Burger King will release its new ‘Impossible Whopper’ today featuring the plant-based Impossible Burger patty.
The burger will be trialed in 59 Burger King outlets in St. Louis, Missouri, with the potential to roll out nationwide.
Some people have speculated that news of the patty is a ruse, but according to CNET: “While the partnership is debuting on April Fool’s Day, it’s no joke.”
Impossible Whopper
According to reports, the Impossible Whopper will be the same burger build as the store’s traditional beef-based option, featuring tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise, pickles, and sliced white onions on sesame seed bun.
The New York Times says the inclusion of mayo will ‘put it out of bounds for vegans’ – though usually, the franchise will usually customize its burgers if requested.
Taste test
The patty will be made with Impossible Foods’ standard recipe, but will be made into a wider, flatter shape, to mimic Burger King’s beef burgers.
According to a video made by Burger King and published on March 31, the chain conducted a test. “We conducted an experiment to evaluate how well Whopper fans know their beloved Whopper,” it said. “The people you will see here are real people and these are their real reactions.”
Multiple customers said they ‘couldn’t tell the difference’.
‘Not a niche product’
In addition, staff members also reportedly struggled to identify the two burgers.
“People on my team who know the Whopper inside and out, they try it and they struggle to differentiate which one is which,” Burger King’s Chief Marketing Officer, Fernando Machado, told the New York Times.
“I have high expectations that it’s going to be big business, not just a niche product.
“We see there is no compromise on taste, and lots of upside on things that people seem to be looking for.”