Shicken

SHICKEN launches at Albert Heijn

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Products & Launches

SHICKEN Launches Plant-Based Indian Meals at Leading Dutch Retailer Albert Heijn

SHICKEN, a UK producer of authentic Indian plant-based foods, is launching a range of prepared meals at the Netherlands’ largest grocery retailer, Albert Heijn. Three SHICKEN products — Tikka Masala, Butter Curry, and Korma Curry — will be available in the frozen section at Albert Heijn stores across the country. The meals contain the brand’s new allergen-free plant-based roast chicken pieces, and are prepared by chefs using recipes handed down for three generations. The launch aligns with Albert Heijn’s “Better for Nature & Climate” initiative, which aims to increase the availability of sustainable products to improve the retailer’s carbon footprint. Albert Heijn has reportedly expanded its plant-based range by over 30% in recent years, and claims that a quarter of its customers regularly buy plant-based …

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SHICKEN launches at Costco US

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Retail & E-Commerce

SHICKEN Tikka Kebab to Launch at Costco US After Sales at European Stores Rise by 15%

Asian-inspired plant-based brand SHICKEN announces that its award-winning Tikka Kebab has gained a listing at Costco US, following the brand’s huge success at Costco UK and its expansion into Costco Iceland, Sweden, and France earlier this year. According to SHICKEN, sales of the Tikka Kebab have risen by 15% at Costco stores in the UK and Europe over the past year. SHICKEN will now reportedly become the only UK plant-based brand in Costco US stores, initially launching at locations in the northwest with the possibility of expanding into other regions. The potential opportunity across the entire Costco estate is said to be over $40 million in sales revenue. The launch comes after SHICKEN secured listings at another US chain, Sprouts Farmers Market, earlier this year. …

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Company News

SHICKEN Unveils “Category First” Allergen-Free Plant-Based Chicken with Locally Sourced Ingredients

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. 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 …

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Shicken receives a further £4M from Veg Capital

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Investments & Acquisitions

Veg Capital Triples Investment for SHICKEN to Become a Global Brand & Major Producer Within 5 Years

UK-based SHICKEN Foods, creator of vegan Asian dishes (presently curries and kebabs) featuring highly realistic “chicken” created from a blend of soy, wheat, and pea proteins, today announces it has received an additional £4 million from Veg Capital, to take the brand fully global. This brings the total funding to date to £6 million in SHICKEN from the non-profit VC firm. The fresh capital will be used for further CAPEX investment in the brand’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Kent, making it one of the UK’s few dedicated plant-based, nut-free manufacturers. The company will now have the capacity and capability to produce various branded and private-label products for both retail and foodservice. Made using a unique technology that creates a chargrilled chicken-like texture, the SHICKEN products …

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SHICKEN Foods founders and team in kitchen

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Company News

SHICKEN Poised for Multi-Million Growth Amid Global Expansion Plans Including Sprouts Stores in 23 US States

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, …

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SHICKEN founders

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Interviews

SHICKEN: “Aiming to Become a Household Name in Plant-Based and a £5M Food Brand”

SHICKEN Foods, the fast-growing ready meal producer specialising in plant-based Indian cuisine, was created during the pandemic in its founders’ kitchen, and since then has seen staggering growth, raising over £2 million from investment fund Veg Capital and upgrading to larger manufacturing sites as demand soars. SHICKEN secured its first retail launch at Costco stores across the UK in early 2022, before rolling out at hundreds of Tesco locations this January. The company is now said to be on track for ten times its current growth, with a significant increase in exports expected in 2023. We spoke to founders Parm and Satvinder Bains to find out what’s next for SHICKEN. How did SHICKEN Foods start and what is the role of your Indian family in …

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Facts & Figures

SHICKEN On Track for Tenfold Current Growth With Rollout Into 471 Tesco Stores

SHICKEN, a producer of Indian-style plant-based ready meals, has gained its first major UK supermarket listing. Three of the brand’s products are now available at 471 Tesco stores nationwide: SHICKEN Tikka Masala — plant-based chicken pieces marinated in a vegan yogurt and spice mix, then covered in a creamy sauce. SHICKEN Korma — a sweet and spicy curry with all dairy ingredients swapped for coconut cream and vegan yogurt. SHICKEN Tikka Kebabs — spicy vegan skewers suitable as a snack or as part of a barbecue. Initially, SHICKEN began life as a a D2C brand, then went on to secure retail listings at 29 UK Costco stores last year as well as three of Iceland’s biggest grocery retailers (Hagkaup, Kronan, and Netto). The brand’s rapid …

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Plant Alternative co-founders with Veg Capital's Matthew Glover. © Plant Alternative
Investments & Acquisitions

Plant Alternative Secures Further £2M From Veg Capital for SHICKEN Indian Ready Meals

The UK’s Plant Alternative, which produces the SHICKEN range of chef-made Indian ready meals, has received further funding from Veg Capital. The nonprofit impact fund led Plant Alternative’s recent round with a £2 million investment, which will be used to scale up production. The company will also be expanding its team, launching at Costco stores across the UK and internationally, and moving to a larger production facility. The new factory will allow Plant Alternative to produce 10 tonnes of product per day, as demand from retailers, foodservice outlets, and DTC customers continues to soar. Costco launch SHICKEN Tikka Kebab Skewers launched at Costco UK in January to huge success — according to Plant Alternative, they have been “flying off the shelves”. “We’re really keen to …

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Satvinder Bains, Home Chef and Founder of Plant Alternative

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Interviews

Plant Alternative: “Our Products Make Choosing Plant-Based Alternatives Easier; Because Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference”

Plant Alternative is absolutely unique in its USP: veganised versions of the UK’s favourite Indian ready meals, products that stand far out from other ready meals on the market due to their restaurant quality and authentic flavours, as well as their vegan “Shicken” meat which is quite unlike others on the market. The London-based family brand has seen huge success since catching the attention of Matthew Glover just last year and has already bagged its first retail partnership with CostCo. We caught up with founder Satvinder Bains to find out about the background to the product range and her passion for bringing authentic Indian flavours vegan-friendly dishes.  What is the background behind Plant Alternative/Shicken?  Having grown up as a vegetarian in Nottingham with a North …

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Satvinder Bains, Home Chef and Founder of Plant Alternative

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Products & Launches

Plant Alternative Launches [SHICKEN] Indian Kebabs into Costco UK

Plant Alternative, a London-based producer of 100% plant-based, restaurant quality Indian dishes called [SHICKEN], containing a realistic chick*n meat created from textured soya fibre, announces a retail agreement with Costco across the UK. Plant Alternative’s range of authentic Asian dishes caught the attention of Vegan investor Matthew Glover last year, who was “blown away” by their quality, resulting in an investment from his VC firm Veg Capital which helped propel the brand’s success.  Founder Satvinder Bains spent two years developing [SHICKEN] curries with a team of chefs to ensure that while using only plant-based ingredients there would be no compromise on taste. The final recipes, combining marinated and flame grilled [SHICKEN] vegan pieces and hand-crafted Indian sauces, resulted in the closest vegan match to some …

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Satvinder Bains & Matthew Glover Veg Capital Shicken

Satvinder Bains & Matthew Glover ©Veg Capital
Investments & Finance

Veg Capital Invests in Plant Alternative, Pioneer of Frozen Indian “Shicken” Curries

Veg Capital, the UK vegan investment fund, has invested in plant-based frozen meal service Plant Alternative. Producers of the highly realistic “Shicken”, Plant Alternative creates vegan alternatives to a wide range of Indian food favorites and offers a DTC service.  “We think there is a real opportunity for frozen Indian meals in the curry-loving UK market and beyond” – Matthew Glover, Veg Capital Founded by head chef Satvinder Bains, Plant Alternative will be teaming up with Veg Capital to strategize scale-up through food service, retail, and export. A deal with a major UK retailer is expected to be made soon.  After discovering the Shicken products and being highly impressed by the quality, Veg Capital’s Managing Director Matthew Glover knew the fund had to invest in …

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