Beyond Meat has launched a new product, the Spicy Beyond Burger Jalapeño, at retailers across the UK. The launch comes as Europe continues to be Beyond Meat’s strongest market and a focal point for the business.
The burger is described as “irresistibly juicy and delivering a spicy kick”. High in protein and made without soy, the NPD is aimed at all consumers who want to “continue eating what they love, no sacrifice required”; this includes meat-eaters, flexitarians, and vegans. The patty is said to be ideal for grilling, with Beyond Meat research indicating that 42.5% of respondents now serve or eat more plant-based foods at barbecues than they did five years ago*.
“There is a growing trend for spicy foods in the UK,” said Ellie Stevens, Senior Brand Manager GB at Beyond Meat. “Our recent data has shown that Brits love spice at their BBQs with nearly a third of consumers purchasing spicy products**, so we wanted to bring a delicious spicy kick to our iconic Beyond Burger.”
“Solid progress”
Earlier this year, it was reported that the company’s international retail sales had risen by 39% while international food service sales jumped 79%, largely driven by European demand. In February, Beyond Meat announced an overhaul of its recipe, simplifying the ingredients and adding several nutritional enhancements to address the criticism that plant-based meat is too processed.
Beyond Meat recently published its Q1 2024 financial results, which revealed an 18% year-over-year decline to $75.6 million. Despite this, CEO Ethan Brown has remained positive.
“In Q1, we made solid progress against our 2024 priorities, including: hitting our first quarter revenue objective; reducing operating expenses and cash consumption year-over-year; bringing production in-house to reduce costs and improve quality; and commencing shipments of Beyond IV, the fourth generation of Beyond Burger and Beyond Beef,” he said. “Together with measures we are exploring to bolster our balance sheet, we continue to work to position 2024 as a pivotal year as we strive to achieve sustainable and profitable operations.”
The chilled version of the new burger is now available at 280 Tesco stores, 280 Sainsbury’s locations, and Ocado. The frozen version will launch at 200 Tesco stores on June 6, and 200 Sainsbury’s stores in September.
* According to Beyond Meat research carried out by Vypr, in the UK in May 2024, which polled 504 respondents, 42.5% of respondents serve and/or eat more plant-based foods at BBQs than they did 5 years ago.
** According to Beyond Meat research carried out by Vypr in the UK in May 2024, which polled 508 respondents, 32.5% of respondents purchase ready-made spicy food.
