The London flagship store for American fast-food chain Burger King announced that it would go all vegan for a month in an experiment to determine the feasibility of having stores with an entirely plant-based menu in the near future.
Burger King’s Leicester Square outlet will be rolling out its 100% plant-based menu from March 14 to April 10, 2022, with ingredients sourced from The Vegetarian Butcher, one of its key sources for meat-free protein options for burgers and nuggets.
Not only is this an extension of the company’s thrust towards more sustainable eating, but it’s also a novel way of reopening the recently renovated Leicester Square shop as it is the first to feature a wholly reimagined look.
Aligned with Corporate Sustainability Goals
According to the chain’s UK spokesperson Katie Evans, the limited-edition menu is based on the company’s drive to be more innovative when it comes to vegan cuisine and plant-centric eating. Burger King aims to have a 50% meat-free menu by 2030 in keeping with its own sustainability goals and its emphasis on ethical responsibility in its operations.
If the initiative enjoys a great rapport with the public, then Burger King will see it as a sign to open more plant-based or vegan-only restaurants in the UK and other countries.
The chain also announced that ten pence would be donated to the urban green initiative Trees for Cities for every order of a Plant-based Whopper or Vegan Chicken Royale served at Leicester Square for the duration of the experiment.
It is interesting to note that, while all menu items set to be served at BK Leicester Square are vegan, not all are certified under the Vegan Trademark standard as of press time. Nevertheless, Laura Iliffe of The Vegetarian Butcher has been quick to assure the public that everything on the menu is every bit as delicious as the original meat-based products. She also shares that the quality is just as good. Iliffe went on to say that it is an opportunity for meat lovers to try something different without sacrificing taste or quality.
PeTA Airs Its Approval
The opening of Burger King’s experimental all-vegan outlet has earned praise from numerous sustainability advocates and animal rights groups such as PeTA.
According to PeTA’s Dawn Carr, Burger King’s decision to open an all-vegan restaurant is timely for both animals and the environment. The organization collectively sees the move as a game-changer, which will help change the meat-centric diets of most Britons and alleviate the harsher effects of climate change.
