By 2031, the menu at Burger King locations in the United Kingdom could be 50 percent plant-based. In an interview with British morning newspaper inews, Burger King UK CEO Alasdair Murdoch explained that the addition of plant-based items on the chain’s menu displaces other options made and within the next decade, this could result in a Burger King menu with 50 percent fewer animal products. “When we bring in a plant-based product … there is probably an equal and opposite reaction where we are taking something else off,” Murdoch said. “Are there going to be less meat products? Ultimately, you would say yes. Over time the amount of beef that we are selling as a proportion of our total sales is reducing.” 

Plant-Based at Burger King 

Last January, Burger King UK launched the Rebel Whopper, a burger made with a plant-based patty that contained egg-based mayonnaise. While the Rebel Whopper was removed from the chain’s menu during the pandemic, Murdoch revealed that Burger King will be relaunching its Rebel Whopper as a fully vegan option. In addition, the chain will add a plant-based version of its Chicken Royale burger and meatless nuggets. In January 2021, Burger King UK also relaunched its classic Veggie Bean Burger as The Vegan Bean Burger (which no longer includes dairy cheese and egg-based mayonnaise).

Outside of the UK, Burger King continues to make strides in the plant-based direction following the 2019 launch of the Impossible Whopper at its more than 7,000 locations across the United States. Since then, the international chain has launched a variety of plant-based burgers worldwide. Most recently, Burger King partnered with Dutch brand The Vegetarian Butcher (which was acquired by Unilever in 2019) to add its plant-based products to its menu in 25 countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Thus far, the partnership has resulted in the launch of the Whopper Vegetal in Mexico, the Plant-Based Whopper in China, and vegan chicken nuggets in Germany, with more to come. In other markets such as South Korea and Japan, Burger King is working with Australian brand v2Food to add plant-based burgers to its menu.