Burger King UK's Menu To Be Half Plant-Based Food By 2031

Burger King UK expects half of all of the choices on its menu will be plant-based within 10 years, Alasdair Murdoch, CEO of the Restaurant Brands International Inc QSR brand told the UK's iNews in an interview.

What Happened: Burger King UK already launched a plant-based Rebel Whopper burger in early 2021 and has plans to introduce new items in the near-term. The non-protein sandwich addition is seen as part of management's long-term plan to transition away from meat.

Burger King's jump into the plant-based category was met with immediate blowback. The Rebel Whopper was not suitable for vegans as it included egg-based mayonnaise and cooked on the same grill as beef burgers.

But this time around the company is making the necessary changes to make its vegan customers happy. A relaunch of the Rebel Whopper will be suitable for vegans, the CEO said in the interview.

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Why It's Important: Murdoch said in the interview that new plant-based options over the years will replace beef products. The chain also pledged to never abandon beef options that are locally sourced across the UK and Ireland.

"Over time the amount of beef that we are selling as a proportion of our total sales is reducing," the CEO said.

What's Next: Burger King UK recognizes the future of food will lean more towards plant-based options and the company is "trying to get ahead" of the curve, the CEO said.

But the customer is not ready for a major shift away from beef today.

"Our customers, I don't think they are quite ready for that today," he said. "It doesn't mean they won't ever be in the future, but our sense would be that they aren't quite there."

A new plant-based vegan chicken sandwich will also launch in the UK within weeks.

(Photo: Burger King)