You might not even have known that Quorn‘s products have never been vegan, so popular are they with omnivores and vegetarians alike. But the brand has always used egg whites as a binding agent in their mycoprotein-based meat substitutes, making them a constant source of tension in vegan-non-vegan friendships (“You’re vegan? I’m not but I love Quorn!!!”).

In a few days, though, Quorn will release a range of products in the UK which avoid the use of a chicken’s menstrual cycle and provide lovely lovely mycoprotein in a completely vegan format. Two products will be launched – Quorn’s classic ‘meat-free’ pieces as well as some ‘Hot & Spicy Burgers’.

This is good news all round. Not only does this mean that vegans can now have easy access to mycoprotein, a healthy protein source on which Quorn has something of a monopoly, but it also means that more vegetarians and health-conscious omnivores will be exposed to vegan products. So often, products like vegan cheeses, meats and milks seem weird and unsavoury to non-vegans. This is largely because the average shopper is rarely exposed to such products, which are kept under lock and key in health food shops and veggie boutiques around the country. Now, a parent on their weekly shop has a greater chance of glimpsing a vegan alternative to her usual choice of pasta topping, and therefore a greater chance of exposing her children to vegan food in the home. After all, if veganism really is the future, it’s their future.