Burger King is market testing a meat-free Whopper from Impossible Foods

[Shawn Knight]

Why it matters: The Impossible Whopper has the unfortunate designation of being announced on April Fools' Day but make no mistake, this isn't a gag. The meat-free Whopper is now being market tested in the St. Louis area and could be offered at your neighborhood Burger King in the not-too-distant future.

One of the nation’s largest fast food chains is teaming up with a Silicon Valley start-up to pump out meatless versions of its iconic burger.

Burger King this week is introducing a meat-free version of its iconic Whopper based on a patty from Impossible Foods. The aptly named Impossible Whopper is being market tested at 59 restaurants in and around the St. Louis area. If successful, the vegetarian creation could soon go nationwide.

Burger King’s chief marketing officer, Fernando Machado, said he has high expectations that it’s going to be big business, not just a niche product.

In testing thus far, Machado said customers and employees haven’t been able to tell the difference between the meaty Whopper and the new version. “People on my team who know the Whopper inside and out, they try it and they struggle to differentiate which one is which,” Machado said.

Burger King isn’t the first nationally recognized chain to adopt a meatless burger. White Castle sells a slider from Impossible Foods in its 380 or so locations; Carl’s Jr. introduced the Beyond Famous Star burger earlier this year courtesy of Beyond Burger.

Lead image courtesy AzirSuratmin via Shutterstock

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https://www.techspot.com/news/79456-burger-king-market-testing-meat-free-whopper-impossible.html

 

[fps4ever]

Is it actually healthier for you or just meatless?

 

[QuantumPhysics]

I can't be sure which posts are April Fools jokes and which aren't.

 

[Reehahs]

If they do it right then they can provide the best tasting cut of meat, every time.

 

[MaikuTech]

****ing meat free ? O_o
The day I see a soy bean - veggie burger come out of any burger king restaurant.
That is the day where I will gather many people across the land to put burger king out of business.

 

[BlackCatRokusho]

I tried the beyond burger at Carls Jr and it wasn't bad.
It doesn't quite taste like ground beef but it does taste meaty.

 

[amghwk]

Meatless, as in buns with the vegetables and cheese and sauces without the meat? Or the meat replaced by potato or soy based patties?

 

[BlackCatRokusho]

Meatless, as in buns with the vegetables and cheese and sauces without the meat? Or the meat replaced by potato or soy based patties?

It's replaced with a vegetable based protein patty like Carls Jr' beyond burger.

 

[toooooot]

Thats disgusting!

 

[Paulos7]

******* meat free ? O_o
The day I see a soy bean - veggie burger come out of any burger king restaurant.
That is the day where I will gather many people across the land to put burger king out of business.

Start gathering. Burger King has sold the "BK Veggie" for many years. I guess now they want to sell a veggie burger that has more of a freshly killed taste. And from what I understand, you and your anti-veggie burger followers may not have that difficult of a time putting them out of business, as they may already be headed in that direction. They lost my business with the commercials of their freaky King showing up in men's bedrooms to give them breakfast in bed.

 

[Uncle Al]

Meatless isn't going to mean much as long as they continue to be "fried". They need to go back to the old grate/grill so you could see them cook. It was fun to watch and knocked down the issue of grease and grill contact not to mention the chance to see one of them entirely burn up because of too much fat content!!!!

 

[seeprime]

Meatless isn't going to mean much as long as they continue to be "fried". They need to go back to the old grate/grill so you could see them cook. It was fun to watch and knocked down the issue of grease and grill contact not to mention the chance to see one of them entirely burn up because of too much fat content!!!!

Burger King doesn't fry their burgers. They use a conveyor flame broiler. The one I worked at as a kid was nicknamed "The Monster.'"

 

[psycros]

Meatless isn't going to mean much as long as they continue to be "fried". They need to go back to the old grate/grill so you could see them cook. It was fun to watch and knocked down the issue of grease and grill contact not to mention the chance to see one of them entirely burn up because of too much fat content!!!!

Burger King doesn't fry their burgers. They use a conveyor flame broiler. The one I worked at as a kid was nicknamed "The Monster.'"

And long before you were probably around they hand-grilled their burgers, just as McDonald's hand-fried all of theirs before the 90's. The name of the game in every industry is cheaper, faster, more expensive..that's why I've all but stopped eating out. The big chains' push towards ridiculous "apps" and unpopular nonsense like ordering fast food ahead of time is going to create new opportunities for the smaller competitors.

 

[MaikuTech]

Start gathering. Burger King has sold the "BK Veggie" for many years. I guess now they want to sell a veggie burger that has more of a freshly killed taste. And from what I understand, you and your anti-veggie burger followers may not have that difficult of a time putting them out of business, as they may already be headed in that direction. They lost my business with the commercials of their freaky King showing up in men's bedrooms to give them breakfast in bed.

Please shut up I don't mind eating a veggie burger from home see the product below.
https://www.morningstarfarms.com/products.html.
What I don't want is to pull up to burger king to not get a grilled meat whopper for a meal.
I want real grilled chicken/beef meat touching my taste buds, not some half *** made soy-veggie-wtf patty hitting it.

Catch my drift ?

 

[Dimitrios]

Wow some triggered people in the comments. Who cares? Options are good. I stop eating fast food for 2 reasons.

#1 Workers are gross.

#2 Food not worth the price.