By Mark Kleinman, City Editor
The owner of Quorn, the meat-free food producer, is mulling a sale of the business to the American group which owns Alpro, the plant-based milk alternative.
Sky News understands that The WhiteWave Foods Company has held initial discussions with Exponent Private Equity, which has owned Quorn since 2011.
The talks are highly preliminary and may not lead to a formal offer from WhiteWave or a deal, a source said.
Contact between the two companies comes as Exponent has been preparing an auction of Quorn that could value it at more than £400m.
The private equity firm held a beauty parade of investment banks several weeks ago but has not yet formally appointed one.
Based in North Yorkshire, Quorn has capitalised on growing consumer demand in some western markets for diets containing less red meat amid public health statistics highlighting an explosion in levels of obesity.
In January, the company published figures showing that sales had risen by 7% in 2014 to £150m, bucking a trend of flat sales performances from many of its competitors.
Quorn's stronger sales were due in part to a deal with Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, which now stocks its products in more than 2,000 stores.
The horsemeat scandal in 2013 stoked concerns about food provenance, boosting the manufacturers of non-meat ranges.
Its foothold in the US market is likely to appeal to prospective buyers such as WhiteWave.
Last month, the American company reported record results for last year, with revenue and profit both rising by more than 30%.
WhiteWave is one of the biggest producers of plant-based foods, with brands such as Earthbound Farm, Silk and Alpro.
Even if WhiteWave does pursue a formal offer for Quorn, it is unlikely to be the only bidder.
Hain Celestial, which has acquired British brands such as Covent Garden Soups in recent years, and Nestle, the Swiss giant which owns Kit-Kat and other confectionery products, are both being tipped to show interest.
Quorn's origins date back almost 50 years, although the brand itself was created in 1985.
It has had a string of owners, including Zeneca, the pharmaceuticals group, and Premier Foods, which sold the brand for £205m as it raised cash to stave off the threat of collapse.
Kevin Brennan, Quorn's chief executive, has vowed in the past to turn it into a billion-dollar brand.
Quorn is not the only British-based food brand on the market.
Sky News understands that the founders of Natural Balance, which produces the Nak'd range of cereal bars, have hired Stamford Partners, an advisory firm, to seek an outside investor.
They are said to be targeting a valuation for their business of roughly £50m.
WhiteWave, Exponent and Stamford Partners declined to comment.
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