McDonald’s announced that it is adding the Double McPlant to its menus in the U.K. and Ireland — the chain’s second fully vegan burger option.
The Double McPlant is essentially a double vegan burger.
“Bringing double the flavour and double the fun, Double McPlant features two Beyond Meat patties, a vegan sesame bun, mustard, ketchup, the ultimate vegan sandwich sauce, fresh onion, pickles, lettuce, tomato and of course, vegan cheese that tastes just like McDonald’s iconic cheese slices,” McDonald’s said in a press release.
The Double McPlant follows the McPlant, which has just a single patty. According to Fox Business, the company announced on Thursday that it would be launching the Double McPlant. Starting on Jan. 4, 2023, customers in the U.K. and Ireland will begin enjoying this plant-based burger.
History of the McPlant
In a press release, the golden arched burger joint said that it had collaborated with the company Beyond Meat to develop this plant-based burger, which rolled out on Jan. 5, 2022, in the U.K. and Ireland. The company said that it worked on developing the McPlant for five years.
It’s unclear if and when this burger will make it to America.
McDonald’s had previously tested the McPlant in the U.S. According to Bon Appetit, it tested the burger in about 600 U.S. stores and then did not announce plans for releasing it nationwide. Some stores reportedly only sold three McPlants a day during testing and the plant-based burger didn’t fare well among rural customers.
Bon Appetit said that the plant-based burger wasn’t technically vegan or vegetarian, because it was cooked on the same grill as the other burgers in the U.S. In the press release about the launch in the U.K. and Ireland, McDonald’s said about the McPlant, “It is cooked separately from other McDonald’s burgers and sandwiches using dedicated utensils.”
The McPlant “features a Vegan Sesame Bun, Mustard, Ketchup, Vegan Sauce, Fresh Onion, Pickles, Lettuce, Tomato and Vegan Cheese,” per McDonalds. The chain said that it worked to create a cheese slice out of pea protein that imitates its characteristic orange cheese.
The company used the hashtag #McPlantIsEverywhere to celebrate the launch.
Are McDonald’s fries vegan?
If you’re a vegan or vegetarian looking for a side to go with your McPlant or Double McPlant, you may want to skip the fries.
According to World of Vegan, the chain’s salty shoestring fries are not vegan or vegetarian — they are fried in beef fat. The apple slices are vegan. And if you want dessert, so is the apple pie.