True to its word, McDonald’s has indeed started testing its new plant-based McPlant burger in select markets — in Denmark and Sweden.
The meatless burger was first teased as an upcoming menu offering during an Investors Day event in Nov. 2020. Made with a "juicy, plant-based patty" and "all the classic toppings" on a sesame seed bun, the McPlant was touted as the only plant-based burger with the "iconic" McDonald’s taste.
The Golden Arches also announced at the time that the McPlant was scheduled for testing in 2021. It appears, however, that overseas markets are the first to taste-test the McPlant.
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Both the websites for McDonald’s Denmark and McDonald’s Sweden include the McPlant among their current menu offerings, but only at select locations: Denmark’s denizens can try the burger at restaurants in over a dozen cities, while Swedish customers will find the McPlant at restaurants in just Linköping and Helsingborg. Each website stipulates that the McPlant is only a limited-time offering — on the menu only until April 21 in Demark, and only during a "pilot test" in Sweden.
The McPlant sandwiches, meanwhile, are not completely plant-based. Each is served with cheese and mayonnaise, though both toppings can be held upon request. In Denmark and Sweden, the McPlant patties themselves will also be cooked on the same grill as the restaurant's other burger offerings, as each branch's website clearly state.
It's unclear if the McPlant burgers, when they debut in the U.S., are intended to be cooked on a separate section of the grills. As of Tuesday morning, McDonald's U.S. did not have specific updates about the timeline or availability of the the McPlant stateside.
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The McPlant, first announced in November alongside news of the restaurant's other forthcoming beef and chicken innovations, is said to be made with a proprietary plant-based patty. Beyond Meat confirmed at the time that McDonald’s worked with them to develop the recipe, a claim McDonald's has since confirmed.
News of the McPlant was also announced after competitors, including Burger King, had introduced their own plant-based offerings on nationwide menus.