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A KFC restaurant in Rotterdam is set to go meat-free for a week, in what has been described as a ‘historic’ moment for the fast-food chain.
All options at KFC on the Binnenwegplein will be replaced with veggie alternatives from March 9 – 15.
The switch is being made to highlight National Week Without Meat – an annual campaign in the Netherlands which launched in 2018, and aims to highlight the positive impact eating less meat has on people, animals, and the environment.
‘For everyone’
A new meat-free burger – the Chickenless Chicken Burger – will launch in all Netherlands outlets from March 9.
The sandwich will feature a breaded Quorn patty with flavored with the chain’s trademark 11 herbs and spices.
Trix van der Vleuten, chief marketing officer for KFC Northern Europe, said he was ‘very proud that KFC can now add a KFC-worthy vegetarian option to the menu’, adding that founder Colonel Sanders said KFC is for everyone, from truckers to millionaires.
‘Powerful message’
“For a branch of KFC to go 100 percent meat-free for a full week is nothing short of pioneering. We are seeing a glimpse into the future of fast food right here,” Philip Mansbridge, Executive Director of ProVeg UK, said in a statement sent to Vegan Food & Living.
“This is a landmark moment, showing the industry’s need and willingness to adapt to changing consumer preferences for tastes towards healthier and more sustainable foods.
“Public awareness around the environmental and health consequences of eating meat is growing fast. This branch of KFC is listening, and it sends a very powerful message.”
Vegan KFC
The chain’s meat-free week follows the launch of its Vegan Burger in the UK earlier this year. According to the fast-food giant, it sold a staggering 1,000,000 vegan burgers within less than a month of its launch – the equivalent to one sandwich being sold every three seconds.
In addition, the chicken giant partnered plant-based tech company Beyond Meat to create plant-based nuggets to trial in around 66 restaurants in the Charlotte, N.C., and Nashville areas for three weeks earlier this month.
If successful, the meat-free options could roll out across the UK.
Controversy
While KFC has garnered considerable support from the vegan and veggie communities, it has also divided opinion.
A recent survey carried out by magazine Vegan Food & Living revealed that 57 percent of respondents ‘would never eat at KFC, even if there were more vegan options’.
“You’re still putting money into the coffers of company that makes its primary source of money off of the slaughter of a specific animal…this is just a marketing ploy,” one social media user said talking about the chain releasing animal-free options.
