Quorn Expands Meatless Dim Sum Home Delivery Service In Singapore Amid Asia Plant-Based Boom

Legacy vegan and vegetarian meat alternative brand Quorn has just expanded its home delivery service in Singapore with a range of meatless dim sum items, as the brand positions itself in the fast-growing Asian plant-based market. It initially launched its delivery service with Singapore’s largest grocery e-commerce RedMart in September this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, and has alluded to introducing its dim sum range to other regions as demand for plant-based products continues to surge, driven by rising consumer awareness of health, safety and sustainability. 

British meat substitute brand Quorn first entered the Singapore market back in 2017, bringing its soy-free, mycoprotein-based vegan and vegetarian products made through fermentation to the city-state, from its chicken nuggets to beef mince and breaded fillets. But in recent months to adapt to the pandemic, the legacy brand introduced home delivery to Singapore residents amid the coronavirus social distancing and partial lockdown rules. 

Read: Quorn says it plans to tackle obesity, pandemics & climate change together 

Since September, Quorn has partnered with RedMart, the city-state’s most popular grocery e-commerce platform and the online arm of FairPrice, the leading supermarket retailer in Singapore. It’s now taken it a step further to cater to Asian taste buds by expanding its home delivery service with a new plant-based dim sum range, including classic dishes such as BBQ Pastry Puffs, Japanese Gyoza, Shaomai, BBQ Buns and Glutinous Rice. All five products are vegetarian-friendly but not vegan, as it contains egg whites as a binding agent on its ingredient list. 

Speaking to FoodNavigator about the expanded dim sum range, Christopher Lee, the commercial director at Monde Nissin Singapore, the regional arm of Quorn’s parent company since 2015, said that the demand has “exceeded our expectations”. According to Lee, the home delivery channel receives more than 20 daily orders, and they plan to bring the range to retail in more online delivery platforms by the first half of next year as well as foodservice outlets as the industry reopens from the pandemic. 

Read: Singapore’s first vegan online grocer opens retail shop to meet demand

Lee also told the publication that Quorn’s dim sum products have attracted interest from a number of other markets, including Brunei, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and the U.S., suggesting further expansions to come in the next months. He added that Monde Nissin and Quorn are actively developing a new plant-based version of the sausage roll with an “Asian twist”.  

These moves are indicative of the brand’s strategy to target Asia’s plant-based market, which has seen surging demand especially in the past months. Since the pandemic struck, exposed to the dangers of the meat industry and viral outbreaks in abattoirs, consumers have been propelled towards safer plant-based meat alternatives. 

While statistics show a global trend, the shift is particularly noticeable in Asia. One recent poll in Hong Kong found that a quarter of the city’s young shoppers are now going to reduce their meat intake as a direct result of the pandemic. Meanwhile, South Korea reported a tripling in its vegan population and Japan’s plant-based food scene has exploded with vegan konbini to 100% dairy and egg-free Japanese bakeries. 

All images courtesy of Quorn.