Meat-free products: Linda McCartney versus the Beyond Burger

  • With the rise in popularity of meat-free products, planning a plant-based meal has never been easier. But the choice can be a little overwhelming.
  • We asked some eager volunteers to try two of the most popular meat-free products and give us their opinions.

The burgers

The Beyond Burger is possibly the most well-known and ‘meatiest’ of the meat-free products available today. Launched in the UK in 2018, the Beyond Burger aims to convert meat-eaters. But how does it compare to the classic Linda McCartney 14-pounder which has been wooing vegans and vegetarians since 1995? And what does our meat-eating couple think of it?

Meet the taste testers

Richard and Lynda have been married for 45 years.

Richard: Richard is not a vegetarian and regularly eats meat. But he says he is interested in vegetarian food for ethical reasons.

Lynda: Lynda is not a vegetarian either but she likes to have two or three meat-free days a week. While she prefers to do most of the cooking herself, she is interested in seeing what products are available especially since her daughter and her husband are vegan.

The Beyond Burger

Is the Beyond Burger the meatiest non-meat product on the market? Image by Beyond Meat

Richard and Lynda barbecued the Beyond Burger. They said it was slightly fatty and stayed together well.

What were the taste and texture like?

Richard: It had surprisingly pleasant, meaty taste. The texture was soft but it did not fall apart.

Lynda: It was very meat-like with a nice flavour.

How does it compare to meat?

Richard: It looked and tasted pretty similar to meat.

Lynda: It definitely reminded me of meat and made me confident to order a vegan burger when out. However, when I have meat-free days I don’t want my food to taste of meat.

On a scale of one to ten, how likely are you to ever try the Beyond Burger again?

Richard: 9/10

Lynda: 10/10

On a scale of one to ten, how likely are you to recommend the Beyond Burger to your meat-eating friends?

Richard: 9/10

Lynda: 6/10

On a scale of one to ten, how likely are you to recommend the Beyond Burger to your vegetarian or vegan friends?

Richard: 9/10

Lynda: 10/10

Any final thoughts about the Beyond Burger?

Richard: I surprised myself by enjoying it very much. If I was invited to eat a Beyond Burger at a BBQ I would be pleased. They are better burgers than many meat products I have eaten in the past.

Lynda: I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to my meat-eating friends because they tend to steer clear of the vegetarian dishes I make at parties. I didn’t like the look of the Beyond Burger before it was cooked, so was pleasantly surprised by the taste.

Linda McCartney’s ¼ pounder

Linda McCartney 1.4 pounder: on the shelves since the mid 90s. Image by Linda McCartney

Richard and Lynda also barbecued the Linda McCartney burger. It cooked quickly at stayed firm.

What were the taste and texture like?

Richard: It was rather pale in colour. However, I did enjoy the flavour.

Lynda: It was dense and meat-like but didn’t have much flavour.

How does it compare to meat?

Richard: You couldn’t really compare it with meat.

Lynda: It reminded me of a dense beef burger.

On a scale of one to ten, how likely are you to ever try Linda McCartney burgers again?

Richard: 9/10

Lynda: 8/10

On a scale of one to ten, how likely are you to recommend Linda McCartney burgers to your meat-eating friends?

Richard: 9/10

Lynda: 6/10

On a scale of one to ten, how likely are you to recommend Linda McCartney burgers to your vegetarian or vegan friends?

Richard: 10/10

Lynda: 10/10

Any final thoughts about Linda McCartney burgers?

Richard: I was pleased that this product had no plastic packaging.