McDonald’s will soon have a new meat-free option that will be available in selected UK restaurants

And it looks like people living in the Midlands will be some of the first to try it with the rest of the country to follow later this month

The fast food chain which has almost 39,000 outlets in 119 countries globally is rolling out its new vegan McPlant burger in 10 stores in and around Coventry from September 29.

But those living elsewhere in the UK will have to wait a little longer to get their mitts on it.

In October, another 250 stores will debut the new plant-based option. However, the official launch is set to be on January 1 2022 – to coincide with Veganuary.

McDonald’s has spent the last three years researching and developing the vegan burger – which has been co-created with Beyond Meat.

While the burger is plant-based and made with pea protein, it still comes in at 429 calories (for context, a beef quarter pounder is 518).

It’s also cooked separately from other items on the McDonald’s menu – even with different utensils, to avoid contamination.

We tried the McPlant burger – this is what we thought:

As vegan and plant burgers go, this is definitely one of the better ones.

Made in collaboration with Beyond Meat, the patty itself resembles a meaty one.

While the texture is different to beef and chicken, what stands out the most is that the burger still retains the classic McDonald’s flavour. So you instantly know it’s from the fast food chain.

The McPlant is also a really tasty burger. It’s not dry at all (as lots of vegan burgers can be) and it’s pretty filling. So it leaves you feeling satisfied – as any fast food should.

It also has all the elements of a classic McDonald’s burger: a juicy patty topped with gherkins, tomato, lettuce, and ketchup and a vegan burger sauce in a classic sesame seed bun.

Even the vegan cheese, made with pea protein, is a great imitation of American cheese.

Overall the burger is likely to impress vegans and meat-eaters alike.

Customers may not opt for this over a beef quarter pounder every time, but it’s good to know the option is there and the standard is high.

Is the McPlant burger vegan?

While it’s a little strange that McDonald’s hasn’t explicitly referred to the new product as ‘vegan’ in any of its promotions (instead using ‘plant-based’ or ‘meat-free’ as terms), it would seem the McPlant burger does fall into this category.

The press release for the launch reads: ‘Based on feedback and expectations from local customers, the UK & Ireland version of the McPlant is fully accredited as vegan by the Vegetarian Society to ensure it meets the highest vegan standards.’

Likewise, the team have also confirmed to MarkMeets.com that the new burger is vegan.