Impossible Foods Launches Nuggets, Patties in UK
California-based Impossible Foods, the fastest-growing plant-based meat company in the United States, is making its European debut in the United Kingdom this week with the launch of two of its latest products — Impossible “Chicken” Nuggets Made From Plants and Impossible Sausage Patties Made From Plants.
Both products will be available starting May 19 at restaurants across the country — including many of the UK’s best-loved chicken shops. Impossible “Chicken” Nuggets are preferred two-to-one by UK consumers, according to the company.
“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 CEO Peter McGuinness. “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 launched in the United States 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. Impossible Foods’ expansion to the UK marks the international plant-based chicken debut of Impossible “Chicken” Nuggets outside of the United States.
This is the fourth new market the company has expanded to in nine months, following the launch of its flagship Impossible Burger in Australia, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates last fall. The company plans to launch its full product portfolio in the UK, including products containing heme (soy leghemoglobin) — a key ingredient in the Impossible Burger and other Impossible products — at a later date.
Impossible products will be available in thousands of restaurants and foodservice establishments in the UK within a year, starting with more than 300 this month. The country’s 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 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!”
Impossible Foods celebrated 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 \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 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.”
Chicken is the most commonly consumed meat per capita in the UK, with three-quarters of 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.
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 center-of-plate delicacy. In addition, 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 fiber, and 1.1 milligrams iron per patty.
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Hellman’s Enlists Casey Wilson to Spice Up Campaign
Hellmann’s is celebrating the launch of its Spicy Mayonnaise Dressing by teaming up with actress and comedian Casey Wilson to introduce the “Get Spicy” campaign, which encourages people to add some spice to their life in the kitchen and beyond.
Wilson, best-selling author and co-host of the hit podcast “Bitch Sesh,” will serve as the official Spicy Ambassador and share her own tips on how she gets spicy in her daily life, while encouraging people to “get spicy” with their own routines. In her role, Wilson will oversee the #GetSpicy contest on Twitter which invites people to share their tips using the hashtag #GetSpicy. Every tip entered into the #GetSpicy contest will have the chance to be featured on limited-edition bottles of Hellmann’s and Best Foods Spicy Mayo that will be sold in stores this summer. Wilson will choose two winning tips, one for Hellmann’s and one for Best Foods bottles and the winners will also receive the ultimate “spicy” night out, including dinner at a restaurant of choice, an overnight hotel staycation, and chauffeured car service.
“I’m honored and humbled to be THE official Spicy Ambassador, a role I take very seriously,” said Wilson. “Hellmann’s new Spicy Mayo makes it so easy to get spicy in the kitchen and I’m here to help make it just as easy to add a bit of spice to everyone’s lives with a few ideas of my own. Like starting in the bedroom, where I’m most notorious for getting spicy… with a 20-minute nap in the middle of a Tuesday. That’s right, just 20 minutes is all you need to get spicy.”
To enter the contest, U.S. residents must follow Hellmann’s or Best Foods on Twitter and then post a written tip for how they “Get Spicy” using #getspicy and either #hellmannscontest or #bestfoodscontest from May 10-22. The contest’s official rules can be found on here.
In addition to the contest, people can get a customized spice rating using Hellmann’s SpicyMeter on Twitter. When users like the Hellmann’s SpicyMeter tweet, the SpicyMeter will scan their behaviors and send a custom message from Casey Wilson, letting them know how much spice they’re bringing to their Twitter feeds.
“The launch of Hellmann’s new Spicy Mayonnaise reminds us that a little spice has the power to transform our favorite meals into something more flavorful and exciting,” said Ben Crook, Senior Marketing Director for Hellmann’s North America. “Together, with our Spicy Ambassador Casey Wilson, we hope to inspire everyone to Get Spicy in the kitchen and beyond.”
Flavored with a delicious sriracha pepper blend and made with real chili peppers, Spicy Mayo delivers mild-to-medium spice to enhance any meal – from traditional mayo dishes such as sandwiches, wraps, and burgers – and much more. The new product will be available in an 11.5 oz squeeze bottle for $4.49 (SRP) at local retailers beginning this month.
For more information about NEW Hellmann’s Spicy Mayonnaise Dressing, signature recipes, contest rules, and the “Get Spicy” campaign, visit www.timetogetspicy.com.
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Cedar’s Foods Donates $100K to World Central Kitchen for Ukraine Relief
Cedar’s Foods, a Haverhill, Mass.-based company with national distribution of hommus and Mediterranean products, has donated $100,000 for Ukraine relief, to World Central Kitchen to help feed refugees.
Since military operations began in Ukraine, millions of Ukrainians have fled their homes to stay in western Ukraine or other countries and WCK is serving millions of fresh meals to displaced families. Working at a 24-hour pedestrian border crossing in southern Poland, WCK began serving hot, nourishing meals within hours of the initial invasion, and are now serving round-the-clock dishes at eight border crossings across the country.
Additionally, WCK is supporting local restaurants preparing meals in cities across Ukraine including in Odessa, Lviv and Kyiv. WCK teams are also on the ground serving thousands of meals every day in Poland, Romania, Moldova, Hungary, Slovakia, and Spain.
As part of Cedar’s with Heart, the company’s non-profit initiative to invest and honor its employees, communities, and consumers, the national leading hommus brand in the natural and organic grocery channels is committed to fighting food insecurity both in its community and around the world.
“At Cedar’s, we believe in the power of sharing better in the form of authentic, honest foods. Cedar’s with Heart extends that mission to not only share better with the world, but do better for the good of our community and our planet,” said Charles Hanna, CEO and president. “We hope to lead by example through our acts of service and our commitment to promote positive change for the next generation and generations to come. The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is one of the worst that we have seen in decades. Our commitment to fight food insecurity transcends borders and when we heard of the great work WCK is doing, we wanted to help.
“Knowing better means doing better not only for our community, but for our global community as well. No family should have to worry about where their next meal will come from, especially after fleeing their homes and making the daunting journey to refuge,” Hanna said. “Food is a human necessity, a common ground among us all. It provides comfort and a sense of hope and stability. As a leader in the food industry, we are proud of the work WCK is doing on the frontlines and honored to be able to support them in feeding Ukrainian refugees.”
World Central Kitchen is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate and community crises. When disaster strikes, WCK’s Chef Relief Team mobilizes to the frontlines with the urgency of now to start cooking and provide meals to people in need. By partnering with organizations on the ground and activating a network of food trucks or emergency kitchens, WCK provides freshly made, nutritious meals to survivors of disasters quickly and effectively.
Is your specialty food company contributing to Ukraine relief? Let our Senior Editor, AJ Flick, know by emailing her at aj_flick@oser.com and subscribe to Gourmet News for updates!
