Burgers for All

 

When North Americans think “fast-food”, the first thought that comes to our mind is “burgers and fries”. This may be due to the high presence and saturation of the world-famous restaurant, McDonald’s. Although each burger has a unique recipe, there are a few staple ingredients: A toasted bun, a slice of cheese and/or vegetables, and a meat-based patty. However, what about those who choose not to eat meat? 

According to a research study conducted at Dalhousie University in 2018, vegetarians and vegans accounted for 9.4% of Canada’s population (Flanagan, 2018). This study suggested that people under the age of 35 were more likely to consider themselves vegetarians or vegans compared to people 49 years old or older. Younger consumers with more education are committing to more “specialty diets”. Based on this study, vegetarian and vegan consumers are increasing at a rapid pace therefore, restaurants and meat-production industries must tailor to this new way of living. 

For those who choose not to eat meat, there are very few options. I, myself, am not a vegetarian or vegan but I have friends and relatives who do not eat meat and often find it difficult to find a vegetarian-friendly restaurant, specifically fast-food. I find that meat eaters take the plethora of burger joints available, for granted. However, as there is a rise in vegetarian and vegan consumers, vegetarian and vegan options are also slowly growing and becoming more common. For this blog post, I decided to try some vegetarian burger options near me. Specifically, I wanted to compare the quality of a more popular fast-food chain vegetarian burger, to the quality of a vegetarian restaurant’s burger. 

Beyond Burger

A&W is known for serving grass-fed beef, raised without the use of hormones, steroids or antibiotics (A&W, 2020). In 2018, all A&W restaurants in Canada began to serve plant-based burgers, provided by Beyond Meat. Beyond Meat is recognized for creating plant-based patties which look, cook, and taste like a traditional beef patty (Beyond Meat, 2022). There are misconceptions that plant-based burgers will not “satisfy the burger craving” or not taste as good as their beef burger counterpart. However, I am glad to say I was joyfully proven wrong! The “Beyond Meat Burger” from A&W was scrumptious and tasted like a regular beef burger. The contents of the burger were like a “Teen Burger” from A&W, as it had lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles between freshly toasted sesame seed buns. The beyond meat patty had a crispy outside, with a juicy inside. This burger was a blissful surprise, and it costs the same price as the “Teen Burger”. However, it is approximately $2 more than McDonald’s “Big Mac.” I would recommend this burger to all burger eaters as it checks all my boxes for a good burger!

Copper Branch

The vegetarian restaurant that I went to was Copper Branch; a vegan restaurant which serves 100% plant-based foods. As of 2019, the franchise has opened 45 locations across Canada, with 16 locations in Ontario, and some branches established internationally as well (Retail Insider, 2019). I was eager to try the burgers from Copper Branch because the franchise does not aim to serve products which taste like meat alternatives, but rather to serve products with a more authentic taste. I wanted to order something equal to the “Beyond Burger” from A&W for consistency purposes, so I ordered the “Black Bean Burger” which had lettuce, tomatoes and southwest sauce between sesame seed buns. This burger was imposing as the first bite was filled with an array of flavours. The “Black Bean” patty had a hint of sweetness to it, and a kick of spice as well. The texture was soft but did not crumble when eating it. The burger did not taste like the traditional beef burger but had its own distinct flavour, a flavour which I would like to enjoy again. The price of the “Black Bean Burger” was almost $5 more than McDonald’s “Big Mac” yet is a prime alternative. This option for non-meat eaters can become a favourite for many as the restaurant serves a variety of products with many unique flavours to offer.

Black Bean Burger

Both A&W and Copper Branch’s burgers provided me with a pleasant tasting experience and gave me more reason to eat consciously. As the number of vegetarian and vegan consumers continues to rise, restaurants need to include alternatives to allow for greater choice. Choosing meat alternative products can encourage production and potentially increase product choice too. So, if you are ever craving a good juicy burger, I invite you to try the “Beyond Burger” from A&W. Or, if you are craving a burger with a kick to it, try the “Black Bean Burger” from Copper Branch. You will not be disappointed!

 

References

A&W. (2020). A&W Company. Retrieved from A&W: https://www.aw.ca/awhome.nsf/company/

Beyond Meat. (2022). Beyond Burger. Retrieved from Beyond Meat: https://www.beyondmeat.com/en-CA/products/the-beyond-burger

Flanagan, R. (2018). More than 3 million Canadians Vegetarian or Vegan: Study. CTV News.

Retail Insider. (2019, February 25). Plant-Based Concept ‘Copper Branch’ Announces 26 Locations for 2019. Retrieved from Retail Insider: https://retail-insider.com/retail-insider/2019/02/plant-based-concept-copper-branch-announces-26-locations-for-2019/

 

Jevon Devasagayam

Global Management Studies Department

Toronto Metropolitan University