Sales of Vegan Burgers at UK Chain Leon Overtake Meat for First Time

United Kingdom-based fast-food chain Leon recently reported that sales of its vegan burgers have surpassed meat burgers for the first time. The chain’s year-over-year sales have increased by 15.5 percent, and the percentage of vegan burger sales has climbed from 41.3 percent to 56.8 percent in 2020. Meatless options now make up nearly 60 percent of total sales across Leon’s more than 75 restaurants. The chain has been ahead of the trend since it began serving vegan dishes in 2004. In addition to its original vegan Love Burger, Leon also debuted a new Chipotle and Avocado Burger featuring a vegan burger patty, vegan smoky chipotle mayo, and avocado. The chain also offers vegan jackfruit nuggets, lentil masala curry, and black bean chili. “Vegan and veggie dishes have always been on Leon’s menus, but we’re now starting to see the market catch up,” Erica Molyneaux, Head of Food at Leon, told media outlet Metro. “Sales of our vegan burgers have really taken off, with more than half of our sales now in vegan and vegetarian dishes.” A Leon survey of 3,000 customers revealed that 55 percent of people now eat less meat than they did one year ago due to health and environmental concerns.