Burger King Eyes Big Bite Of Europe Market With 'veggie Whopper'
Faizan Hashmi Published November 12, 2019 | 12:01 PM
US fast-food giant Burger King on Tuesday launched its meatless burger in Europe, hoping to capture a substantial slice of a growing market
London, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Nov, 2019 ):US fast-food giant Burger King on Tuesday launched its meatless burger in Europe, hoping to capture a substantial slice of a growing market.
The vegetarian version of its prime "Whopper" hamburger is being added to the menu in 25 countries and 2,500 restaurants after testing in the United States and Sweden.
"It's the biggest production launch ever done in Europe. We see the potential in the future that this is a growing category," company president David Shear told AFP.
The new meatless sandwich is to be launched in Britain at a later date, possibly around the start of next year, the firm said.
Burger King, which is best known for flame-grilled patties, said with the new product it was now the biggest European fast-food restaurant chain offering a veggie burger.
The company said the vegetarian product had boosted sales of traditional burgers in the United States, as it attracted new customers who normally did not patronise fast-food outlets.
Some critics noted however that if the same cooking grills were used for meat and chicken products, strict vegetarians would shun the new offering.
Shear did not provide details on sales or European market targets, meanwhile.
The fast-food giant and competitors Yum Brands and Kentucky Fried Chicken have got a step ahead of McDonald's in the United States in recent months.
In April, McDonald's launched a test in Germany of its Big Vegan burger, developed in collaboration with Nestle.
It has also been testing a meat-free cheeseburger in Canada since late September but is not yet at the stage of large-scale sales.
The global food industry has seen competition open up for alternative proteins to draw in growing numbers of consumers who have adopted a vegan diet for dietary, ethical or environmental reasons.
JPMorgan has said the plant-based "meat" market could be worth $100 billion in the next 15 years because of the climate emergency, as beef production is a major global polluter.
British tycoon Richard Branson has invested in Impossible Foods, while Beyond Meat is part-financed by the billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates.
They are in competition with Dutch firm The Vegetarian Butcher, which was bought recently by the multinational group Unilever, and which supplies Burger King in Europe.
Nestle already has had a soya protein and wheat-based hamburger on sale in European and US supermarkets since the end of September.
Consultants Deloitte said in a recent study: "Gone are the days when plant-based alternative products were for the niche consumer and warranted limited shelf space...
"The European plant-based alternatives market leads the way in terms of market size, with the European meat substitutes market accounting for around 40 percent of the global market."The market is forecast to grow to 2.4 billion euros ($2.6 billion, �2.1 billion) by 2025 from 1.5 billion euros in 2018, it added.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
UHS declares MBBS first prof, MS urology exam results
Separate coaches to be hired for ODIs, Test and T20I formats
Finance Minister calls for reforming tax system to improve country's economy
PM calls for joint efforts to check smuggling, power theft
Infinix Unveils a Vibrant New Chapter with Wahaj Ali: The face of Infinix NOTE 4 ..
PM makes two more appointments in his team
Terrorists of Shangla suicide attack will be brought to justice: Interior Minist ..
Applications Open for 6th Cycle of Start-up Incubation under the National Expans ..
Join vivo's "Light it Up" Social Media Contest in Ramadan to Win vivo V30 5G
Pakistan v New Zealand T20I series: Tickets to go on sale from today
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 29 March 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 29 March 2024
More Stories From World
-
Russia says UN sanctions on N.Korea have 'not helped' improve regional security
6 minutes ago -
Russia faces backlash as veto ends UN's N. Korea sanctions monitoring
26 minutes ago -
5.6-magnitude quake hits 126 km NNW of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea -- USGS
46 minutes ago -
German collector turns back time as clocks go forward
46 minutes ago -
Over 70 kg of raw opium seized in central Myanmar
56 minutes ago -
45 injured in train-bus crash in NW Cambodia: police
56 minutes ago
-
Romania finds possible drone fragments near Ukraine border
1 hour ago -
Japan dietary supplement maker probes five deaths
1 hour ago -
UNGA's revitalization key to promoting world peace, security: Pakistan
2 hours ago -
Sound of the Underground: the busker aiming to play every London Tube stop
2 hours ago -
Israeli strikes kill 42 in Syria's Aleppo province
2 hours ago -
Calls for 'smartphone free' childhood grow in UK
3 hours ago