Some 80,000 Edgy Veggie burgers, made by Tilmanstone Salads, were sold via Marks and Spencers this summer.

The company, in Millyard Way, Tilmanstone, is part of the Bakkavor family and has been supplying salad dishes to the national retailer for more than a decade.

It was only this summer that the veggie burger was introduced, expanding its current range of products that are dispatched to M&S.

At first, the salad company began as a Kent based supplier, but since demand has grown the company has started supplying M&S with a range of vegetarian dishes.

Tracy Knott, product manager at Tilmanstone, said: “M&S is renowned for fantastic food and drink and we are proud to be one of its suppliers.

“From creating our first salad for M&S, to launching the Edgy Veggie burger, we have worked closely with the team over the years to come up with new and exciting products that meet customer demand and respond to the trends towards vegetarian alternatives.

The Edgy Veggie burger is one of our most exciting creations yet. Made from a combination of lentils and mushrooms and a note of beetroot to give it a deep red colour, the burger has been a huge success, having already sold 80,000 to date.

An M&S spokesperson added: “We knew we were on to something special when we came up with the Edgy Veggie burger with Tilmanstone, but despite this we’ve still been blown away by its popularity.

'We’ve still been blown away by its popularity.' - M&S

“We know from stores that it’s not just vegetarians buying them, it’s also people generally keen to dial down the meaty aspect of a classic British BBQ and introduce some healthier meat-free options too. We’re already planning with Tilmanstone what we can do for next summer too as the veggie trend seems here to stay!”