Burger joint debuts meat-free patty in Brighton

Smashburger's Brighton restaurant in North Street, welcomed Britain’s Got Talent illusionist Maddox Dixon to launch The Alternative Burger.

Tracy Gehlan, a former vice president of Burger King and now UK managing director of Smashburger, said: “Quite simply, the global demand for beef is unsustainable, but as the market innovates to follow changing tastes and behaviours, no-one until now has produced – entirely in the UK - a credible, tasty, healthy and quality alternative from simple, bespoke, all-natural food ingredients including mushrooms, beetroot, kidney beans, chick peas, golden beet, bulgur wheat and soya beans.

"The market has seen limited and very standard vegetarian burgers on menus for several years now, but the key has been creating a product that has the ‘Wow’ of the contemporary burger build and a taste experience that people love and can be eaten by literally anyone.

“Other meat-free options are beginning to arrive on our shores from overseas – some hindered by GM food ingredients - but we believe it’s important that the UK market now delivers this new, exciting and sustainable category both properly and swiftly. We will still sell beef for the timebeing, but this is an important step forwards in a journey that the entire industry needs to take."

Smashburger has re-engineered its entire core offer to include 26 alternative menu items, including the acclaimed Triple Double Line-Up, an infinite amount of ‘Create Your Own’ Alternative options and three dairy-free, vegan shakes.

The new menu was being rolled out at Smashburger’s Brighton and Glasgow stores this week and will arrive in all Smashburger UK stores within the next few weeks.

For more on The Alternative Burger and the Smashburger menu, visit: smashburger.co.uk/menu