Pret-A-Manger Locations Nationwide Are Now Offering A Plant-Based Meat Alternative

In recent years, plant-based eating has taken a turn for the popular. Piplsay surveyed customers of fast food establishments that serve plant-based meat options and found that "60% would continue eating fake meat at fast-food chains, mainly for health reasons." Accordingly, companies have expanded their repertoires to include meatless meal options for those who are either vegan or simply trying out a plant-based lifestyle for health, environmental, or other reasons. 

Fast food restaurants' vegan menu additions have ranged from KFC's Beyond Meat fried chicken to Chipotle's vegan lifestyle bowl with sofritas — and many more. More recently, United Kingdom-based cafe and sandwich chain Pret A Manger has entered the plant-based space with a meatless menu option of its own. While Pret's menu already includes several vegetarian options — such as an egg salad sandwich, tomato macaroni and cheese, and lentil soup — this new offering is made without any animal products.

As of January 24, Pret A Manger is hopping on the plant-based bandwagon with a meatless meatball wrap, per an announcement sent to Mashed. Instead of partnering with Beyond Meat, as many fast food brands have done, the chain has teamed up with Meatless Farm to create the first-ever plant-based meat substitute on Pret A Manger's menu. The meatless meatball wrap tucks vegan meatballs, developed for Pret only, marinara sauce, red onions, red peppers, and crispy onions into a seven-grain wrap.

Meatless Farm may be unfamiliar to some, but its website reveals that it recently also collaborated with Nathan's Famous on plant-based hot dogs. Nathan's is the hot dog brand that regularly hosts a hot dog eating competition on Coney Island, so the fact that it trusted Meatless Farm to create a vegan version of the real thing is certainly something to note. Pret's announcement suggested that its meatless meatball wrap would be the first of multiple plant-based innovations in the coming years, so fans may be able to expect more vegan dishes from the chain in the future.