UK challenger brand SHICKEN reveals it is set to achieve five times its current growth having secured distribution at Sprouts Farmers Market in the US for its popular range of frozen ready meals, along with the launch of NPD Teriyaki Kebab Skewer at Costco throughout the UK and newly-secured European markets.
SHICKEN was founded by husband-and-wife team Parm and Satvinder Bains in 2020 during lockdown, creating dishes based on traditional Asian recipes passed down by Satvinder’s grandmother. The “chicken” meat is crafted with a blend of soy, wheat, and pea proteins, using a unique technology and with a focus on natural plant-based ingredients.
After receiving investment from Matthew Glover’s Veg Capital in October 2021, the company first launched its Tikka Kebab Skewers into Costco UK, Iceland, and France in December of the same year. In March of 2022 Veg Capital injected a further £2 million into the business to facilitate a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Kent, England, and last January SHICKEN gained its first major UK supermarket listing with a rollout into 471 Tesco stores across the UK.
US launch and brand new product
Now, with an entrance into 380 Sprouts Farmers Market stores across 23 US states, SHICKEN states it becomes one of the few UK brands to secure a foothold in the US market. The products launching into Sprouts from this week are the best-selling Tikka Masala, Jalfrezi, and Butter Curries, as well as the famous Tikka Kebab Skewers, which were named Best Plant-Based Chicken in last year’s Product of the Year awards.
Furthermore, the new product launching into CostCo this week is a foray into Pan-Asian cuisine — the Teriyaki Kebab Skewer — which hits shelves throughout the UK as well as across Iceland, Sweden, and France.
“This is a huge step for SHICKEN as we enter the US across Sprouts Farmers Market and increase our footprint in Costco UK and Europe, where we have already become a destination brand with our Tikka Kebab Skewers,” comments Parm on the latest expansion.
Ambitious plans
Parm and Satvinder say they have ambitious growth plans including an exciting innovation pipeline entailing different world cuisines beyond the core Indian offer. Speaking in interview with vegconomist last year, the founders discussed their plans to increase output by 20-fold and manufacture approximately 30,000 retail packs per day and to “become a household name in plant-based, and a £5 million food brand by 2023 – both across the UK market and in global exports”.
Jump forward to 2024 and the company is on track with its goals and excited for the future. “SHICKEN is all about bringing some of the nation’s favourite world food cuisines into a convenient, sustainable plant-based offer, without compromising on restaurant quality authentic taste. We are incredibly excited to take SHICKEN into Pan-Asian cuisine with our NEW Teriyaki Kebab Skewers and we can’t wait to share the incredible NPD we have in store later this year.”
Follow @shicken_foods and visit shickenfoods.com for further information.
