Plant-based meats are big business, with a range of alternatives that mimic the taste, texture and umami-hit of the real thing. One of the best known is the Beyond Burger meat-less patty, but Aussie home cooks haven’t been able to get their hands on it – until now.

While the patties have been available at the likes of Grill’d, Lord of the Fries and Soulburger since 2018, they can now be purchased at 800 Woolworths supermarkets across Australia.

It’s a smart move. The big money is on faux-meat going mainstream. Data from Food Frontier reveals one in three Aussies are consciously limiting their
consumption of animal meat, with $150 million being spent on plant-based meat products in 2019, according to Deloitte Access Economics.

Woolworths plant-based category manager, Mauro Pisani, says the data corresponds to how Aussies are shopping. “Over the past year, we’ve seen a growing trend of customers who want flexibility and variety in their diet, driving a nearly 40 per cent increase for our plant-based protein category,” he
says.

“We’re excited to add Beyond Meat within our broader range as the Beyond Burger gives shoppers a great tasting, high-quality plant-based option that delivers on the delicious burger-eating experience Aussies crave.”

The appeal of Beyond Burger, which launched in the US in 2016, is that it’s not just for vegans. It caters to meat-eaters who want to improve their health, but not sacrifice on taste such as flexitarians and meat-reducers.

It is designed to look, cook and taste like meat so that it mimics the texture and juiciness you’d expect of a real burger patty. Then there are the health benefits including 20 grams of protein per patty from peas, mung beans and brown rice. It is also soy and gluten free, kosher and halal so it works for a variety
of eating plans.

Beyond Meat’s vice president of international business development, Ihab Leheta, says Australian diners have embraced the product at foodservice outlets so it makes sense to expand the offering to supermarkets.

“Our mission is to provide consumers with absolutely delicious plant-based meats that are better for their health and the health of the planet so that they can continue to enjoy their favourite meals, no sacrifice required,” he says.

“We know that to win, we have to deliver on taste, nutrition and price. If we can do those three things, we see a tremendous opportunity to transition people from animal-based meat to plant-based meat.”

The Beyond Burger two-pack is available at Woolworths for $11.