“Since launching the Impossible Whopper in 2019, our guests have continued to express their excitement about the introduction of new plant-based items at Burger King.”

Burger King has upped its meat-free options yet again. It has added two new Impossible Burger menu items across the US.

Starting 27th June, the updated menu will feature the Impossible King and the Impossible Southwest bacon Whopper with an avocado spread as a side.

The burger chain, a division of Toronto-based Restaurant Brands International Inc., said that the Impossible King, features a flame-grilled plant-based Impossible patty topped with American cheese, sliced white onions, pickles, ketchup and mustard on a toasted sesame seed bun.

Burger King has also added the Impossible patty to its Whopper sandwich lineup, which includes four new Southwest Bacon Whopper offerings nationwide.

All Southwest Bacon Whoppers feature an avocado spread, seasoned tortilla strips, bacon and a spicy sauce.

Although the chain is using a plant-based patty, the burgers are not suitable for vegans because it contains animal products. Moreover, the patty is cooked on shared surfaces with meat, meaning it will be contaminated with residue and grease from animal products.

However, the concerned brands maintain, based on past experiences, that not all vegans are worried about cross-contamination risks arising from cooking plant-based food next to animal products.

And those looking to eat plant-based, can order the burgers without the extras. That is, the Impossible King must be ordered without the cheese, and the Whopper without bacon, cheese, and spicy sauce.

The new Whoppers are a successful continuation of Burger King’s well-established journey into plant-based fast food.

The chain’s iconic Impossible Whopper debuted in 2019 and generated a lot of excitement from both meat-eaters and vegetarians alike.

Speaking to Food & Wine, a Burger King spokesperson said: “Since launching the Impossible Whopper in 2019, our guests have continued to express their excitement about the introduction of new plant-based items at Burger King.

“We are excited about the category and the opportunity to provide guests with even more options that let them have it their way.”

Burger King’s plant-based agenda

The Impossible burger patty isn’t the only product trialled by the fast food chain, it also did a short test run with Impossible Nuggets in 2021.

Earlier this year, Burger King added vegan bacon made by French startup La Vie to its 550 locations across France. The move followed a week-long campaign by the vegan bacon start-up, which included petitioning on social media, OOH campaigning in the Paris metro, and even taking out a newspaper ad in Le Parisien.

The Natalie Portman-backed brand urged Burger King France to add its vegan bacon to the Veggie Steakhouse after discovering that the conventional Steakhouse contained bacon while the plant-based version did not.

Apart from adding menu items, the fast-food chain opened two meat-free eateries in Switzerland for a limited time. 

The pop-up venues in Basel and Geneva were created in partnership with plant-based brand The Vegetarian Butcher.

Burger King UK also turned its flagship store in London into a vegan pop-up for one month earlier this year with the help of The Vegetarian Butcher.

In March, Burger King’s Leicester Square location revamped its menu to be 100% vegan, offering 25 plant-based options including vegan bacon double cheeseburgers, chili cheese bites, and its popular Plant-Based Whopper.

According to the fast-food chain’s management, the limited-edition menu and pop-ups are a direct result of its focus on vegan and plant-based innovation and “goes hand in hand with our target of a 50-percent meat-free menu by 2030, as well as our commitment to sustainability and responsible business.”

• Read: Hugh Jackman backed Laughing Man Coffee launches all-vegan cafe

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Mohsina Dodhiya

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