GERMANY – American fast food restaurant chain, KFC is planning to roll out meat free alternatives in multiple countries in Europe after a successful and ‘widely-publicised’ launch of the KFC Vegan Burger in the UK.
KFC which is launching its Europe meat-free campaign in Germany is partnering with UK-based mycoprotein producer Quorn Foods which was also instrumental in the company’s successful campaign in UK .
In the UK and Ireland, where Vegan Chicken Burger was launched in 2020, sales of the vegan burger have shown the meat-free menu option to be a ‘firm customer favourite’.
KFC has now made the vegan option a permanent item in all its restaurants in the UK and Ireland even as it plans to extend into multiple European markets in the coming months.
Quron and KFC have already trialed bespoke products in Germany and the Netherlands and are working together to develop a range of new meat-free menu options, from big buckets to veggie wraps.
“The main product we have been working on with KFC is the Original Recipe Tender (known as the Mini Fillet in some markets). They were extremely well received, hence the roll-out of products to new markets,” said Peter Harrison, Chief Commercial Officer at Quorn.
Detailing the products that are ready to hit KFC menus in Europe, Harrison commented: “Initially, there will be the new KFC Original Recipe Tender alongside the existing KFC Vegan Burger in the UK.”
KFC’s vegan roll out across Europe comes at a time when the global demand for meat-free alternatives continues to grow.
According to projections from Quorn, the sector is estimated to reach a worldwide value of US$27 billion by 2027,
To support this expansion, the meat-free brand believes it is important to develop new channels and routes to market, making it easier for consumers to select meat-free options.
This is where large QSR players like KFC with tens of thousands of restaurants worldwide come into play to enable alternative meat become mainstream food products.
“Ensuring there are delicious meat-free food choices for consumers, wherever and whenever they make food decisions, is key to our mission of providing healthy food for people and planet,” Harrison said.
“KFC is a global leader in QSR, with tens of thousands of restaurants worldwide who can offer millions of customers a delicious meat-free alternative to their favourite KFC meals.”
Beyond the partnership with Quorn, KFC, one of the world’s biggest fried chicken chains, has another partnership with Beyond Meat.
In the United States where the partnership is active, the company has recently rolled out Beyond Fried Chicken (made with Beyond Meat) to all of its stores, a testament to its commitment to having meat free options on its menu.
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