The manufacturer of Quorn has signed a deal with fast food giant McDonald's to supply its meat-free products on a trial basis.
Stokesley-based Marlow Foods, which makes Quorn, is supplying a number of McDonald's UK restaurants for a test period. It is hoped the tests will lead to a permanent deal for the Teesside manufacturer.
Nick Hughes, Marlow Foods managing director, said: "We are working with McDonald's and we are on trial at certain restaurants at the moment.
"If this does develop as we hope, then it will be a very exciting development for the company.
"We are delighted to be working in co-operation with McDonald's, who are clearly looking at the options for their menu."
The restaurant trials began before Christmas but neither Marlow Foods nor McDonald's would comment on when a decision to sign a permanent deal may take place or how long the trials will last.
No McDonald's restaurants on Teesside are taking part in the trials.
Mr Hughes said it was too early to say if a deal would lead to more jobs at the firm's Stokesley manufacturing plant or its Billingham depot. The firm currently employs around 340.
McDonald's already sells vegetarian burgers but would not give details of the possible Quorn burger range. A McDonald's spokeswoman would only confirm it was trialling the Quorn products at 16 of its 1,235 UK restaurants.
Quorn is prepared from a tiny plant that occurs naturally in the soil. The mycoprotein raw material is grown by a fermentation process similar to that in the production of yoghurt. Products begin life in fermenters at Billingham before heading to Stokesley for processing and packaging.
Quorn has a retail brand value of around £130m.
Last year Marlow Foods was sold in a £70m deal by AstraZeneca to Montagu Private Equity.
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