Leghorn Mince - Chicken mince that tastes like beef

Leghorn mince is a combination of Breeder hen thigh meat and ‘pluck’ – the traditional term for poultry offal. Breeder hens are the parents of egg-laying chickens and broiler chickens farmed for meat. As the breeding stock that farmers use to supply the next generation of chickens, they’re usually the healthiest, strongest birds, but their meat currently goes totally unused in the UK. The thighs currently get exported to Africa at a price that’s treating it like waste.

Motivated by the desire to see this waste stream transformed into a valuable food source, Leghorn have produced a rich, tasty mince that has been used to make meatballs, koftas, dumplings and ragu-based dishes. Because the birds live for over a year – much older than broiler hens – the meat has a richer flavour, which is unlocked by tenderising the meat. This makes it an excellent alternative to beef and lamb mince – especially for larger catering companies who use high quantities of  beef mince.

By offering an alternative to higher carbon-footprint meats such as lamb and beef, Leghorn are pioneering lower-carbon food options. Their mission to eliminate waste in the supply chain is close to our hearts here at No Mise en Plastic, and helps to reduce the UK’s reliance on imported food, as well as the environmental impact of the food we eat. By using the offal, they use the whole animal, and offer a product rich in protein, iron, zinc, selenium, vitamin A and vitamin B, making it a nutritious choice too.

Explore some of the mouthwatering dishes chefs have crafted using Leghorn mince below.