Quorn creates meat-free snack for eating on the go

The snack comprises a Quorn vegetarian chicken centre encased in a southern fried breadcrumb coating (rrp £1.29, 60g) and the company believes it will help attract more new shoppers to the £495m meat-free category (IRI 52 w/e 14 September 2019/Kantar Worldpanel 52 w/e 8 September 2019).

Quorn Foods brand manager Jennifer Shepherd said: “As more than half of all UK consumers (53%,YouGov December 2018 data) are now reducing their meat consumption, it’s important that we continue to provide products that deliver on taste and health, as well as convenience for when consumers are on the go.

“As a nation of snack lovers with increasingly busy lifestyles, it can be difficult to find meat-free options when you’re out and about, and our Southern Fried Poppers provide a tasty meat-free solution that can be eaten on the go.

“Health is still important for these shoppers, with 41% (Mintel 2018) saying it’s hard to know which snacks are good for you. Quorn Southern Fried Poppers are high in protein and fibre, but low in saturated fat, providing a delicious and nutritious protein hit for consumers on the go.”

This product launch comes as Quorn exceeded annual sales of £200m in November 2019 (IRI 52 w/e 9 November 2019/Kantar Worldpanel 52 w/e 3 Noevember 2019). 

Shepherd added: ”Penetration is key to category growth and, with one-third of new shoppers’ spend being on Quorn (IRI 52 w/e 14 September 2019/Kantar Worldpanel 52 w/e 8 September 2019), our new Southern Fried Poppers will be a key driver of meat-free sales.” 

Southern Fried Poppers will be available from January backed by a consumer marketing campaign, in-store activation and digital support.