Marston’s wins PETA award for vegan menu

The animal charity recognised some of the ‘most exciting new plant-based offerings’ at its sixth annual Vegan Food Awards.

Marston’s vegan menu offers a choice of 11 dishes including buffalo cauliflower wings, a chocolate & cherry cheesecake, as well as Moving Mountains’ ‘bleeding’ B12 burger.​

The veggie and vegan burger ‘sizzles, smells, tastes and bleeds like meat but is completely plant-based’.

Natural ingredients

Supplier of the burger, Moving Mountains, claimed the deal with the pub group will grow the food brand’s revenue by more than £1m and will be introduced at 413 Marston’s pubs.

The B12 burger, which contains 18g of plant protein, uses natural ingredients, scientific processes and confidential technology to make the burger replicate animal meat in many ways.

It features oyster mushrooms, pea protein, oats and the vitamin B12 among other plant-based ingredients.

Moving Mountains said the burger also contains beetroot and its juice allows a 'bleed' at the centre of the patty, with it producing a 'blood-like' appearance.

Cruelty-free fare

Marston’s and Moving Mountains is responding to the nation’s shift to vegetarianism, pescatarism and the new flexitarian diet.

Moving Mountains spent more than three years developing the plant-based burger with a team of scientists, chefs and farmers with more than 200 test kitchen recipes to create the final product. The company believes this is set to be one of the most significant food inventions of the century.

PETA director of vegan corporate projects Dawn Carr said: “From ‘bleeding’ burgers to dairy-free ricotta, food and beverage companies are upping the ante with innovative and delicious vegan options to meet the booming demand for cruelty-free fare.

“Concerns about health, the environment and animal suffering are driving more and more people to select plant-based foods, which is why vegan eating is at an all-time high.”

Diageo-owned drink Baileys Almande Almondmilk Liqueur also won at the awards, taking home the Best Luxury Food Item gong.