Opening of 30 new outlets in the UK is opportunity for plant-based menu to expand
Food awareness organization, ProVeg UK, has called upon American fast food chain Popeyes to compete to be the most climate-friendly fast food outlet in the UK as the company announces plans to open in 30 new locations this year.
The new restaurants will add to the existing 36 outlets that Popeyes already has in the UK since it first opened in the country in 2021.
Popeyes is owned by Restaurant Brands International (RBI), a fast food holding company that has made bold commitments to reduce the impact of its companies on the environment, including on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Burger King UK, also owned by RBI, has already committed to be at least 50% plant-based by 2030 and came out top of a fast food ranking of UK chains carried out by ProVeg last year.
“We know that plant-based food emits half the amount of greenhouse gasses as animal-based food (1) so we encourage Popeyes to mark its UK growth this year with an expansion of its plant-based offerings,” Jimmy Pierson, Director of ProVeg UK, said.
“By doing so, Popeyes has a golden opportunity here to compete – and even look to exceed – Burger King’s ambitions to become the leading, plant-friendly fast food chain in the UK,” Pierson said.
Increasing plant-based menu items allows fast food chains to play an important role in helping society transition to more climate-friendly diets. All five major chains in the UK are already making strides in the right direction, but there is still room for improvement.
Flexitarians embracing plant-based foods
Positive perceptions and consumer demand for plant-based foods have increased dramatically in recent years, particularly among flexitarians.
Fast-food chains across the world have responded to this trend in varying degrees depending on the regional market, adding vegetarian and plant-based items.
ProVeg is supporting this transition and has issued a report on how to normalize plant-based food offerings and drive fast food sales.
A separate, EU-funded survey carried out by ProVeg last year found that most Europeans are reducing their meat consumption.
The pan-European survey, called “Evolving appetites: an in-depth look at European attitudes towards plant-based eating” and funded by the EU’s Smart Protein project, found that 51% of meat eaters in Europe claim they are actively reducing their annual meat consumption, up from 46% in 2021.
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Footnotes
About ProVeg International
For media inquiries, email Peter Rixon and Jillian LaBruzzo at [email protected]
About ProVeg International
ProVeg International is a food awareness organization with the mission to replace 50% of animal products globally with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040. Our vision is a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet.
