New York City-based startup Blackbird Foods has announced it is expanding its range of plant-based wings with two new varieties — Texas BBQ and Thai Chili.
The seitan-based wings feature a meat-style interior and a hand-battered crispy exterior. The Texas BBQ flavor is described as “tangy and smoky”, while the Thai Chili wings are said to have a “sweet and spicy kick”. When coated in sauce, the products are said to resemble traditional wings in both taste and appearance.
Blackbird first launched plant-based wings in 2022, available in Buffalo and Korean BBQ flavors. The brand wanted to provide an alternative to the meatless wings offered by other companies, which CEO Emanuel Storch described as “boring nuggets being branded as ‘wings’”.
Rapid growth
The new launch comes less than two months after Blackbird announced an equity crowdfunding campaign. Storch said the campaign was “an incredible opportunity to take Blackbird to the next level”, after the company saw a 60% increase in sales from 2022 to 2023.
Blackbird’s products are now available at 3000 retail locations across the US, including Whole Foods, Target, and Sprouts. The company is well-known for its frozen pizzas, and partnered with Beyond Meat last year to launch a variety topped with Beyond Pepperoni.
“Everyone knows that pizza and wings are made for each other,” said Storch. “Before we launched WINGS, we noticed that customers were already creating homemade wings using our seitan to pair with our pizza. Naturally, WINGS were the next product launch. We are thrilled to expand the line with these new mouth-watering varieties.”
The new products will be available at East Coast retailers, including MOM’s Organic Market, from early this summer. They can also be purchased from Blackbird’s website, which offers US-wide shipping.
