Impossible Lands at Tesco With Four Plant-Based Picks

Impossible Foods is making its British supermarket debut—and burgers aren’t the whole story. Four years after entering select UK restaurants, the plant-based brand is bringing four products to Tesco stores this week.

The lineup includes Impossible Burger Patties, Impossible Smoky Chipotle Chicken Pieces, Impossible Spicy Chicken Fries, and Impossible Beef Kofta. All are plant-based, giving shoppers options beyond the classic burger format. Spicy fries and kofta are getting their shelf moment, too.

Tesco is the UK’s largest supermarket chain and already carries hundreds of plant-based products. For Impossible, that makes this launch a chance to reach both established vegan shoppers and people who are curious about plant-based eating through a retailer they already use.

James Hemmings, Impossible Foods’ VP of Commercial, EMEA, said the partnership offers an opportunity to connect with shoppers looking for taste, convenience, and versatility. Chief demand officer Meredith Madden described the launch as a “meaningful step forward” for the company.

There’s also a recipe story behind those patties. Impossible developed the burger specifically for UK and European markets, with production at its European manufacturing facility.

The company’s UK expansion has faced a regulatory hurdle around soy leghemoglobin, also called plant-based heme. Impossible says the ingredient helps create its burgers’ meaty taste and texture. It applied for UK approval in 2021, but the application remains in the Food Standards Agency’s risk-assessment phase. The ingredient has not received final authorization in the European Union, either.

Impossible previously launched heme-free products in UK restaurants in 2022. Now, its supermarket arrival brings a broader plant-based range into grocery aisles. For shoppers, the headline is straightforward: four more meat-free choices at Tesco, with a little more variety than another burger alone.