Having dabbled with vegetarianism myself, I’m familiar with the lack of exciting options on offer at most restaurants in the UK.
A mushroom burger here, a dry old falafel there, maybe a slice of halloumi if you’re lucky, so it’s no wonder avid meat eaters struggle to see the appeal of vegetarian dishes when dining out.
Vegan and vegetarian-friendly restaurant Mildreds and plant-based brand Moving Mountains have come up with a way to convince meat eaters that plant-based food isn’t boring, by creating a 'bleeding' vegan burger.
Yep, you read that right.
**WATCH NOW: 7 Foods You Never Knew Were Superfoods **
The B12 burger is made of all plant ingredients, including mushroom, pea protein, potato protein, vitamin B12, beetroot and coconut oil, it sizzles, goes brown in the pan and 'bleeds', just like a meat patty, according to Moving Mountains.
I totally understand the appeal of, and the need for, more vegan and vegetarian burgers, have you ever tasted a Quorn burger for example?
It’s not a bad food item, but it’s no match for an actual meat burger. To enjoy one you either have to have been a vegetarian for a long time which means you’ve forgotten how meat tastes and feels, or you have to remove all thoughts of actual burgers from your mind and just appreciate it as the flat Mycoprotein disc it is.
But a ‘bleeding’ burger? I don’t even want my meat burgers to bleed, thanks.
Nevertheless, the B12 burger is creating a buzz, and it’s all very futuristic.
‘We can’t wait to launch the Moving Mountains B12 burger exclusively at London institution, Mildreds and let people bite into the future with our plant-based meat,’ said Moving Mountain’s founder Simeon Van der Molen, who turned to veganism after a routine blood test at the GP returned a high cholesterol reading.
‘This launch not only marks a huge leap in innovation for humanity, by allowing consumers to bite into a future that is better for their health and the health of our planet, but also addresses a growing new consumer trend for flexitarian dining.
‘Now Brits can have their meat and eat it without the environmental impact of the animal agriculture industry. Without any compromise on taste, the Moving Mountains B12 burger provides a viable alternative for flexitarians, vegans, vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.’
Mildreds all vegan and vegetarian menu is a place of solace for people who can’t find appealing meat and dairy free options elsewhere.
Mildreds will serve the B12 burger with lettuce, basil mayo, onion and relish in a bun from February 24th for £10, but only at their Dalston location between 12 and 2pm.
Follow Phoebe on Twitter @PhoebeParke
**READ MORE: The Best Vegan Snacks **
Debrief Best Vegan Snacks
1 of 101. Raspberry And Coconut Energy Bites
Remember when everyone was going crazy for 'energy balls'? Well, it's not too late to get involved. And if you're going to I'd recommend starting with this cute looking raspberry and coconut ones by My Fussy Eater. The matter of whether or not honey is considered vegan or not is hotly contested in the veganism world, but if you're of the opinion that no, honey is not vegan, then ditch the honey from the recipe, swap it for agave nectar or maple syrup and you've got yourself a really yummy healthy snack to munch on.
2 of 102. No Bake Breakfast Brownies
Bet you didn't think the words 'breakfast' and 'brownie' would ever go hand in hand, did you? Well, thanks this recipe right here over on the it is now. They're rich, fudgey and require zero baking at all. Dreamy.
3 of 103. Banana Bread
Banana bread, aka, the undisputed king of breads with stuff in them, was given the vegan-treatment over on the Hell Yeah It's Vegan blog and we're into it. It takes a bit of time, but doesn't it look worth it!
4 of 104. Toffee Crisp Bars
Cadbury's Toffee Crisp were up there as one of my all time favourite chocolate bars growing up. But, even though they seem to have disappeared from the shelves of all of my local supermarkets, Wallflower Kitchen's recipe will give you something pretty close.
5 of 105. Peanut Butter Balls
If you're upset about Reece's famous Pieces not hitting the vegan scale, here's your replacement: peanut butter balls by Namely Marley.
6 of 106. Cinnamon Apple Chips
We've all dabbled in vegetable crisps a couple of times, but what about fruit crisps like the ones on the Williams Sonoma website. They take practically no time at all (like, 25 mins) and sound delicious.
7 of 107. Lemon Berry Bars
Boy, does Texanerin Baking have a treat for you. Let us introduce you to berry bars that will make you feel super accomplished after making and (if there are any left) can be frozen for future bouts of the munchies.
8 of 108. Sweet Potato Doughnuts
Yep, you heard. Sweet potato doughnuts a la FriFran. The recipe makes 20 miniature bite-sized morsels of wonderfulness and are almost too pretty to look at for too long without drooling.
9 of 109. Pretzel Bites
Who can resist the smell of freshly baked pretzels? No one, that's who. And lucky for us, we don't have to. Follow the Hot For Food blog recipe and never look back.
10 of 1010. Baked Spring Rolls
Well, we had to throw a savory option in for good measure, didn't we? If you're bored of carrots and hummus and fancy a bit of a challenge give these packed spring rolls a try. The Minimalist Baker recipe has crispy tofu and a satay-esque almond butter dipping sauce. Hungry yet?
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.