Burger King joins plant-based trend as it unveils Impossible Whopper

As Burger King unveils its plant-based meatless Impossible Whopper, the food-chain becomes the latest to launch a new product in a bid to entice vegetarians to its restaurant.

The burger provides a meat-free alternative to the famed flame-grilled beef Whopper.

The fast-food chain announced on Monday it's testing out "Impossible Whoppers", made with plant-based burgers from Impossible Foods, in 59 locations in Missouri, US.

The new burger comes after the bakery chain Greggs introduced a vegan sausage roll to their range.

In a taste test video, Burger King showed some of their loyal customers reacting with surprise when they were told they were eating plants, not beef.

Unlike existing vegetarian burgers, "Impossible" products are designed to mirror the look and texture of meat when cooked.

It has been described as Whopper’s "twin" by the burger’s manufacturer, and contains 17g of protein and zero cholesterol.

Impossible Foods, the creators of the meatless patty, said the recipe "delivers the rich, beefy taste that discerning meat lovers demand with as much bio-available iron and high-quality protein as a comparable serving of ground beef from cows".

US customers will pay around 76p ($1) more for an Impossible burger than a regular Whopper to offset the higher production cost.

The Impossible Whopper comes hot on the heels of Greggs' vegan sausage roll which is the bakery chain's [fastest selling new product](http://Greggs on a roll as sales top £1bn for the first time) in the past six years, demonstrating an appetite in the market for meat-free and vegan products.

Chief executive Roger Whiteside paid homage to the impact of the vegan sausage roll saying it is a "revelation".

He said: "It is clear to us that dietary choice is something that is broadening in appeal and in the way we live."

A Greggs spokesperson added: "We understand that vegan (and vegetarian) diets are of growing importance to many people... we want to offer more tasty vegan friendly options and have been working hard behind the scenes to do just that."

They continued: "We’re proud that we now have two vegan products - the award-winning Mexican bean wrap, and of course, the vegan sausage roll."

Greggs' move to expand into vegan products has been echoed by other popular food chains such as Pret A Manger, which has launched Veggie Pret stores in London and Manchester.

The first Veggie Pret opened initially as a pop-up store in Soho in London in 2016, but it became a permanent shop due to its success.

A spokesperson for Pret said the cafe chain "has long been committed to offering a wide variety of vegetarian and vegan options to our customers.

"This overwhelming positive feedback prompted us to open two more Veggie Prets in London, followed by a fourth in Manchester last year.

"The success of our veggie shops has inspired us to launch more vegetarian and vegan dishes in all Pret shops."