The UK’s first meat-free NUGGET restaurant opened today in London, offering a lower-carbon footprint alternative to chicken nugget obsessed Brits.

New Quorn eatery ‘SmugNuggs’ will serve eight meat-free, alternatives to the nation’s favourite chicken shop classics including; a nugget burger, a nugget kebab, a nugget sharing bucket and a kids meal with dinosaur-shaped Roarsomes nuggets.

Launched by leading meat alternative brand Quorn, the nugget only takeaway will be open for three days and offering FREE nuggets from a menu inspired by the nation’s fascination with chicken shops, where there are 8,000 eateries in London alone.[2]

A small swap to a Quorn Nuggets can help us, help the planet one nugget at a time. With Quorns veggie nuggets having a carbon footprint that’s at least 29% lower than a typical chicken nuggets.

With millions of Brits now adopting flexitarian diets, the demand for meat-free alternatives is at an all-time high. Research by Quorn of 2,000 Brits reveals that four in 10 (41%) British households have converted to a vegetarian, vegan or flexitarian diet. And 65% of those surveyed have tried to eat either vegetarian or vegan meals in the last year.

Three in 10 (31%) made the switch to a ‘flexitarian’ diet with the last 3 years – citing improving personal health (42%), helping the environment (34%) and making healthier choices (33%) as the main reasons for doing so.

Behind the increasing number of British flexitarians are some of the nation’s younger generations, as research suggests over a third (37%) of British 18–24-year-olds choosing to consume less meat in last 24 months.

With almost half (49%) of British 18-24 years olds now following a flexitarian or meat-free diet, Quorn’s iconic nuggets have seen unprecedented demand over the past 12 months, with more than 22 million servings consumed in the last year[3].

Nugg fans will rejoice as Quorn will be serving the UK’s number one meat-free nugget[4]. The surge in popularity for meat-free alternatives can be attributed in part to environmentally conscious Gen Z-ers with two thirds (66%) revealing they consider the environmental impact of their dietary choices.

SmugNuggs’ menu:

‘The OG’ – the original: a box of six Quorn Nuggets
‘Smug As A Nugg’ – a nugget sandwich: Quorn Nuggets served in a brioche bun dressed with lettuce, tomato, onion and vegan mayo
‘Flamin’ Nuggs’ – the hot one: Quorn Nuggets drizzled in hot sauce
‘The Nugg-Bab’ – nuggs on a stick: a Quorn Nugget kebab
‘Nuggs & Kisses Meal’ – enough to share with bae: for two people – eight Quorn Nuggets, four Quorn Roarsomes, two regular fries and two cans of drink
‘Little Nuggs’ – the kid-friendly one: two Quorn Roarsomes dinosaur nuggets, small fries and a can of drink
‘It’s A Nugg-Life’ – the classic nugg meal: six Quorn Nuggets, one regular fries and a can of drink
‘The OG Vee’ – the vegan one: a box of six vegan Quorn Nuggets

Gill Riley, Marketing Director at Quorn, said: “We know our Quorn Nuggets have become a cult-favourite with over 22 million servings of nuggets consumed in the past 12 months alone. We can’t wait to open the doors to the first-ever meat-free nugget takeaway restaurant and welcome in our nugg fans. Not only are our Quorn Nuggets super tasty but they are better for you and the planet, ensuring all our guests will leave SmugNuggs with that smug feeling. You won’t believe it’s not chicken!”