Yum China secured one of the famous burgers at an official tasting event. From the looks of it, it was also the most successful. KFC was the first fast food brand to launch a Beyond Meat patty in mainland China. (Image credit: TechNode/Jiayi Shi) Umami minus fast food grease Reporter Eliza Gkritsi bites into the Beyond Meat x KFC phyto-beast in Shanghai. But the reaction from the public I saw was underwhelming. I’m the kind of person that always roots for the underdog.
The launch tried to play to its strengths: Western food, big brands as partners, a launch so limited edition that it is basically a trial before the trial. It seems to me that Beyond Meat is keenly aware it is playing an away game. READ MORE: Start-ups and incumbents battle for China’s meatless future In a country that overwhelmingly prefers pork to beef, loves fried chicken, is bursting with soy-based alternative proteins, and tacos and burgers are far from staple dishes, Beyond Meat’s botano-beef patty is a tough sell. I was impressed, but I didn’t encounter any Chinese consumers who were interested in trying the products.Īfter a hugely successful IPO in May 2019, Beyond Meat wants to bring its products to China. Pizza Hut made a burger with the plant-based patty, available from June 8 to 10. Taco Bell offered a plant-based taco in three stores in Shanghai from June 3 to 10. KFC tested a Beyond Meat burger in select stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Chengdu for three days. #PlantBasedDiet #KFC #China #Shanghai /75zzQ9AwhQ- TechNode June 18, 2020 "It's good." Our reporter tried the plant-based burger at KFC in Shanghai.