Whether we’re at home or self-catering somewhere in the UK, we at Travellowdown are always keen to try different forms of plant-based food. So when the chance to sample some products from THIS came along, we grabbed the opportunity.

 The company’s range of products is quite extensive, including THIS Isn’t Chicken Tenders, THIS Isn’t Chicken Pieces and THIS Isn’t Pork Sausages. Those we tried used pea protein and soya as primary ingredients which is fine by us. They were also high in protein and a source of fibre.

The company states clearly on the packaging that their products are for the enjoyment of everyone, including meat-lovers who might want to try plant-based options. The promotional material states: “In terms of texture, we take plant-based ingredients and introduce heat, pressure and water. By dialling in our recipes and our cooking techniques, we’re able to produce food with a fibrous texture – just like meat. When it comes to taste, that’s a case of breaking down exactly what it is that makes chicken or bacon smell and taste like chicken and bacon. Once you identify the constituent parts of those tastes and smells, you can try to recreate them using a lot of clever people with clever solutions that don’t involve animals!”

So it’s clear that THIS want to show meat-eaters that plant-based food can be delicious and to banish those old-fashioned opinions about a vegan diet.

Personally, I don’t want items to resemble meat in either appearance, taste or texture which is why I found the burgers’ red appearance (for colouring, beetroot extract is used) a little off-putting; mind you, the taste was delicious so from that point of view we weren’t disappointed. We found the taste and texture of the other products fine, too.

Overall, we enjoyed the products we tried and will look out for them when we’re next on our travels. I can see why THIS want to embrace as large a buying audience as possible and are clear about the objectives to make the products taste like meat; that, of course, will probably put some buyers off and, as I’ve already mentioned, we’re not usually keen on that approach. However, in this case, we found the items tasty and wouldn’t be put off buying them.

THIS products can be bought from all major supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Asda, Coop, Spar and Booths.

More information:

www.this.co