Droves of new jobs have been created at a Norfolk factory following a shift in the public’s consumption from meat to vegetarian and vegan products.

Linda McCartney’s in Fakenham is recruiting 80 new people to join the team so the plant can operate 24 hours a day after a boom in demand during lockdown.

Robert Hughes, head of HR of chilled and frozen products at Hain Daniels – the parent company of Linda McCartney’s – said: “There’s three reasons behind the increase in demand. The first is environmental and people want to go meat-free to reduce their carbon footprint for example. The second is the health reasons, for example people trying to reduced the amount of saturated fat or salt they’re eating.

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“And the third is the emerging trend of flexitarians. These are people who might eat meat a few days a week but are choosing to buy meat-free products as well.”

Mr Hughes said the launch of The Unbelievable Alt, a new range for the brand selling chicken, lamb and mince alternatives had also driven demand.

The new roles will come into force in September alongside a new shift pattern which means the factory will now be operational 24/7.

“We just need to keep up with demand and the new shift pattern will help with this,” said Mr Hughes.

The business is recruiting across a range of levels including production team leaders, quality auditors, trainers and production and warehouse operatives.

As well as new staff to join the Holt Road team of 400, the business has also invested in new equipment for the plant.

Joe O’Hara, site general manager, said: “We have a track record of developing our colleagues - a number of members of the management team started working on the factory floor.

“This new equipment will allow us to innovate and grow our business so we can continue to delight our customers with food that tastes great and is made with care and compassion.” For more information about roles visit the Hain Daniels website.