Award winning, on-trend and in demand. Three bold statements about the fantastic range of Sizzling Chicken Thighs available here at Meadow Vale Foods. Ever since the launch of the Sizzling Chicken range in early 2024 we’ve seen interest soar in the thighs, mainly due to the fact that they’re quickly becoming the go-to cut of chicken meat for many QSR professionals in the UK.
The average British person consumes around 35kg’s of poultry meat each year*, and with chicken remaining the UK’s favourite meat choice again in 2025, you can see why the demand for great tasting, flavoursome, healthier chicken options in the foodservice industry remain so high.
The Rise Of Popularity In Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs have boomed in popularity in the UK foodservice industry recently, and there are a number of contributing factors for this. Firstly, it’s well recognised that the thigh is a more succulent cut of meat than the breast, meaning they naturally provide a more rich, intense and flavourful taste whichever way you cook them.
Secondly, chicken thighs as a cut of meat have traditionally always been the affordable option for many chefs up and down the country. There has been a recent rise in the price of thighs in the retail sector however, but this only heightens the notion that the cut of meat is at its most popular.
And lastly, cuts of thigh meat are much more adaptable when it comes to hot holding. The ability for the chicken thigh meat to stay hotter for longer ensures that restaurants and takeaways that predominantly trade in the food-to-go market can create delicious meals that stay hot right up until they arrive at the homes and workplaces of their customers placing the orders.
The Must Have Cut Of Meat For Menu’s
Chicken thighs deliver great taste and fresh appeal in abundance, and their versatility is what makes them a must-have for every menu. The Sizzling Chicken range of thighs features Original, Piri Piri and Shawarma flavour profiles, each of which bring their own unique options to the table.
Our Mexican Style Chargrilled Chicken Rice menu idea brings the classic chicken & rice dish to life with a Central American Twist, and is perfect as both a quick lunchtime treat or a full on sit down evening meal. Then we have our Grilled Chicken Ciabatta Sandwich, which in this instance we used the Piri Piri Thigh but it could easily be adapted to use the Original or Shawarma Thighs too. Then finally there’s the Chargrilled Chicken Toasted Wrap featuring our double award-winning Shawarma Thigh. On paper it's a classic chicken wrap, and that's its charm, it’s a certified hit whatever establishment you run.
All of our menu ideas have been curated by our team of development chefs, and draw inspiration from what’s hot in the foodservice industry, as well as what our current customer base is using our Sizzling Chicken products for on their menus. The menu ideas are versatile in nature and cover a great base of ideas that cater for every menu from restaurants, takeaways, food trucks, schools & colleges, sporting arenas and so many more.
Multi Award Winning Sizzling Chicken
The brand-new Sizzling Chicken range has taken the industry by storm, winning 4 national awards since its inception in January 2024. Of these 4 awards, 3 have come from the Thighs range, with the ever popular Sizzling Shawarma Chargrilled Chicken Boneless Thigh being a double award-winner.
Entered into the British Frozen Food Awards in June, the Shawarma Thigh took Gold in the category of ‘Best New Main Meat’ then struck gold again in November at the Quality Food Awards, winning in the category of, ‘Foodservice Meat’.
It wasn’t just the Shawarma Thigh that prevailed though, as the Sizzling Piri Piri Chargrilled Chicken Boneless Thigh also won a Gold Award for best in, ‘Foodservice Meat’ at the Q awards.
The award wins are fine reward for the Sizzling Chicken range, as with any award win the results are voted on by an independent panel of our industry peers. This then only strengthens the sentiment that this is one of the best new products out there in the UK foodservice industry, and one that is soaring in popularity at the moment, hence its popularity on both the awards circuit and in the kitchens of many QSR’s.
Grilled Chicken – The Healthier Option
We’ve spoken at length HERE about the health benefits of eating grilled chicken, with it being commonly known that there’s more nutritional value in poultry than any other type of meat, red or white.
The desire for healthier, protein rich and nutritionally dense meals on menus is on the rise with both Gen Z and Millennials. The fact that there’s ample protein per 120g in a Sizzling Chicken grilled chicken thigh alongside its excellent hot-hold capacity perfect for delivery and takeaways, furthers the notion as to why the Thighs are so popular on the market.
The chicken not only has to be healthy though, as it’s got to be tasty too to appeal to the younger audiences interested in the meals. By using Sizzling Chicken on the menu you get a healthier meal that features a nutritional cut of chicken marinated for up-to 20 hours then cooked over a charcoal grill of coconut and mangrove shell to deliver an authentic smoky finish.
Find Out More!
When you combine the award-winning stature of Sizzling Chicken with the on-trend menu ideas that come from it and the demand for healthier cuts of meat from the age groups that spend the most money on eating out, you can see why the range has taken the industry by storm!
But don’t just take our word for it, get your hands on a sample today and experience in your own commercial kitchen the power of the award-winning Sizzling Chicken range!
For all other enquiries about Sizzling Chicken Thighs or any other seriously tasty Meadow Vale Chicken products CLICK HERE to speak to one of our development chefs today.
*NFU Report, March 2024
