Finnish burger chain Bun2Bun is ditching the animal products and introducing an exclusively vegan menu in a bid to do its part for the environment.

Launching this week in Helsinki with three locations, Bun2Bun is now the nation’s first-ever vegan burger chain. The company has operated since spring, serving meat-based patties; speaking to News Now Finland, Bun2Bun co-owner and chef Pertti Kallioinen explained the change. “Why to change everything? Because I think as an entrepreneur I need to do my part as well for the environment,” he said.

Kallioinen and co-owner Pasi Hassinen already run two vegan-friendly chains, so it seemed logical to them that their next move would transform Bun2Bun with plant-based burgers.

The pair doesn’t think the new menu will deter meat-eating customers, though. “We’re not trying to make [it] a big thing that we’re vegan, we’re a burger chain but everything is vegan,” Kallioinen explained. “Everyone should start to think more about vegan options. Vegan is not bad. It’s very tasty.”

The vegan patties are from Beyond Meat, a California-based food tech company famous for its pea-protein Beyond Burger, which replicates the taste and texture of a beef patty and even “bleeds.” In line with Bun2Bun’s new eco-ethos, Beyond Meat received the United Nations’ “Champion of the Earth” recognition earlier this year for developing this sustainable beef alternative.

Bun2Bun now offers four different burgers, including a blue cheese burger, a barbeque cheddar burger, and a spicy grilled chili burger.

Kallioinen explained these choices, saying, “Those four burgers are giving all the different flavours, there’s a really heavy one, a really juicy one, and a classic one. We wanted to start with these four simple flavours first then we bring different kind of products later [sic].”

Vegan Restaurants are Replacing Meat-Heavy Eateries

Bun2Bun is not the only eatery ditching meat and dairy. In the UK, in September, London’s popular fish and chip shop Sutton and Sons announced that its Hackney location would be re-opening with a solely vegan menu. The new offerings include banana blossom and potato-based fish cakes, vegan prawn cocktail, and scampi and chips.

Earlier this year, the Blacksmith & Toffeemaker pub, also in London, dropped all animal products from its menu “to improve the sustainability of the pub.” The city’s French fine dining restaurant, Gauthier Soho, also promised to ditch foie gras and go fully vegan.

Head chef Alexis Gauthier explained at the time, “it is customers driving this move,” adding, “[PETA] were saying I was a horrible person because I was using foie gras. Then I thought about it and started to listen to what people had to say about the suffering of animals and thought ‘what am I here for?’ Is this really the future?”

Image credit: Jarno Peräkylä

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