McDonald’s Joins Hands With Beyond Meat, To Co-Develop Plant-Based Meats

4 March 2021

Fast-food chains are rapidly adapting to the growing plant-based movement globally, recent examples being Burger King’s vegan Whopper, KFC’s plant-based nuggets and Pizza Hut’s plant-based meat toppings. 

Joining the movement, fast-food giant McDonald’s has announced a partnership with Beyond Meat, the plant-based meat company founded in Los Angeles. Last year, McDonald’s announced the launch of their McPlant burger in the U.S., and Beyond Meat will be the product supplier for the McPlant patty. The three-year agreement will also involve the brands co-developing other products such as plant-based chicken, pork and egg.

“We are honored to enter into a global strategic partnership with Yum! Brands, one of the world's largest restaurant companies. We look forward to expanding our work with the teams at Yum's iconic KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell brands to together bring truly delicious plant-based product innovation to consumers," stated Ethan Brown, the Founder and CEO of Beyond Meat.

Chris Turner, the CFO of Yum! Brands also commented: “We expect this Beyond Meat partnership to strengthen our brands’ capability to offer delicious, plant-based menu items that are driven by consumer demand for more diverse protein options and our brands’ strategies in local markets.”

Ethan Brown, Beyond Meat CEO (L) and Chris Turner, Yum! Brands CFO (R)

In 2019, Beyond Meat became the first plant-based meat company to enlist for an IPO, which resulted in a 163% rise in its shares on the first day. The company is backed by investors such as Leonardo di Caprio and Bill Gates.

What does this mean for the global plant-based movement?

Beyond Meat’s deals with some of the biggest restaurant chains in the world demonstrates the widespread acceptance of plant-based foods across the world.

Bruce Friedrich, Executive Director of The Good Food Institute also shared his insight on the partnerships, stating:

“With these two deals, the world’s largest restaurant chains are placing plant-based meat directly on the plates of millions of customers around the world. McDonald’s and Yum Brands have doubled down on plant-based meat and have demonstrated the long-term potential they see in the category. This is the clearest sign yet that the future of meat will be plant-based.”

Image Courtesy: Beyond Meat