THIS unveils Europe’s first-ever skin-on vegan wings

THIS, the UK plant-based meat company, has teamed up with BrewDog for a limited edition Veganuary menu item – Europe’s first skin-on vegan chicken wings. THIS Isn’t Chicken Wings are available in BrewDog bars, restaurants and hotels across the UK for the duration of Veganuary.

The skin-on wings promise an unparalleled sensory experience, following a two-year development and three patent-pending technologies. THIS Isn’t Chicken Wings feature a seaweed-based crispy skin that mimics the texture and taste of traditional chicken wings. The plant-based meat is made using soy and pea proteins, which have had olive oil dispersed through them to make them as juicy and succulent as the real deal.

Unlike most plant-based chicken on the market, which replicates white meat, this is the first product to truly replicate darker meat cuts like wings and thighs. Dark meat has a very different texture to white meat and is much more succulent and falls apart when eaten.

Sold at only 25p (32 cents) a wing across all food serving BrewDog sites, THIS Isn’t Chicken Wings are served with a buffalo, Korean BBQ or dragon spice sauce. The launch comes off the back of the success of BrewDog’s global Wings Wednesday campaign of unlimited £12 (US$15) wings every Wednesday.

“Ironically, the launch of this product has been the opposite of winging it, with over a year of R&D," commented Andy Shovel, Co-founder of THIS. "They are probably the meatiest product we’ve ever launched and genuinely very unique – even Red Bull can’t give you these.”

“Whole-cut animal meat products, such as chicken wings and legs, have a complex three-dimensional architecture in which protein fibers are bound together by a network of connective tissue and intramuscular fat," added Luke Byrne, R&D Director at THIS. "This structure provides juiciness and incredible texture when eaten – which we’ve now been able to mimic. Following two years worth of research and 3 patent pending technologies, our wings shape soy and pea protein into bundles of muscle fibers, inter-dispersing an olive oil based fat. We then coat them in a hyper-realistic chicken skin to replicate the unique structure, texture and nutritional profile of chicken.”

“At BrewDog our menu is proudly 50% plant-based and we like to stay at the forefront of plant-based innovation," stated Chad Crooks, Global Director of Food at BrewDog. "We are excited this Veganuary to collaborate with THIS with an entirely plant-based line up of specials. Their new THIS Isn’t Chicken Wings are really impressive, we are really pleased to be part of their launch and showcase them to our chicken wing fans.”

Not only do the latest wings from THIS deliver on taste, but they are nutritionally low in saturated fat, high in protein and a source of fibre, providing a delicious option for those seeking a healthier and more sustainable alternative.

THIS™ Isn’t Chicken Wings join the menu at BrewDog alongside three other Veganuary exclusive dishes: THIS Isn’t Crispy Chicken Stack, THIS Isn’t Chicken Malaysian Noodles and THIS Isn’t Chicken Poutine. With the chain’s menu already being 50% plant-based, the latest collaboration is a further statement that BrewDog’s menu options are not only for vegans, but for everyone.