985, mycoprotein was approved by the UK's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) as being suitable for food use, and the first Quorn product - a savoury pie - was launched.
Taste, nutrition and convenience
Ironically, a slowing down of world population growth combined with improved food production techniques, meant that the expected world food shortage never actually materialised. However, the new foods made from mycoprotein showed themselves to have associated benefits of good taste and convenience.
A bright future
The brand continues to go from strength to strength, which may explain why over 500,000 Quorn meals are now eaten every day in the UK.