Hold onto your non-leather cowboy hats people, the plant burger that tastes and looks like meat, will launch into Tescos in August
Georgina Wilson-Powell
Wed 4 Jul 2018
Beyond Meat has spent the last three years developing a vegan burger that has had American meat eaters putting down the steak and switching. And now it's the UK's turn.
The Beyond Meat burger will be stocked in 350 branches of Tescos from August - alongside meat. It will also be on the menu at the Honest Burger chain.
At an exclusive launch event London last year, held by Compassion in World Farming, the Beyond Meat burger was introduced to a small audience, which included Compassion in World Farming’s patron, Joanna Lumley.
“I’m very excited to be one of the first people in the UK to taste the Beyond Burger and it’s wonderful to see so many innovative plant-based products being developed which are kind to animals, the planet, and our health,” said Lumley.
Joanna Lumley tries ones of the first Beyond Meat burgers in the UK
The Beyond Burger has 20g of protein (more than a meat burger), it's cholesterol free and contains no gluten, soy or GMO ingredients. It’s suitable for vegans, uses peas for protein and beetroot to give it the red meat colour.
Beyond Meat’s burger has the backing of Bill Gates and Biz Stone (the founder of Twitter). It sizzles and ‘bleeds’ like real meat and has a thick, rich taste that’s miles away from the limp beige affairs that constitute most supermarket veggie burgers.
“We’re aimed at meat-eaters, so many people are coming over to eating more plants - we call them reducatarians. We’re aimed at anyone who has been told by their doctor they need to cut their red meat consumption, which is almost everyone,” explains Seth Goldman, executive chairman, Beyond Meat. “We’re sold in the meat section rather than the veggie section, which is a real breakthrough.
The Beyond Meat burger will soon be available in UK supermarkets
The company’s aim is to get everyone, not just vegetarians and vegans, eating more plants.
“The percentage of vegans and vegetarians in the US is around 5%, which is being generous, but that number has stayed the same for decades - if we can get every American to have one more plant based meal a week, that’s one out of 21, that would be the same as doubling the amount of vegans and vegetarians in the country,” says Goldman.
The burger, which has been in supermarkets in the US since the summer, is a big hit with all ages, not just amongst the new plant-based platoon. Will it be on your barbecue this summer?
Want to go beyond the beyond meat burger in your eco-friendly consumption?
Here are 10 plastic free online shops to help you get there.
