HELL Pizza has launched a new meat-free option designed to entice carnivores into reducing their meat intake.
The new 'Burger Pizza' was launched on Friday 21 June, but HELL didn't tell customers what the pattie was made of, to see if people could tell the difference between it and a real meat patty.
In fact, the patty was made from plant-based Beyond Meat. After revealing the fact to customers in an online survey, 80 per cent of people said they were pleasantly surprised or unfazed to find out it was plant-based; more than 70 per cent said they would buy it again, and 70 per cent said the patty tasted just like meat.
Ben Cumming, General Manager of HELL, says they wanted to introduce customers to Beyond Meat in an unexpected way.
“We care about the planet and want to start a conversation and raise awareness about sustainable food choices. A lot of people are instantly put off by the idea of fake meats, so we made the call to not reveal its meat-free origins to eating it because we were so confident they’d enjoy these patties,” he said in a statement.
The decision comes in light of a growing trend for plant-based options at fast-casual restaurants. "So far this year' we've sold 35,000 vegan pizzas, and we see that trend increasing all the time," said Cumming. "With more pressure on the planet’s resources, we need to think about alternative food options. If covertly adding meat-free options onto a pizza encourages more people to be open-minded, we’re happy to do that."
