Food

McDonald’s tests McPlant in the U.K.

The burger giant is testing its Beyond Meat plant-based burger across the pond and plans to take it throughout the market next year.
McDonald's McPlant test
Photo courtesy of McDonald's

McDonald’s customers can’t get plant-based burgers in the U.S. yet, but they might be able to get one if they take a trip to the U.K.

The burger giant is testing its McPlant burger in the U.K. starting this month. The burger, made with a patty from Beyond Meat, will be available in 10 locations at the end of September and then expanded to 250 next month.

McDonald’s hopes to roll it out throughout the U.K. and Ireland next year.

The burger giant announced its plant-based platform last year, giving it a unique name that doesn’t rely on a single vendor like Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods—which competitors like Burger King and White Castle have done with the Impossible Whopper and Impossible Slider, respectively.

But McDonald’s did announce a three-year deal with Beyond Meat to be the preferred supplier of McPlant.

The company plans to release the burgers in select global markets as conditions dictate. It has tested the product in places like Denmark, Sweden and Australia, and made it available in Austria last month.

Thus far, McDonald’s has yet to bring the product to the U.S. market amid uncertainties as to whether the product could sell enough to warrant its inclusion on the menu. While Burger King and White Castle have found some success with their plant-based items, Dunkin’ has pulled back on its Beyond Sausage breakfast sandwich.

In the U.K., the McPlant is vegan—it features a vegan sesame bun, mustard, ketchup, vegan sauce, vegan cheese, onion, pickles, lettuce and tomato. It is also prepared separately from other McDonald’s burgers using dedicated utensils.

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