If you’ve seen South Park Season 21, you might remember a joke where Cartman fooled his vegan girlfriend Heidi into eating KFC by adding “Beyond” to the bucket, claiming it was plant-based. Strangely enough, the prediction seems to have come true, with KFC now offering Beyond fried chicken, albeit with a more thought-out approach.
Beginning this upcoming Monday, KFC locations across the U.S. will introduce plant-based Beyond fried chicken for a limited time. The result of a long-standing partnership between Beyond Meat and KFC’s parent company, Yum Brands, aims to deliver a plant-based alternative to traditional fried chicken while preserving its taste and texture. The success of the Beyond fried chicken trials in 2019 and 2020, where all test locations sold out, speaks volumes.
Similar to other fast-food ventures into plant-based meat, KFC targets consumers looking to reduce meat consumption or opt for a marginally healthier choice.
KFC will offer Beyond Meat’s plant-based chicken nationwide starting Monday for a limited time. https://t.co/tZTwTkdGQk
— CNBC (@CNBC) January 5, 2022
Kevin Hochman, U.S. president of KFC, remarked, “Customers are shifting towards plant-based proteins. January prompts resolutions for dietary changes.”
Ethan Brown, CEO of Beyond Meat, mentioned, “We are confident in our supply capabilities based on trial experiences.”
Prior to the launch, KFC made it clear that while Beyond fried chicken is plant-based, it is not entirely vegan due to shared equipment and surfaces with regular chicken. This preemptive clarity addresses past concerns in the plant-based fast-food realm.
