Reader, reader, there is statistically little chance that you are vegetarian: in France, only 2.2% of the population does not eat meat (according to a study conducted for FranceAgriMer by IFOP in 2020 on a sample of 15 001 people). However, if you read these lines, it’s because the idea of swapping a beef steak for a vegetable-based alternative interests or intrigues you… and that’s rather new.
Since the development of fast food in Europe in the 1970s, the burger has long remained a symbol of meat culture. He never went out without his steak, or even two or three pieces of meat (like the potbellied triple cheeseburger at McDonald’s). It was not until the early 2010s that small brands specializing in veggie burgers appeared and began to prosper.
Hank Vegan Burger, created in 2013 in Paris, is now also present in Lille and Lyon. By the enticed profit, the behemoths of the sector have (timidly) followed suit. Burger King even joked in a commercial about its reversal, assuming that it had long believed that you can’t make a good burger without meat, just as you can’t make good fries without potatoes. The giant has finally flipped its apron and concocted variations of its star products, including a Veggie Steakhouse based on a vegetable mince made up of wheat, soy and spices, the taste of which is not surprising, because it is above all that of the classic barbecue sauce that accompanies it.
The success of Beyond Meat has further accelerated the greening of burgers. This Californian pioneer, now listed on the stock exchange, creates replicas of rare steaks from pea protein and beet juice. In its wake, French start-ups have launched: HappyVore (which raised funds from the investment fund of Xavier Niel, a personal shareholder of the World), La Vie, Umiami… But also distributor brands (Carrefour Veggie). They all aim to appeal to a predominantly young and “flexitarian” audience, who eat less meat without giving it up, and have convinced themselves that vegetables can send steak.
A very honorable copy of the Big Mac
We understand that the subject is eminently generational by going to Naked Burger, placed in the district of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, in Paris. With its candy pink decor and neon lights in the shape of palm trees, the fast food sign is a slightly sickening cross between an American diner and a candy box.
You have 68.83% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.