MCDONALD’S LAUNCHES VEGAN DOUBLE MCPLANT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND
McDonald’s will introduce a new Double McPlant at all of its outlets in the United Kingdom and Ireland on January 4.
The decision follows the company’s successful debut of its first plant-based burger, the McPlant, last year.
The McPlant, created in collaboration with the vegan corporation Beyond Meat, consists of a Beyond Meat patty on a sesame-seed bun with ketchup, mustard, vegan special sauce, onions, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and vegan cheese.
The new Double McPlant will have the same structure as the original, but with two Beyond Meat patties instead of one.
McDonald’s has stated that the burger will be prepared on a separate grill and will use plant-based utensils.
The Vegetarian Society of Canada has recognized the burger as vegan.
Since its debut in September 2021, McDonald’s claims the McPlant has been “wildly successful” with consumers. “It’s no secret that consumers went crazy for the flavor,” the chain stated in a statement.
The McPlant platform of McDonald’s
McDonald’s inked a three-year relationship with Beyond Meat last year to co-develop the fast-food chain’s McPlant platform, which will result in the global introduction of numerous plant-based choices. The selection now includes the McPlant and Double McPlant burgers, but future additions may include vegan egg breakfast sandwiches and plant-based chicken burgers.
Until recently, the Beyond Meat collaboration has resulted in a limited release of a McPlant burger in European countries, including test sites in Sweden, Denmark, Austria, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Portugal.
Following a short trial last year, the burger was just made permanent on McDonald’s menus in the Netherlands.
While the McPlant burger has only been tested in a few countries, the company has stated that it intends to leverage the McPlant platform to create products that match the needs of certain markets.
McDonald’s also tested the McPlant in the United States, first in a few sites in California, Texas, and Louisiana late last year before expanding its test markets to 600 more locations in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Dallas-Fort Worth region in March.
McDonald’s finished the McPlant test in the United States with no indication of national expansion.