What, Are You Chicken? Impossible Foods Launch Their Vegan Sausages And Chicken Nuggets In The UK

Impossible Foods, the fastest-growing plant-based meat company in the US, is making its European debut in the UK this week.

California-based Impossible Foods makes delicious, nutritious vegan meat and dairy products from plants — with a much smaller environmental footprint than meat from animals. The company was founded in 2011 by Patrick O. Brown, M.D., Ph.D., professor emeritus of biochemistry at Stanford University.

Impossible is launching two of its vegan products — Impossible “Chicken” Nuggets Made From Plants and Impossible Sausage Patties Made From Plants.

Impossible “Chicken” Nuggets and Impossible Sausage Patties

Both products will be available it thousands of restaurants across the country starting May 19 with 300 sites. The list of locations includes the UK’s favourite chicken shops — offering Brits a plant-based chicken nugget that tastes better than the animal version.

“The UK has a unique and unrivalled chicken shop culture that we’re confident our nuggets will compete in because first and foremost they taste better, and they’re also better for you and better for the planet,” said Peter McGuinness, CEO of Impossible Foods. "And there’s more to come — later this year we’ll be expanding to supermarkets and rolling out additional products. We can’t wait for our friends and fans in the UK to finally taste our products.”

Impossible “Chicken” Nuggets first launched in the US late last year, and quickly became one of the company’s top-selling products, and the fastest-growing brand of plant-based chicken nuggets in the category.

The UK launch is an international debut for Impossible “Chicken” Nuggets outside of the US. So fat, Impossible launched its flagship plant-based burgers in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates. The company plans to launch its full product range in the UK later. Impossible's meat alternatives contain heme (soy leghemoglobin) — which is a key ingredient in the Impossible Burger and meatballs.

Available in restaurants and chicken shops across the UK

Impossible products will be available in thousands of restaurants and foodservice locations in the UK within a year, starting with more than 300 this month. The country’s very first Impossible dishes will appear exclusively on the menus of select restaurants and chicken shops, including Chicken Cottage, Halo Burger, Le Bab, MEATliquor, Patty&Bun and others. 

Later this month, Impossible plant-based products will launch at more than 250 Hungry Horse pubs owned by Greene King, the UK’s leading pub company and brewer. 

“At Hungry Horse, we’re big on getting together, and our customers come to us for the generous and unique food creations in a ‘home away from home’ environment,” said Robert Calderbank, business unit director for Hungry Horse. “We’re so excited to bring the Impossible ‘Chicken’ Nuggets to our pubs and really believe these will deliver on that promise, tantalising the taste buds of our customers across the country, we can’t wait!”

Launch party with Asim Chaundry for hundreds of lucky fans

Impossible Foods is celebrating its UK debut with a launch party hosted by fictional TV character and bossman Chabuddy G, played by Asim Chaudhry, a star on BBC’s hit mockumentary People Just Do Nothing. The company invited hundreds of lucky Impossible fans to be among the first to taste Impossible™ products on UK soil at its “Chicken Paradise & Sausage Palace” themed event emceed by Chabuddy, which is taking place tonight at Maison Bab, a popular London restaurant offering modern gourmet kebabs.

“From the beginning our goal at Le Bab was to offer a new kind of kebab, fusing global influences with amazing ingredients, always with a mind to sustainability,” said Stephen Tozer, co-founder of Le Bab, Maison Bab and Kebab Queen. “Impossible’s products are extraordinary. I first tried Impossible years ago and it blew my mind. I’ve wanted to collaborate with them ever since, so this is a bit of a dream come true! I’m absolutely certain that their plant-based meats are going to fundamentally change the way the world eats.”

Better for the planet vegan chicken made for chicken lovers

Chicken is the most commonly consumed meat per capita in the UK, with three-quarters of UK consumers reporting that they eat animal-based chicken on a weekly basis, and nearly 90% saying they eat it on a monthly basis, according to an Impossible Foods study. 

Made for chicken-lovers everywhere, Impossible “Chicken” Nuggets require far less resources to produce: 55% less water, 24% less land, and 24% less GHG emissions than animal chicken nuggets. They feature a golden, crispy breadcrumb coating on the outside and a tender, juicy bite on the inside, with 13 grams protein per 100-gram serving and 25% less salt than animal chicken nuggets.

Better for you and the planet vegan sausage patties

Impossible Sausage Patties Made From Plants are also better for consumers and for the planet, designed to be conveniently slipped into a breakfast sandwich or enjoyed as a centre-of-plate delicacy. In addition to their savoury, delicious taste, they’re produced using 88% less water, 77% less land, and 47% less greenhouse gas emissions than animal pork sausages. They’re also packed with 5.6 grams protein, 2.5 grams fibre, and 1.1 milligrams iron per patty.

In Glasgow, you will find Impossible Foods at the CHICKEN COTTAGE and the HUNGRY HORSE chain.