Quorn surveyed 2,000 adults who identified as flexitarians and found the burger is still the top choice when consumers are eating out of home.

Phil Thornborrow, foodservice director at Quorn Foods, said: “Flexitarian eating is an ever-increasing consumer behaviour and diners are demanding more mouth-watering meat-free and plant-based options across all sectors of foodservice. Alongside demand for meat-free burgers, there is still a huge growing desire for more chicken-like dishes served as messy builds, such as wings, strips and tenders.

“Taste is still the key consideration when creating meat-free dishes, but consumers are increasingly looking for bright and colourful looking dishes that look good for social media. Instagrammable dishes that excite diners build loyalty and create important connections with their peers.

“Diners are looking for vegan and veggie meals that have exciting and fresh ingredients, but still have all the same taste and protein attributes as meat dishes. We are consistently investing in technology and know that we’ve got the best meat-free chicken on the market, in terms of taste and texture. Our newest range - ChiQin – has been developed specifically to elevate mouth-watering, meat-free menus in hospitality.”

The Quorn research also found that a restaurant with environmentally sustainable practices and values was important when selecting a place to eat. Quorn has a range of tools that chefs can use to calculate the carbon savings on their meat-free dishes and this information can be used to highlight sustainability credentials on the menu.

The Quorn vegan range now includes three Wings; Crispy, Buffalo and Southern Fried, the crowd favourite Buttermilk Style Burger and the newly-added Vegan Fillet, all set for a tantalising takeover of meat-free menus in every casual dining sector.

Invite the newest king of the roost into your kitchen by emailing [email protected] to get some free samples.