With Veganuary just around the corner, McDonald’s is offering a doubled-up version due to popular demand.

McDonald’s has announced that it is launching its brand new Double McPlant across outlets in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The move comes after repeated requests from consumers and fans.

The new menu addition features two Beyond Meat patties with a vegan sesame bun, mustard, ketchup, vegan sandwich sauce, fresh onion, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and vegan cheese.

The burger is crafted to appease veggies, vegans, flexitarians, and meat-eaters alike. The timing of the launch coincides with Veganuary and is expected to be a huge hit  with those planning to try out the 31-day challenge.

‘McPlant has changed my life’

The original and undeniably delicious McPlant, which took over three years  to develop and  launched in September 2021, built up a huge fan base. Since that time, the fans have been  requesting the brand release a double-sized version.

One Twitter user wrote: “I know it’s 7am but when are McDonald’s going to allow a Double McPlant?? All I want is the option to have two patties. “This is the important stuff I need addressed.”

Another added: “I have said on many occasions that the McPlant has changed my life, but if there were to be a double McPlant? I can only imagine.”

The Double McPlant is ‘vegan certified’ and is cooked separately from other burgers and sandwiches with dedicated utensils.

The Double McPlant will be available for £4.89 or £6.49 as a meal starting the 4th of January.

McPlant platform

In 2021, McDonald’s and Beyond Meat entered a three-year global strategic agreement to  co-develop the fast-food chain’s McPlant platform.

Apart from the already-launched McPlant burgers, the brands will explore plant-based chicken burgers and vegan egg breakfast sandwiches.

Speaking about the collaboration with McDonald’s, Founder and CEO of Beyond Meat Ethan Brown said at the time: “We will combine the power of Beyond Meat’s rapid and relentless approach to innovation with the strength of McDonald’s global brand to introduce craveable, new plant-based menu items that consumers will love.”

Will the Double McPlant launch in the US?

The fast-food chain tested the original McPlant in other markets in the past. However, it is unclear if and when the new burger will make it to other countries.

The US McPlant was offered in 600 of the 13,800 McDonald’s locations. However, unlike the UK, the US consumer trials of the same menu item reportedly delivered lacklustre results.

Market analysis found that the US McPlant was not suitable for vegans since it contained American dairy cheese and egg-based mayonnaise.

Moreover, the patties were cooked on the same grill as regular beef patties. This put off many consumers and led many vegan consumers to refrain buying the menu item at all

Restaurant Business Online also noted that the McPlant trial may not have been as successful in the US because a number of the trial locations were in smaller towns, where plant-based products do not tend to be as popular.

 McDonald’s has also trialled the McPlant burger in European markets, including test locations in Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Australia, and Portugal. Most recently, the burger was permanently added to McDonald’s menus across the Netherlands.

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Mohsina Dodhiya

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