Andy Shovel

Andy Shovel is British entrepreneur and co-founder of THIS – a plant-based, hyper-realistic meat alternative. Their best-selling product is This Isn’t Bacon which, along with their other offerings including This Isn’t Chicken, can be found in supermarkets across the UK.

Before launching THIS, Andy Shovel and Pete Sharman were both meat-lovers and ran a burger business called Chosen Bun. However, in 2016 they sold the business when they realised the problems involved with meat consumption.¹Malin, A. 2021. About Time You Met: Andy Shovel and Pete Sharman, Co-Founders of THIS. About Time Magazine. Available: https://www.abouttimemagazine.co.uk/life/about-time-you-met-andy-shovel-pete-sharman-co-founders-of-this/ [Accessed 21 September 2021].  THIS was launched in 2019 after Andy and Pete had “spent two years working with world-leading scientists and flavourists to ensure [their] products delivered on taste, texture and appearance.”²Shovel, A. 2021. Life Stories: “I believe meat will no longer have a place in our diets”. Balance. Available: https://balance.media/life-stories-believe-meat-will-no-longer-place-diets/ [Accessed 21 September 2021].

Although Andy is vegan, his business partner Pete still eats meat in order to taste-test it against THIS products.¹Malin, A. 2021. About Time You Met: Andy Shovel and Pete Sharman, Co-Founders of THIS. About Time Magazine. Available: https://www.abouttimemagazine.co.uk/life/about-time-you-met-andy-shovel-pete-sharman-co-founders-of-this/ [Accessed 21 September 2021].The THIS website contains environmental and health facts and figures comparing the water use and CO₂ emissions of animal products and THIS products.³THIS. 2021. Why THIS? Available: https://this.co/why/ [Accessed 21 September 2021].