McDonald’s Vegan McPlant Burger Is Finally Here. Where to Get It

McDonald’s is launching its long-anticipated plant-based burger, but you won't be able to find it stateside any time soon. Instead, the behemoth is choosing to test the plant-based patty at select locations in the United Kingdom, specifically starting in Conventry in late September and then rolling it out to more locations in October. The vegan McPlant will feature a Beyond Meat patty topped with mustard, ketchup, vegan special sauce, onions, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and vegan cheese, served on a completely vegan sesame-seed bun.

The McPlant will be one of the world’s first fully plant-based fast-food burgers since the Impossible Whopper still features nonvegan cheese and sauce, so anyone who wants to eat fully vegan would have had to order it stropped of those condiments and cooked in the microwave, away from the grease-covered grill that inevitably would be cross-contaminated with animal fat. McDonald’s made a point that their Beyond Meat patties will be cooked on a vegan-only grill. The company stated that the McDonald’s kitchens will use dedicated utensils for its plant-based menu to remove the risk of cross-contamination. Before the launch, the UK’s Vegetarian Society awarded the McPlant burger with vegan certification.

“We’re so pleased to be finally launching McPlant in the UK and Ireland. As with every McDonald’s offering, we take our time to ensure it meets the highest standards and is something that all our customers will enjoy,” Chief Marketing Officer at McDonald’s UK and Ireland Michelle Graham-Clare said.“We are always looking for different ways to innovate and meet our customers’ needs, and with McPlant, we have a delicious plant-based burger that will appeal to everyone. Whether you’re vegan or just fancy a plant-based patty, we’re confident you will enjoy the McPlant.”

The McPlant will initially roll out on September 29 for a cost of £3.49, at 10 locations in Coventry. Consumers can expect the McPlant to be offered at more than 250 locations starting on October 13, and expand across the United Kingdom by early next year. Eventually, the anticipation is that the McPlant burger will enter the North American market.

“We’re excited to work with Beyond Meat to drive innovation and this is an important step on our journey to bring high-quality, plant-based menu items to our customers,” McDonald’s Senior Vice President Francesca DeBiase said.

Earlier this year, Beyond Meat and Mcdonald’s signed a three-year partnership to develop the fast-food company’s international McPlant campaign, dedicated to enhancing the plant-based menu at McDonald’s locations worldwide. The inaugural product is the co-created McPlant burger, but the partnership aims to create a full plant-based line for McDonald’s locations across the world.

The McPlant Burger arrives when plant-based eating is rapidly rising. A study from The Vegas Society found that 43 percent of UK citizens decided to reduce their meat and dairy intake citing health concerns, environmental issues, and animal rights.

“We are proud to enter into this strategic global agreement with McDonald’s, an exciting milestone for Beyond Meat, and look forward to serving McDonald's as they bring expanded choice to menus globally,” Beyond Meat Founder & CEO Ethan Brown said. “We will combine the power of Beyond Meat’s rapid and relentless approach to innovation with the strength of McDonald’s global brand to introduce craveable, new plant-based menu items that consumers will love.”

Leading up to the United Kingdom launch, the partnership only extended to limited launches at select McDonald’s locations in the European market. The test locations included Sweden, Denmark, and Austria, but the plant-based burger options did not feature the same fully vegan condiments that the UK McPlant offers. Before the McPlant burger, McDonald’s partnered with Beyond Meat to release a special edition P.L.T. [Plant, Lettuce Tomato] at select restaurants in Ontario, Canada.

McDonald’s joins a growing list of fast-food companies to introduced plant-based burger patties. Beyond Meat has partnered with Carl’s Jr while Impossible Foods introduced its Impossible Burger at Burger King and Fatburger. The introduction of these plant-based burgers signifies a worldwide shit in consumer demand, showing how more consumers are looking for easy, cheap plant-based options from international chains.