'Bleeding' vegan burger on sale in UK

The Beyond Burger is designed to look and taste like meat. Credit: Beyond Meat

A vegan burger which "bleeds" is now available in the UK.

Made largely of pea protein, and containing beetroot juice to make the patty ooze a red, meat-like juice, the Beyond Burger is now available in some Tesco branches where a pack of two patties will set you back £5.50.

Should you want someone else to cook it for you instead, the burgers can also be ordered at Honest Burger and All Bar One restaurants.

Beyond Meat, the company behind the Beyond Burger said they created the product to be just like the "juicy, delicious satisfaction of beef", using a combination of coconut oil and potato starch to "ensure mouthwatering juiciness and chew".

Each 90g patty contains 270 calories, 20g of protein and 20g of fat. Credit: Beyond Meat

The burgers had been due to arrive in the UK in August, but demand in the US following their release there in May 2016, meant that they missed barbeque season in the UK.

Making a vegan burger which is intended to look and taste like meat might seem counter-intuitive, but Beyond Meat said they were aiming their product at meat-eaters as well as those who are not carnivorous, adding that their "belief is that the best way to get people to eat less meat is by giving them what they love – in this case, a juicy delicious burger – without so many of the health, sustainability, and animal welfare downside of a traditional animal-based burger".

Each 90g patty contains 270 calories, 20g of protein and 20g of fat.