THIS
London-based plant-based meat company, known for pea-and-soy chicken pieces and bacon rashers designed to match the sensory profile of animal products.
THIS is a British plant-based meat company, founded in 2019 in London by Andy Shovel and Pete Sharman, who had previously run a small chain of burger restaurants. The brand launched with a pair of deliberately provocative products — “THIS Isn’t Chicken” and “THIS Isn’t Bacon” — built on pea and soy protein and engineered to be visually indistinguishable from animal meat.
Why it matters
THIS is one of the most distributed plant-based meat brands in the UK retail and foodservice markets, stocked in major supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Morrisons) and used in several UK chain restaurants. The brand is notable for targeting omnivore consumers rather than existing vegans, with packaging and naming that explicitly reference the animal products being replaced.
Product range
Chicken pieces, nuggets, kievs, bacon rashers, burgers, pork sausages, chorizo, and meatballs. All products are vegan and Vegan Society certified.
Corporate
THIS raised more than £33 million across multiple funding rounds between 2019 and 2023, including investment from ADM Ventures and Planet First Partners. The brand has kept a UK-focused strategy with selected expansion into Ireland and continental Europe. Production is UK-based.