Quorn shortage in Dublin?

pietromas

There seems to be a Quorn shortage in Dublin. All I can find for the last month or two is mince, chunks and occasionally sausages.

Anyone know where I can find a broader selection in the city centre area?

Tesco in Jervis St. used to be good for it, but they recently relegated the vegetarian freezer section from a large fridge to a small press and there's feck all in it. Similar situation in the surrounding Dunnes and Supervalus. I've looked all over to no avail.

Curlyhatescurls

Have you tried Iceland in the Ilac Shopping centre (near the Moore St. entrance side)?
I used to go there quite often, I don't eat Quorn as I'm vegan but they always seemed to have lots and a good variety, they were also great for Linda McCartney stuff (mmmm sausages)

Zombienosh

There is an ongoing selection reduction with Quorn in Dublin, If I'm lucky I find the Garlic and Herb Fillets which are nice.

Mostly I can only find mince and chicken pieces, which I think are awful tasting I don't bother. I don't understand why the basic chicken style fillets without coating aren't available everywhere, they would surely be a cornerstone of the the Quorn range no? I've never been able to try them but I think they would be handy for easily swapping out chicken fajitas and dishes like that.

I see they have a cooking from scratch range on the website, Now thats the stuff I'd use most. (if it was available).

Zombienosh

Just emailed Quorn there asking whats going on

fillefatale

Same in SLigo, haven't been able to get the meatballs for weeks now!

PickledLime

fillefatale wrote: »

Same in SLigo, haven't been able to get the meatballs for weeks now!

Yeah, Tesco have moved the Quorn stuff to a smaller fridge (on the opposite side and end above the long, open freezer). I always thought the Quorn stuff sold really well.

Might have to start heading to Dunnes more, curse Tesco and it's super-handy location!

Tar.Aldarion

A lot of tescos have just been removing most of their selection. I spent about 40 euro on stuff when they were all reduced to 1 euro.

edellc

Didn't realise this was happening until I went shopping in Tesco in tallaght yesterday was gutted..no meatbals and limited everything else

Superquinn and supervalue are always useless so I didn't expect this from Tesco

Think I am going to voice my concerns to Tesco via email and I would ask you all do the same...nothing like a bit of people power compared to a lone voice

SilverLiningOK

What did people eat before Quorn ? Haven't gone near the stuff for over 10 years. Don't see the attraction at all of fake meat products such as this. Without an easy supply of this stuff, people will really have to do the research and learn to cook from basics.

edellc

SilverLiningOK wrote: »

What did people eat before Quorn ? Haven't gone near the stuff for over 10 years. Don't see the attraction at all of fake meat products such as this. Without an easy supply of this stuff, people will really have to do the research and learn to cook from basics.

I used Linda mccartney stuff and birdseye veggie burgers a lot didn't like the look if fake meat as also didn't like the look if meat either
However in the last 10 years did start using quorn chicken bits, mince and meatballs and Omg the amount if new dishes and taste is great...also my cooking has come on leaps and bounds
I don't like the quorn chicken fillets I find them quite dry

I am however basing all my opinions on nothing other than a meat free diet as I have been veggie since I was 9yrs old (mam was quite liberal) so that's 26years meat free

So I really hope they don't discontinue quorn

Zombienosh

It's not living on Quorn, I could happily go without the stuff. I do cook pretty much everything I eat from scratch, the odd days when I'm wrecked I might throw a pizza in and oven or buy a Quorn/ Linda mcartney thing to throw into the oven, However in my cooking from scratch some dishes could really be a nice change using some quorn chicken/beef style things among the ingredients.

I just find it odd that either the supermarkets aren't bothered stocking it anymore or Quorn themselves aren't bothered supplying it.

PickledLime

SilverLiningOK wrote: »

What did people eat before Quorn ? Haven't gone near the stuff for over 10 years. Don't see the attraction at all of fake meat products such as this. Without an easy supply of this stuff, people will really have to do the research and learn to cook from basics.

What a bizarre statement.

Are you suggesting that because people sometimes use this as a substitute (it's come along a lot in 10 years and i'd only ever use the chicken bits in fajitas) that they lack basic cooking skills? Do you bake you own bread every day and milk your own cows?

Most vegetarians i know are usually great cooks.

SilverLiningOK

PickledLime wrote: »

What a bizarre statement.

Are you suggesting that because people sometimes use this as a substitute (it's come along a lot in 10 years and i'd only ever use the chicken bits in fajitas) that they lack basic cooking skills? Do you bake you own bread every day and milk your own cows?

Most vegetarians i know are usually great cooks.

Not bizarre at all. I am just curious why many vegetarians are drawn to the fake meats. I very occasionally use tofu, probably only a couple of times a year. But I do not go near tvp, seitan, tempeh or quorn any more. I stick to beans and pulses which are very economical, especially in their dried form, and am quite happy with the meals that I cook. They are mostly vegan as my partner (a eater of a little meat) doesn't eat dairy.

These mock meats are quite processed products and tend to work out expensive in the long run. Another thing is that they are mostly stocked by supermarkets, the main chains being places that I very rarely go. Learning to use and cook more basic wholefoods is very important as a vegetarian/vegan. Depending on fake meat products on a regular basis could have major drawbacks if supply dried up.

The health side of such products is also of interest. A few years back Dr John Briffa questioned this - http://www.drbriffa.com/2008/04/18/when-is-a-healthy-food-not-a-healthy-food-after-all/

If people enjoy these food and are happy with the negatives that ok but it's definitely worth exploring the alternatives, even just the have the knowledge. Cooking for a vegetarian is a vital skill and it needs research and experimentation, as different things work for everyone. Knowing what you are eating and what it is made from is important. Having a certain of control over that gives one a degree of independence and not dependence on factory food even if it's vegetarian.

PickledLime

SilverLiningOK wrote: »

Not bizarre at all. I am just curious why many vegetarians are drawn to the fake meats. I very occasionally use tofu, probably only a couple of times a year. But I do not go near tvp, seitan, tempeh or quorn any more. I stick to beans and pulses which are very economical, especially in their dried form, and am quite happy with the meals that I cook. They are mostly vegan as my partner (a eater of a little meat) doesn't eat dairy.

These mock meats are quite processed products and tend to work out expensive in the long run. Another thing is that they are mostly stocked by supermarkets, the main chains being places that I very rarely go. Learning to use and cook more basic wholefoods is very important as a vegetarian/vegan. Depending on fake meat products on a regular basis could have major drawbacks if supply dried up.

The health side of such products is also of interest. A few years back Dr John Briffa questioned this - http://www.drbriffa.com/2008/04/18/when-is-a-healthy-food-not-a-healthy-food-after-all/

If people enjoy these food and are happy with the negatives that ok but it's definitely worth exploring the alternatives, even just the have the knowledge. Cooking for a vegetarian is a vital skill and it needs research and experimentation, as different things work for everyone. Knowing what you are eating and what it is made from is important. Having a certain of control over that gives one a degree of independence and not dependence on factory food even if it's vegetarian.

I've read 'Dr'. Briffa's reports before - the man is a total quack as far as i'm concerned.

I'm just a bit confused that you seem to think that folk lamenting the cutting back on the availability of Quorn are oblivious to the alternatives - personally I use Quorn once every 5 weeks or so, but I cook with beans and pulses anywhere between 4 to 7 nights a week, and i do a variety of dishes with them. My diet is very much based on unprocessed and raw foods, but it's okay to have the odd bit of Quorn now and again just for a change.

SilverLiningOK

PickledLime wrote: »

I've read 'Dr'. Briffa's reports before - the man is a total quack as far as i'm concerned.

I'm just a bit confused that you seem to think that folk lamenting the cutting back on the availability of Quorn are oblivious to the alternatives - personally I use Quorn once every 5 weeks or so, but I cook with beans and pulses anywhere between 4 to 7 nights a week, and i do a variety of dishes with them. My diet is very much based on unprocessed and raw foods, but it's okay to have the odd bit of Quorn now and again just for a change.

Fair enough ! Still don't get why anyone would bother with Quorn even as you say "now and again just for a change". The alternatives are far more appealing to me. Eating as vegetarian is not simply swapping meat and two veg for something else and two veg. I see it as completely rethinking the approach to food to a more integrated way. Each to their own I suppose.

PickledLime

SilverLiningOK wrote: »

Fair enough ! Still don't get why anyone would bother with Quorn even as you say "now and again just for a change". The alternatives are far more appealing to me. Eating as vegetarian is not simply swapping meat and two veg for something else and two veg. I see it as completely rethinking the approach to food to a more integrated way. Each to their own I suppose.

Indeed, that's what i've done, before i made the jump to vegetarianism i spent ages researching what i should be eating in place of meat and how to achieve a balanced diet.

Quorn is pretty handy when preparing dishes for veggies and non-veggies where the non-veggies don't really deviate from the traditional meat dishes eg. if i'm preparing fajitas, i'm happy to use mushrooms in place of chicken. I've a meat eating friend who doesn't like that, so I use the Quorn chicken pieces; he likes them as once cooked in spices, they're close enough in texture to chicken, and my veggie guests can eat them too without having to prepare two separate dishes.

Eriopis

SilverLiningOK wrote: »

I am just curious why many vegetarians are drawn to the fake meats. I very occasionally use tofu, probably only a couple of times a year. But I do not go near tvp, seitan, tempeh or quorn any more. I stick to beans and pulses which are very economical, especially in their dried form

As far as I'm concerned, they're not fake meats. They are ingredients in their own right, to be used in many exciting and interesting ways, enriching vegan and vegetarian cooking. It's great that you like pulses and beans, but don't look down on others who like their beans in a slightly different form. Tofu and tempeh are just made of soy beans, and are no more processed than soy sauce (unless you are anti-soy, but that'd be your personal choice). You can even make tofu at home, it's just precipitated out of soy milk (which you can also make yourself from raw soy beans). Seitan is just wheat protein; washing it out of flour takes about 20 minutes, and is no more processed or unnatural than eating a slice of bread (unless you're anti-gluten). Just because it might look like an over-processed meat product, does not mean that it is. A seitan pot roast for example is just made from wheat flour, butter beans and seasoning, blended and then baked in the oven. Nothing weird or unusual about that. Quorn I have no experience of as it is not vegan.

Eriopis

By the way, I was in the Tesco Extra in Naas yesterday; it looked like there were still plenty of Quorn products there - chicken pieces etc, as well as lots of Linda McCartney products.

Zombienosh

Eriopis wrote: »

As far as I'm concerned, they're not fake meats. They are ingredients in their own right, to be used in many exciting and interesting ways, enriching vegan and vegetarian cooking. It's great that you like pulses and beans, but don't look down on others who like their beans in a slightly different form. Tofu and tempeh are just made of soy beans, and are no more processed than soy sauce (unless you are anti-soy, but that'd be your personal choice). You can even make tofu at home, it's just precipitated out of soy milk (which you can also make yourself from raw soy beans). Seitan is just wheat protein; washing it out of flour takes about 20 minutes, and is no more processed or unnatural than eating a slice of bread (unless you're anti-gluten). Just because it might look like an over-processed meat product, does not mean that it is. A seitan pot roast for example is just made from wheat flour, butter beans and seasoning, blended and then baked in the oven. Nothing weird or unusual about that. Quorn I have no experience of as it is not vegan.

Well said, Silvers posts are sounding like he's trying to look down on people for eating quorn which is ridiculous.

SilverLiningOK

Zombienosh wrote: »

Well said, Silvers posts are sounding like he's trying to look down on people for eating quorn which is ridiculous.

Not my intention at all. Just curious about the popularity of Quorn. Confirms what I thought. People find it convenient in its many different forms and they seem to like what they can do with it. Not my thing at all, but that's the variety of life. I keep soy products to a minimum as an intolerance can develop just like dairy.

Quorn also seems to fit in well when catering for omnivores as well as vegetarian. I know not everyone will agree with me but it seems to take the place of meat/fish in how it is used. The bean/pulse approach suits me I suppose, as I like Indian food and also like to buy chickpeas and brown rice in bulk so I will always have a supply of staples. Eating something meat-like would not appeal at all as it would remind me of something that I do not want to eat. So in this context it seems like mock meat to me.

Benny_Cake

Eriopis wrote: »

By the way, I was in the Tesco Extra in Naas yesterday; it looked like there were still plenty of Quorn products there - chicken pieces etc, as well as lots of Linda McCartney products.

I can confirm this, picked up the Quorn chicken pieces there today and they had a decent range of items, as well as some of the Linda McCartney stuff (sausage rolls!) and Tesco's own brand soy mince. That said, there are some items on the Quorn website that I've never seen in any supermarket, not in this country anyway.

Slaphead07

Benny_Cake wrote: »

That said, there are some items on the Quorn website that I've never seen in any supermarket, not in this country anyway.

I was up in Newry and Banbridge yesterday and I can confirm that even there you won't find the full range of quorn/soya products available. There are a few products we never get in the Republic of course but I imagine there's a bigger veggie market in Dublin and its surrounding area than in South Armagh. Odd.

darconio

SilverLiningOK wrote: »

Fair enough ! Still don't get why anyone would bother with Quorn even as you say "now and again just for a change". The alternatives are far more appealing to me. Eating as vegetarian is not simply swapping meat and two veg for something else and two veg. I see it as completely rethinking the approach to food to a more integrated way. Each to their own I suppose.

My personal concern is driven by the fact that vegetarian food is being ignored by the main supermarket chains, and with the price of these products continuosly rising in the standard health shops, it's starting to get every day more difficult to get a quick and easy alternative to meat.

Yesterday tesco stopped selling their own brand of frozen vegetarian products, today they stop selling quorn what's in for tomorrow? no more vegetables?

fillefatale

I relied a lot on quorn when I first started out, but we're all entitled to eat conveniently if we want. I find the swedish meatballs delicious in their own right and am not using them as a meat "substitute" because I've never actually had a meatball!

SilverLiningOK

darconio wrote: »

My personal concern is driven by the fact that vegetarian food is being ignored by the main supermarket chains, and with the price of these products continuosly rising in the standard health shops, it's starting to get every day more difficult to get a quick and easy alternative to meat.

Yesterday tesco stopped selling their own brand of frozen vegetarian products, today they stop selling quorn what's in for tomorrow? no more vegetables?

This angle could do with a separate thread. Vegetarian food is seen as something of limited interest by the main supermarket chains, especially in Ireland. Why is this reduction of choice happening ? Well firstly compared to the UK, our population is quite small. So the number of vegetarians are even fewer. As many of you have probably experienced, getting vegetarian food outside the larger urban centres can be sometimes difficult. Supermarkets also value shelf space by sales and may want to replace the vegetarian stuff with faster moving products.

Keeping away from supermarkets altogether might be a smart move. Learning to cook decent meal using basic wholefood ingredients and making the most of fridge and freezer by cooking additional portions. A quick and easy alternative to meat may not be the answer. Going from a meat centred Western diet to a vegetarian version of the same thing may not be that wise. It means lots of processed food, lots of added fat and sugar. Simply lots of everything except fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

It is important for vegetarians to be able to fend for themselves without over relying on industrialised food. I don't mean to sound preachy but I believe this to be important.

Of late Dublin has definitely shrunk a little for vegetarians. With the closure of Juice and the more recent shutting down of Fresh, the selection of vegetarian eateries has dramatically reduced. What's left ? Cornucopia, Govindas and some other places with varying vegetarian options. To live as a vegetarian in Dublin, you have to inventive. With less places to eat out and now, as reported here, less offering from mainstream shops, it's time learn how to survive. Yes, there are foodstuffs from health shops and places such as the Dublin Food Co-op but sometimes, as pointed out, these can be expensive.

Duplicated on new thread - Is vegetarian food becoming more difficult to find in Ireland ?

Eriopis

SilverLiningOK wrote: »

This angle could do with a separate thread. Vegetarian food is seen as something of limited interest by the main supermarket chains, especially in Ireland. Why is this reduction of choice happening ? Well firstly compared to the UK, our population is quite small. So the number of vegetarians are even fewer. As many of you have probably experienced, getting vegetarian food outside the larger urban centres can be sometimes difficult. Supermarkets also value shelf space by sales and may want to replace the vegetarian stuff with faster moving products.

Keeping away from supermarkets altogether might be a smart move. Learning to cook decent meal using basic wholefood ingredients and making the most of fridge and freezer by cooking additional portions. A quick and easy alternative to meat may not be the answer. Going from a meat centred Western diet to a vegetarian version of the same thing may not be that wise. It means lots of processed food, lots of added fat and sugar. Simply lots of everything except fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

It is important for vegetarians to be able to fend for themselves without over relying on industrialised food. I don't mean to sound preachy but I believe this to be important.

Of late Dublin has definitely shrunk a little for vegetarians. With the closure of Juice and the more recent shutting down of Fresh, the selection of vegetarian eateries has dramatically reduced. What's left ? Cornucopia, Govindas and some other places with varying vegetarian options. To live as a vegetarian in Dublin, you have to inventive. With less places to eat out and now, as reported here, less offering from mainstream shops, it's time learn how to survive. Yes, there are foodstuffs from health shops and places such as the Dublin Food Co-op but sometimes, as pointed out, these can be expensive.

May put this on separate thread for further discussion.

I think you're kind of missing the point here though. Most vegetarians and vegans CAN and DO cook well, from basic ingredients, just as you do. I'd say dal would be a common dish to the majority of us posting here. Those posting in this thread however also use additional protein sources as well.
Besides, there is a case to be made for using more local produce as well - as rice and a good deal of the beans and pulses are imported, whereas Quorn and seitan are made locally, from locally grown ingredients.

edellc

So got a reply from Tesco, this is what they said

Dear Edell

Thank you for your email.

I’m Sarah and I have been investigating your emails, so please let me apologise for the delay in my reply.

I am sorry to hear of the annoyance caused due to the poor availability of Quorn items. I can understand why you're disappointed.

Items in our stores are stocked depending on demand. If an item starts to sell less and less each delivery this will automatically reduce the quantity ordered on our systems for the following delivery.

I appreciate items not being stocked in frustrating and I am sorry, however we would rather reduce the stock that is being ordered rather than items not being sold and wasted.

However, please let me assure you that vegetarians are as important to us as any other customer.

Please let me assure also you that we try very hard to stock as many products as we can and most of our stores carry over 20,000 lines. However, space is limited and from time to time, to make room for new product ranges, we have to stop selling some of our less popular lines. Although this can be disappointing, it's an ever-changing market and we don't want our customers to miss out on new and exciting products.

However, please let me reassure you that I’ve logged your suggestions down and they’ll be passed on to the correct area of the business and I know they'll keep your comments in mind for future. But, further to this, when you have a few spare moments, I’d ask you to pop to the Customer Service Desk in store. At the desk they'll then be able to take your request down and pass it on to the Stock Control Manager and although no guarantees can be made that the product will be stocked, I know they'll certainly look into the possibility.

Please accept my apologies again and thank you for making me aware of this.

Kind regards

Sarah Dixon
Tesco Customer Service

so now we know who and where to direct our questions

spiralbound

I've found quite the opposite - Quorn as a brand is so successful that it's pushing any other vegetarian options out. Tesco in Dundrum has a variety of Quorn products, the whole freezer cabinet is nearly full of them, with only enough room for a couple of vegan options (Linda McC sausages and pies). This pattern is repeated throughout the supermarkets I visit. Occasionally there will be a vegan mince (Tesco's one is good), but usually there are only one or two items I can have. It's a bit of a pain, to be honest!

carleigh

My local Tesco only has Quorn mince and sausages at the moment and no Linda McCarthey products. They have the vegetarian section of the freezer stocked up with Christmas party food, so hopefully it is just a temporary issue. I miss my Linda McC sausage rolls

nervous_twitch

I've definitely noticed a reduction in availability; my local Superquinn has all but gotten rid of its frozen Quorn selection, but then maybe that's just because it's not selling as well in my area? Although I am in a fairly populated South Dublin suburb, so I wouldn't understand why. Same with their Linda McCartney range.

I thought if anything Quorn would be increasing in popularity - there seems to be more vegetarians, or even just health-conscious (meat avoiding) folk about these days.

Eriopis

nervous_twitch wrote: »

I've definitely noticed a reduction in availability; my local Superquinn has all but gotten rid of its frozen Quorn selection, but then maybe that's just because it's not selling as well in my area? Although I am in a fairly populated South Dublin suburb, so I wouldn't understand why. Same with their Linda McCartney range.

I thought if anything Quorn would be increasing in popularity - there seems to be more vegetarians, or even just health-conscious (meat avoiding) folk about these days.

I don't know... it seems the latest diets are gluten-free at the moment, and those on a G-F diet often actually eat more meat :-(

I would suspect that this reduction of vegetarian products has to do with the stocking of Christmas products though.. don't be surprised to see a lot more vegetarian stock brought in in the New Year, when people start their New Year's diets.