Fast-growing challenger brand SHICKEN Foods announces what the company describes as a category first: a plant-based chicken recipe that is free from the top 14 allergens, created solely with British ingredients at its newly certified allergen-free site, in Kent, England.
As part of its strategy to make plant-based food more inclusive, removing consumption barriers around dietary requirements, SHICKEN explains that the recipe reformula involves a switch from soy and wheat to pea proteins, sourced from peas farmed in East Anglia; reportedly making it the first meat alternative protein in the UK to be allergen-free whilst using completely home-grown ingredients.
“Sustainable sourcing is essential to the future of food and the planet”
This March, the British Asian pioneers received a further investment from Veg Capital to the tune of £4 million, bringing the total funding to date to £6 million from the mission-led VC firm. At the time of the announcement, the founders stated that the capital would be used for further CAPEX investment in its Kent facility to create one of the UK’s few dedicated plant-based, nut-free manufacturing plants.
Further bolstering the brand’s sustainability credentials, this latest move reduces SHICKEN’s carbon footprint, and additionally, 95% of all energy used in manufacturing is now powered by renewable sources, say the founders.
Next-gen plant meat for all
Co-founder Parm Bains comments, “As a business, we are committed to making plant-based food delicious, inclusive, and ethical. Our next-generation recipe has been developed to taste even better and opens the SHICKEN range up for everyone to enjoy – whatever their dietary requirements are. Sustainable sourcing is essential to the future of food and the planet and reducing the food miles of our ingredients it’s a key part of our mission and purpose.
“We exist to provide consumers with the options to make good food choices that are a win-win, by providing convenient, restaurant-quality authentic Asian plant-based meals, supporting animal welfare and minimising the impact on the environment through a more sustainable range, with full traceability from farm to fork.”
The new recipe will launch nationally into Costco this week as part of its Great-Taste-Award-winning Tikka Kebab and will be phased throughout its entire range of curry and kebab dishes across retail, D2C and Foodservice by the end of May.
