Non-Vegetarian/Vegan Perspective – Ella Kipling

My first thought when tucking into the new ‘McPlant’ burger at McDonald’s was: ‘is this not just a real burger?’ I will admit, I don’t eat beef burgers often as I am a bigger fan of chicken, but as far as I could tell, this burger was pretty similar to the real thing and I could barely taste a difference. Going off of texture and look alone, the patty – which was co-developed with Beyond Meat – looked so akin to beef that I had to double check the app to make sure I definitely ordered the ‘McPlant.’

I am not a vegetarian and have little experience with meat alternatives, so I was surprised that this ‘faux beef’ felt just like a real burger in my mouth. The taste was somewhat similar to beef, but it was not particularly strong and was overpowered a bit by the ketchup which came in the burger.

The ‘McPlant’ is quite small, so if you desire an afternoon snack or small lunch it is probably the perfect size for you. I would recommend getting the ‘McPlant’ as a meal with chips because I found that the burger alone is not particularly filling. It is also worth mentioning that the patty is thin compared to a normal beef burger, but is roughly the same size as a normal McDonald’s beef burger or cheese burger.

The lettuce was soggy, although I suppose that this is to be expected at McDonald’s (as a frequent visitor I do not think I have ever consumed a properly crispy piece of lettuce in my burgers from there). The ‘Vegan Sandwich Sauce’ felt like a pointless addition to the burger. Besides these small concerns, I would say that overall I was very impressed with the ‘McPlant’ and would recommend it to anyone, regardless of if they are vegetarian/vegan or not.

Vegetarian Perspective – Kitty Grant

I have been a vegetarian for almost six years, so there are some foods I am just used to not having anymore. For years, my McDonald’s experience has been relegated to lukewarm cheese bites and disappointing ‘veggie burgers,’ if you can even call them that, but no longer. With the announcement of the ‘McPlant’, McDonald’s are finally joining their competitors and releasing a vegan option that offers a similar experience to its meaty counterparts.

My expectations for the ‘McPlant’ were pretty high given the standard of other vegan fast food offerings that have been coming out in recent years, so I was really happy to feel like I was getting the authentic McSperience for the first time in McYears. The burger was made in collaboration with Beyond Meat, but it was not the standard Beyond Burger sold at other restaurants. Clearly, work has been put in to replicate the typical McDonald’s burgers. Of course, the ‘McPlant’ is not a gourmet experience, but the pea patty feels like the real thing.

Unfortunately, the vegan cheese was missing from our order, so this will also have to be missing from our review, but the other toppings were standard McDonald’s fare which added to the authenticity. For now, the vegan patty is only available in the ‘McPlant’, but hopefully in future McDonald’s will expand their line to place the new patty in a variety of burgers. I know in future the ‘McPlant’ will be top of my list after a night out.

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