A £30M INVESTMENT in its Billingham plant by Quorn will create about 400 jobs in the coming years.

And during a recent visit to see work progressing Alex Cunningham, MP for Stockton North, praised the company for staying loyal to the area.

The company, whose products offer an alternative to meat, is building a third fermenter on its site, which will boost production by 50 per cent. It will create about 100 jobs during the 18 months of construction and the company expects to create 300 within the firm and its suppliers once the new fermenter is fully operational.

The investment follows a sustained period of recordbreaking growth for the Stokesley-based company, which has seen sales grow by 13 per cent in the UK and 21 per cent internationally over the last 15 months. It exports to 13 countries, including Australia and the USA where sales are booming. Mr Cunningham said: “Quorn is a fantastic example of a local business that’s doing phenomenally well, both in the UK and internationally.

“Rather than looking to invest significantly in new infrastructure in other parts of the UK, or even abroad, the company has remained loyal to its roots by investing £30 million to boost the capacity of its existing plant at Billingham.

“Such investment on a local level will undoubtedly deliver huge benefits through the creation of hundreds of jobs over the next few years, bringing new skills into the area and developing and enhancing those that already exist.”

Tim Finnigan, head of innovation at Quorn Foods, said: “We are proud to say that the nucleus of our operations remains in Yorkshire and the North-East, despite the brand now being a big global player.”