The all-plant burger that promises a meaty taste
The smell of meat wafts through the air as customers sink their teeth into burgers that, despite looking, tasting and sizzling like beef, are made entirely from plant matter.
The country’s first vegan bleeding burger is the latest addition to the menu of American food chain Bareburger. It was revealed at its La Mer branch in Dubai yesterday.
The B12 bleeding burger, developed by Canadian company Beyond Meat, is so described because, when cut in half, it reveals an authentically pink centre and “bleeds” beetroot juice.
During its Dubai debut it impressed diners with its passable beefy texture and flavour, and many expect that the burger’s appeal will stretch beyond the vegan community.
“The target audience for this product is not only going to be vegetarians, but also meat eaters,” said Euripides Pelekanos, chief executive and founder of Bareburger.
The introduction of the burger comes as restaurants and supermarkets seek to cash in on the country’s flourishing vegan market and as consumers swap animal products for plant-based alternatives for health and environmental reasons.
“There have been many changes in eating habits and in consuming less meat there is a social impact and an environmental impact.
“There are many people who care about animal welfare,” Mr Pelekanos said.
The B12 burger aims to tempt meat-eaters to try a vegan alternative that has the traits of a meat product. It contains peas to provide protein, trace amounts of beet lend it the beefy red colour and coconut oil and potato starch provide juiciness and chew.
Unlike companies seeking to “grow meat” using animal stem cells, the burger is made entirely of plant.
It was launched by Beyond Meat in the US about five years ago. As for demand in the UAE, Mr Pelekanos said it was too early to tell.
“Once this product is launched here, will see what happens in the coming six months.
“When we launched the Beyond burger in the United States, it just opened the door to a new set of guests who have vegetarian diets. It really changed the whole dynamic of the restaurant.,” he said.
For many, the drawback to a vegan diet can be cost. The B12 burger retails for about Dh44.
“The prices are a bit not accessible for everybody. The main goal is to make it more affordable than a typical beef burger.
“Unfortunately, the fake meat products are twice as expensive as regular beef,” Mr Pelekanos said.
The bleeding vegan burger will be available in four Bareburger restaurants across the UAE, there are plans for the burger to be sold in supermarkets.
“The motivations behind coming up with these products is to for people to eat better and feel better about themselves,” Mr Pelekanos said.
“While they are enjoying their meal, they will feel that they did something better for the planet and maybe for the next generation.
“Throughout the history of mankind, the way people eat has changed overtime. It the future of evolution in food.”
When we launched the Beyond burger in the US, it opened the door to a set of guests who have vegetarian diets EURIPIDES PELEKANOS Founder, Bareburger