From 600,000 people identifying as vegans in the UK in 2018 to 34% of Brits having reduced meat consumption, veganism is on the rise. As these numbers are predicted to increase, many restaurant chains are unsurprisingly introducing vegetable-based alternatives to their menus. KFC is seemingly the latest fast-food franchise to embrace the vegan food lifestyle by launching the new vegan Imposter Burger.”
The UK franchisor has swapped a chicken breast fillet with a Quorn steak. The vegan meat-replacement is coated in Colonel’s Original Recipe herbs and spices and served with vegan mayonnaise, iceberg lettuce and a soft-glazed bun. The Imposter Burger was made available for a four-week trial from Monday June 17 2019 in selected restaurants throughout the UK such as London, Bristol and the Midlands. Depending on the response, it may end up a constant feature on the KFC menu or just disappear into KFC’s finger lickin’ good history. The Imposter Burger will cost from £2.99 by itself and £3.49 with a drink.
But it won’t be the last attempt to add some vegan alternatives to the franchise’s menu. KFC is also due to trial a vegetarian dish from Monday July 15 called The Southern Fritter Stacker. This will take the form of a burger, wrap and ricebox, according to The Independent.”
Commenting on the Imposter Burger’s release, Victoria Robertson, senior innovation leader at KFC UK and Ireland, said: “Vegans have been cruelly denied the incredible taste of KFC up to now. We’ve worked hard to perfect The Imposter – a vegan burger that the Colonel would be proud of.”
However, KFC isn’t the only one angling to meet the changing consumer demands. Given Mintel, the market intelligence agency,” estimates that the vegan market was worth £740m in 2018, other chains are predictably also clamouring for a piece of the action.”
In May 2019, Papa Jones launched a new Hot Dog Pizza which had a Vegan Hot Dog option and in late January it launched its vegan menu as a response to consumers demanding the addition of vegan cheese to its dishes. Furthermore, Burger King unveiled its Impossible Whopper in the US in April 2019 and even bakeries such as Greggs are getting involved through its vegan sausage roll, much to the dismay of pundits like Piers Morgan.“
It’s evident veganism is becoming an increasingly popular lifestyle choice among consumers. So, it’ll be interesting to see how consumers respond to the new Imposter Burger.”
