FoodCycle Joins Forces with Quorn

Today we officially launch our partnership with the UK’s Number 1 Meat-Free business, Quorn Foods. Our partnership will see them support us with our expansion over the next two years, nourishing communities through nutritious food and great conversation and helping us on our mission to reach 50 Projects by the end of 2021.

We kicked off the partnership with a cooking session at our Bristol Barton Hill Project, where our fantastic volunteers turned Quorn mince and surplus veggies into a tasty pasta bolognese, which was then collected by our guests. We’ve included the recipe at the bottom of this blog post, so you can recreate it at home.

Quorn are also supporting our annual conference for FoodCycle Project Leaders this May. Quorn Communications Officer and Nutritionist, Holly will be taking part in the Q&A on nutrition, health and cooking on 7^th May and Senior Home Economist, Kate will lead a live cooking session on 8^th May. Volunteers can sign up via the portal or through the conference emails.

About Quorn

Quorn are on a mission to provide healthy food for people and the planet and to bring communities together to kickstart a tasty meat-free movement! Delicious and healthy food shouldn’t cost the Earth, and so that’s why they use a unique ingredient called mycoprotein – a member of the fungi family – that is not only highly sustainable due to the way it is grown (by fermentation, similar to bread and beer), but is also packed with nutritional benefits such as:

• high in complete protein
• rich in fibre
• low in fat and saturated fat
• packed with essential vitamins and minerals

You can check out more about Quorn’s unique superprotein in the short video below.

Quorn’s ambition is to have a positive impact on society and the environment over the next ten years, and they believe that small changes can have a big difference when we act together. That’s why this year they are rallying individuals to help the planet one bite at a time – by swapping beef mince for Quorn Mince in just one meal, you save the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to charging your phone for 2 years and still enjoy the food you and your family loves! Not sure where to start? You can check out their ground-breaking Sustainable Eats recipe toolkit for free here.

Together, our meal choices can create a healthier planet and a healthier society. And surely that’s a food future worth eating for?

Quorn CEO Marco Bertacca says: “We believe that everyone should have access to nourishing, tasty, and sustainable meals in the company of their wider communities, by sharing great food and good conversation. That is why Quorn Foods is proud and humbled to build a new partnership with FoodCycle, an organisation which serves all of these needs in society, and many more. We look forward to working together for a future where food poverty and food waste do not co-exist, and to create new, safe places where we can all come together to share the joy of a meal and human connection more often.”

FoodCycle CEO Mary McGrath says: “Quorn are a company on a mission to provide people with nutritious food and have a positive impact on communities, just like us – which is why we are thrilled to be embarking on this collaboration. They also agree with us on driving conversation and education around sustainability without losing the joy of a good meal. We cannot wait to kick off what we know will become a strong and successful partnership.”

Quorn Pasta Bolognese Recipe from FoodCycle Bristol

Ingredients

• 4tbsp olive oil
• 1 bag frozen Quorn mince
• 1 onions diced
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 100g carrot, grated
• 100g parsnip, grated
• 1 aubergine, roughly chopped
• 1 courgette, roughly chopped
• 1 red or green pepper, roughly chopped
• 2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 400g dried pasta
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp of dried basil or a handful of fresh basil leaves
• salt and pepper

Method

1. Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add half the olive oil and once hot add the Quorn mince and salt and pepper. Cook the mince until well browned over a medium-high heat then transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. Add the leftover oil to the saucepan you browned the mince in and turn the heat to medium. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and fry gently for 5-6 minutes, or until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the root vegetables, aubergine, courgette and pepper then pour the mince and any juices in the bowl back into the saucepan.
3. Add the tomatoes and dried herbs to the pan and stir well to mix. Pour in the stock, bring to a simmer and then reduce the temperature to simmer gently for 45 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and rich. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. If using fresh basil add and stir.
4. When ready to cook the pasta, heat a large saucepan of water and add a pinch of salt. Once cooked through, drain and add to the pan with the bolognese sauce.
5. Mix well and serve