McDonald’s is launching its first fully vegan meal in the UK

McDonald’s has never held veggies in terribly high regard. It literally serves no sandwich that’s vegan-friendly for any meal of the day, and you get the feeling it’d still be frying potatoes in beef fat if not for a class-action lawsuit.

However, during Veganuary earlier this year, the company launched its first-ever Veggie Happy Meal and a new Spicy Veggie Wrap to provide a greater choice for its customers.

Now the fast-food giant is adding its first fully vegan meal to the menu in the form of Veggie Dippers with vegan-friendly fries.

The meal, which will launch in the UK in January will also include any of the soft drink options and sauces and will cost £4.99.

Customers who have tried McDonald’s vegan options previously will recognise the dippers, which are made from red pepper, rice, sundried tomato pesto, and split peas, coated in crispy breadcrumbs, as they were also used in the vegan options launched earlier this year.

The dippers will also be able to be purchased as part of a Happy Meal, which will include two dippers, a vegan-friendly side such as a vegetable bag, fruit bag or fries, and a drink for £2.99. Alternatively, the Veggie Dippers can be purchased separately, with a bag of four costing £3.29.

Cross-contamination

Although the company launched vegan options earlier this year, the tortilla wraps were prepared in the same toaster as the one used for McDonald’s buns, which contain milk, and so the fast-food chain opted to label the dishes as vegetarian rather than vegan.

However, the new vegan meal has been certified by The Vegetarian Society and uses fully vegan ingredients and cooking methods to ensure there is no risk of cross-contamination.

Thomas O’Neill, head of food marketing at McDonald’s UK and Ireland, said: “In the last 12 months we’ve seen an 80 per cent uplift in customers ordering vegetarian options at McDonald’s, so it is time for the brand famous for the dippable McNugget to launch a dippable option for our vegetarian, vegan and flexitarian customers.

“The Veggie Dippers are a delicious addition to our menu and we’re looking forward to seeing what customers make of our first vegan Extra Value Meal and Happy Meal in the New Year.”