Through April 10, no animal protein will be allowed to appear on the menu of Burger King's restaurant in Leicester Square, London. The iconic sandwich of the chain, the Whopper, as well as the children's menu, will become totally vegan for the occasion. The chain is conducting the pop-up experiment to gauge expectations, as well as consumers' preferences, in terms of alternatives to meat.
It's a story that has been buzzing in the British press for a few days now. And we can't deny it, the initiative is intriguing. On the occasion of its reopening, the Burger King restaurant located in London's busy Leicester Square area, is going 100% plant-based for the period of one month. The fast-food chain plans to use plant-based alternatives from The Vegetarian Butcher brand to compose its signature Whopper burger. Part of the portfolio of food giant Unilever Food, the company is working on recipes made with soy and wheat, and enriched with iron and vitamin B12 to replace animal-based ground beef patties. For bacon, Burger King uses vegan pork from the food tech La Vie, whose success is partly due to several famous business angels, such as actress Natalie Portman.
All the snacks and sandwiches on Burger King's menu, including the kids' menu and the nuggets, have been adapted for the pop-up using plant-based ingredients. The menu also includes new items, such as a line of katsu burgers, inspired by Japanese-style curry dishes. There are also new XL burgers made with 'bacon' and a vegan cheese, from the Greek company Violife. Ben & Jerry's non-dairy "cookie dough"-flavored ice cream will also be on offer. Since 2016, the famous American ice cream brand has been delighting vegans with plant-based versions of some of its recipes, made with almond milk and peanut butter.
By 2031, Burger King aims to have half of its menu composed of plant-based products, Katie Evans, marketing manager for Burger King restaurants in the UK, told the British press. With this initiative, the company aims to not only test consumers' receptivity for plant-based alternatives to their favorite burgers, but also to reduce the environmental impact of its restaurants.
This isn't the first time that BK has surveyed its customers about their tastes. Back in the summer of 2021, the fast food chain tried a similar experiment in Cologne, Germany.
