On August 13, butcher shop Thurston Butchers will become the first business of its kind in the United Kingdom to offer vegan meat alongside its animal-based products. The butcher shop will stock products made by British vegan company THIS, including THIS Isn’t Bacon and THIS Isn’t Chicken in chicken tikka and sea salt and black pepper flavors. “People are probably thinking it’s absurd for a butcher to sell vegan [products]. But I see it as an alternative—we actually get asked a lot by our customers for vegetarian or vegan alternatives so this provides a perfect answer,” Thurston Managing Director Alastair Angus said. “We have a very young team here and we want to be different—this idea replicates that and shows that we are not afraid of standing out.” Founded by restaurateurs Andy Shovel and Pete Sharman—who also co-founded beef burger chain Chosen Bun—THIS creates realistic vegan versions of meat from soy and pea protein. “I was frankly astonished when Thurston Butchers reached out. It’s not every day, as a plant-based brand, that you get the endorsement of such hardened meat-lovers,” Shovel said. “Our mission is to be the plant-based brand for meat-lovers. There can’t be many places better suited to realizing that ambition than a butcher’s shop. We hope that Thurston Butchers customers love THIS and they see plant-based food in a new light.” In addition to Thurston, THIS products are available at retailers Holland & Barrett and Ocado, and restaurants Patty & Bun and Chilango.

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