McDonald’s will roll out The McPlant developed in partnership with vegan brand Beyond Meat in UK and Ireland stores by the end of this month.

This week, fast-food giant McDonald’s announced it will launch its highly anticipated plant-based burger, The McPlant, at select locations in the UK and Ireland.

The burger was unveiled at an exclusive tasting event at the company’s London headquarters and will be trialled in 10 select restaurants in Coventry on 29 September. The launch will be extended to more than 250 outlets from mid-October with a wider nation roll-out next year.

The McPlant has been developed in partnership with vegan brand Beyond Meat. It features a vegan patty, ketchup, mustard, and plant-based sauce along with onion, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and vegan cheese toppings.

The food giant revealed that the ‘bespoke’ vegan cheese used in the burger is made from pea protein. It is made by dairy supplier Kerry Foods and was finalized after trying “hundreds” of options from around the world.

The burger was unveiled at an exclusive tasting event at the company’s London headquarters prior to its trial release in 10 select restaurants in Coventry on 29 September. The launch will be extended to more than 250 outlets from mid-October with a wider nation roll-out next year.

According to the company, the burger will be cooked separately in ‘dedicated’ utensils and will be available at the same cost as a Big Mac for £3.19.

McDonald’s McPlant

The McPlant is the first in a range of plant-based products including alternatives to the chain’s chicken nuggets and breakfast sausage muffins.

McDonald’s took over three years to release a plant-based burger in a market that now has numerous plant-based options available to whet customers’ appetite.

However, a spokesperson of the corporation said:  “We wanted to create the perfect build, with the same flavours, textures, tenderness and succulence of a traditional meat-based burger.

“It took us longer [than other brands] because we needed to get the consistency right. Customers expect a certain taste when they visit McDonald’s.

“The build is really important – even how we stack ingredients together has an effect on the experience.

“Covid also delayed things, because we have to assign dedicated space in kitchens to ensure the burger is vegan-approved.” 

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Mohsina Dodhiya

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