More than a year after introducing its Grand Veggie burger—made with breaded patties featuring salsify, carrots, cereals, Emmental cheese, and cabbage—McDonald's UK is expanding its vegetarian lineup to families. Since January 3, 2019, a dedicated vegetarian Happy Meal has been available at British outlets. It features a redesigned, dairy-free wrap with a pancake enclosing a fried red pesto stick, ketchup, and shredded lettuce, appealing to a broad audience. While vegan-friendly, the patties share the same toaster as milk-containing hamburger buns, per Metro.
To develop this option, McDonald's partnered with BritMums, a leading online community for mothers, and the Vegetarian Society, a respected charity advancing vegetarianism. Children and parents selected the red pesto wrap as the standout choice. "We've been proud to work with McDonald's for over 10 years, and it's great to see their vegetarian offering grow even more. The brand told us that a third of its customers thought it was important to eat more vegetarian dishes. Demand is growing everywhere, and it's fantastic to see McDonald's meet the expectations of its aficionados," says Lynne Elliot, director of the Vegetarian Society. We hope the French branch follows suit soon!
