“At a time when most consumers are lucky to find one plant-based option in restaurants, Peet’s is taking our commitment to the next level with a menu that highlights high quality vegan ingredients that taste delicious and have great flavor.”

With the plant-based movement soaring, a major US food chain has unveiled a full-on spring menu of vegan and dairy-free items

The new menu at Peet’s Coffee is laden with options from Beyond Meat, JUST Egg and Violife.

The announcement comes just one week after rival coffee-bar giant Starbucks added another oatmilk-based shaken espresso to its menu.

Peet’s vegan spring menu includes the Everything Plant-Based Sandwich made from Beyond Breakfast Sausage, JUST Egg and vegan cheddar cheese. The Everything Plant-Based Sandwich will become a permanent fixture at Peet’s locations as the chain’s go-to vegan sandwich.

Other items include four oat-based lattes with hazelnut, almond and vanilla flavors, and  a new flatbread wrap made from lavash bread, Just Egg, Violife plant-based provolone, pesto, kale, tomatoes, and bell peppers.

‘Vegan ingredients taste delicious and have great flavour’

“Plant-based foods are not alternatives or substitutes at Peet’s Coffee,” Lori Fulmer, CRC, Senior Manager, Food R&D for Peet’s Coffee said.

“At a time when most consumers are lucky to find one plant-based option in restaurants, Peet’s is taking our commitment to the next level with a menu that highlights high quality vegan ingredients that taste delicious and have great flavour.”

Growing plant-based trend worldwide

The plant-based market is booming after a growing number of people have started to ditch animal products altogether for ethical, environmental and health reasons.

This year’s Veganuary campaign in January was marked the largest campaign to date after more than 629,000 people pledged to go vegan for the month.

According to Veganuary’s data, at least 1,561 new vegan products and menu options were launched in supermarkets and retailers just in the first month of the year.

Based on research conducted by ADM, a global leader in nutrition, Leticia Goncalves, president of the organization said: “Over the last 12 months, the number of plant-based meat, cheese and dairy products available to consumers in the marketplace has more than doubled.”

The fast-food industry is not far behind. Keen to profit from consumers’ shifting habits, major chains like McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King, and Subway, among others, have launched plant-based products of their own.

For instance, Burger King, after announcing its ambitious plan to make 50% of its menu plant-based by 2031, has been heavily invested in adding plant-based options to its menus worldwide.

This month, the chain added a mouth-watering Katsu Curry range, including two new vegan katsu burgers, to its UK menu.

Burger King UK spokesperson Katie Evans said: “We know Katsu curry is one of the nation’s favourite flavours, so we can’t wait for people to try these twists on our classic Whopper and Royale.

“We’re promising new specials that max on flavour, with vegan and vegetarian options that taste almost identical.”

• Read: Indian startup unveils ‘world’s first’ heat stable vegan boiled egg

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Mohsina Dodhiya

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