Plant & Bean 'meat' factory set to open in Boston

Production is due to start early in the new year

A vegan "meat" factory is set to open in Lincolnshire, creating up to 500 jobs.

Plant & Bean said the 65-acre site in Boston would help meet an increased demand for plant-based products.

The factory is due to open in the new year, and bosses said it would be Europe's largest plant-based "meat" production facility.

Plant & Bean chief executive Edwin Bark said producing food on a large-scale could help lower prices for consumers.

He added: "Like it or not, the change to eating less [animal] meat is a change everyone needs to think about making to help save the planet," he said.

"We can't continue following the same diet as we do today in 20 or 30 years from now."

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He said Boston was also an ideal location for the factory due to it being surrounded by arable farmland.

"Our dream scenario would be to have a local supply of ingredients," he said.

"It's an opportunity for us to truly localise production."

Plant-based products are already available in restaurants, pubs and supermarkets, as well as a number of fast food chains - including McDonald's, which plans to introduce a line of meat alternatives called "McPlant" next year.