Four years after making its UK debut in select restaurants, Impossible Foods has finally landed on British supermarket shelves. According to Meredith Madden, Impossible Foods’ chief demand officer, the launch, which will bring four new products to Tesco stores this week, represents a “meaningful step forward” for the company.
The new range includes Impossible Burger Patties, developed specifically for the UK and European markets; Impossible Smoky Chipotle Chicken Pieces; Impossible Spicy Chicken Fries; and Impossible Beef Kofta.
Tesco is the UK’s largest supermarket chain and has long been regarded as a pioneer in plant-based product innovation and accessibility. Over the last decade, it has become a go-to destination for vegan food, offering hundreds of plant-based products to Britain’s growing population of vegans and flexitarians.
“There’s already a strong base of plant-based shoppers in the UK, but there are even more consumers out there who are curious to try products that deliver on taste, convenience and versatility, ” said James Hemmings, the VP of Commercial, EMEA at Impossible Foods.
“Teaming up with Tesco gives us a great opportunity to meet these consumers where they shop with meaty, flavor-packed options that bring something different and exciting to the table,” he added. “We’re looking forward to getting these new Impossible Foods products on shelves and hearing what shoppers think.”
Impossible Foods develops a new burger recipe for the UK
The UK supermarket launch has been a long time coming for Impossible Foods. Its main rival, Beyond Meat, entered British grocery stores in 2018.
One consistent roadblock has been its use of soy leghemoglobin, also known as plant-based heme, a novel ingredient the company claims is key to its burgers’ meaty taste and texture.
Impossible Foods applied to the UK’s Food Standards Agency for approval of soy leghemoglobin in 2021, but the ingredient has not yet been authorized. The application remains in the risk-assessment phase. Soy leghemoglobin has also not yet received final approval in the European Union.
The company moved ahead with a restaurant launch of its heme-free products in 2022, and the ongoing regulatory process is likely behind the development of its new Impossible Burger recipe.
Impossible Foods says the burgers, which are produced at its European manufacturing facility, draw on the company’s “deep expertise in plant-based recipe development.” It adds that they “deliver the mouthwateringly meaty taste that cemented the brand’s flagship Impossible Burger as the No. 1 best-selling plant-based burger in the United States.”
“We’re grateful to be working with Tesco to finally bring Impossible Foods to grocery aisles across the UK, said Madden. “We’re excited to work together to make plant-based eating more delicious and accessible.”
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
