Around 70 jobs to be created in Yorkshire as plant-based food manufacturer MYCO moves into new site

John Shepherd, co-founder and chairman of MYCO, said: “This is a great move for MYCO, and one we all believe will help the business unlock its potential.

“This new site is a food industry first, and the concept of combining both the growing of the raw materials and the manufacturing of the finished product under one roof will pave the way for more sustainable food manufacturing practices in the future.”

MYCO’s plant-based protein is made from oyster mushrooms and has already attracted interest from a number of big names across the food industry.

A spokesman said: “To cope with the expected influx of demand, the six staff initially based at the new site will need to increase to around 75.”

"The move follows months of work with Judith Turner of North Yorkshire Council to secure the unit, which given its proximity to the A1, will further aid sustainability by reducing food miles.”

The company’s new CEO David Wood added: “MYCO’s goal isn’t to turn the world into vegans but to encourage meat-eaters to eat more sustainable plant-based products.

“The business believes that creating alternatives that resemble ‘proper’ food will make swapping from meat to plant-based substitutes far easier.

He added: “This site will allow us to press on with that vision, while giving customers the chance to choose genuinely sustainable, vertically farmed products.

“We hope our unique, sustainable approach can be mirrored by other food producers as ultimately, our biggest priority is to help the planet survive. We just hope we can play our part.”

Last month, a United Nations report concluded that halving meat and dairy consumption is one of a number of ways society can reduce nitrogen pollution in the air, rivers and soil.

The UN aims to reduce nitrogen waste by 50 per cent by 2030 and a group of researchers believe the best way to achieve this is by all groups taking moderate action together rather than one sector bearing all the weight.

Livestock accounts for 80 per cent of Europe’s nitrogen greenhouse gas emissions, with beef’s impact 25 times greater than cereals, the research found.