McDonalds To Go Vegan Swapping Burgers For Beetroot

Story ByKoen BerghuisSub EditorJoseph GolderAgencyCEN

McDonalds customers in sausage-loving Germany look set to swap beef burgers for beetroot after the restaurant giant launched a 100 percent vegan burger there.

The burger, dubbed the ‘Big Vegan TS’, looks similar to a Big Mac but is completely free of animal products.

From 29th April, costumers at over 1,000 German McDonald’s restaurants can order the new burger.

Pictures Credit: CEN/McDonald’s

It consists of a 100-gramme vegan patty made of soy, wheat, beetroot, peppers and carrots, and is seasoned with garlic, salt, pepper and vinegar. 

The sesame bun is the same used for the chain’s meat burgers and comes with red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, vegan mustard and ketchup.

According to McDonald’s Germany, there is a huge demand for vegan options in the country despite being universally known for its sausages.

McDonald’s spokesman Philipp Wachholz said: “The trend to go meatless is growing.

“Although the proportion of vegans in Germany is still relatively small, with the Big Vegan TS we are deliberately joining the current trend of occasionally renouncing animal products.”

The price of the new burger depends on each franchise restaurant, although McDonald’s Germany suggests a price of 3.70 EUR (3.20 GBP) for the burger and 7 EUR (6 GBP) for a meal with a drink and French fries.

Small McDonald’s restaurants which cannot offer the vegan burger will provide a mini version called the ‘Veganburger TS’.

McDonald’s buys the burgers from the ‘Garden Gourmet’ vegan line produced by Swiss multinational Nestle.

German website ‘eKitchen’ has already sampled the burger and called it McDonald’s best vegan or vegetarian product they have tasted so far.

However, testers did find the burger to be “a bit boring” and “very greasy due to deep frying”.

McDonald’s has been experimenting with vegan and vegetarian options for a while.

In 2017, the American fast food chain introduced falafel nuggets and the ‘McVegan’ burger, although they were only made available in Sweden.

Finland was the only other country which sold the McVegan, together with a vegetarian burger called ‘El Veggo’.

In the UK, diners can opt for a vegan goujon wrap or a vegan Happy Meal when visiting McDonald’s.