KFC vegan chicken burger taste test: here’s how the new Imposter stacks up against the original KFC has launched a vegan chicken burger called the Imposter, which uses the same secret blend of herbs and spices as the original menu items

KFC is to launch a vegan version of its crispy, battered chicken for the first time since the fast food chain was founded in 1952.

The US-based company will begin selling its new “Imposter Burger” on 17 June in restaurants in London, Bristol, and the Midlands over a four-week period. A national roll-out will follow, popularity depending.

Recipe developer Victoria Robertson said at a preview in London that the faux chicken fillet used in the burger took a year to develop, and has been tailored to KFC‘s specific requirements.

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“It took us a year,” Ms Robertson said to i. “Which is actually quite quick for a company of our size. We wanted to get it right, so there was a lot of testing.

“Quorn is usually vegetarian, not vegan, so they had to do something particular for us. It’s produced and then we add our secret seasoning at a separate site. We can’t have it there.”

Probably the most successful vegan campaign to date is Greggs’ now illustrious vegan sausage roll, which also uses specially made Quorn.

Like Greggs, KFC has called its meat-free product “bespoke”. But where the bakery’s filling mimics minced pork, KFC’s resembles a processed chicken breast, which is covered in “the Colonel’s original recipe herbs and spices” and sandwiched between a standard glazed bun.

Quorn has done a decent job with the breast, which is firm and vaguely chicken-y; it’s not too dry or aggressively spongy. Even if it doesn’t tear apart like meat, its texture is such that it provides an ample vehicle for that famous Kentucky coating.

And there can be no complaints as to the flavour of the skin – it’s the same “secret blend” used since conception. The issue is that it needs to be more generously deployed. The coating is too thin. Because let’s face it, it’s what people go to KFC for, isn’t it? You could put a school dinner turkey escalope inside the stuff and people would still tuck in.

The chicken company’s classic fillet burger might be the closest comparison, though an alternative to American-style cheese hasn’t been used. It “doesn’t melt in the right way”, according to KFC. A hefty dollop of vegan mayonnaise and a base of lettuce are the only additions.

Ms Robertson said she is confident the menu item will prove a hit: “We thought developing a vegan menu item is really important. We’ve worked hard to perfect the Imposter.

“More people are choosing plant-based diets and reducing the amount of meat they eat. It’s about time we launched something for them.”

The Imposter Burger contains around 450 calories, and has less saturated fat and sugar than a traditional KFC chicken burger, so it might be a slightly healthier choice.

As far as sustainability is concerned, the product’s environmental advantages are harder to pin down. Ms Robertson couldn’t tell me how many regular fillet burgers are sold each month, or how many chickens might be saved were 50 per cent of them, let’s say, were replaced by vegan versions.

Really, it’s almost impossible to quantify how KFC’s first foray into plant-based dining might benefit the planet. Animal welfare is probably a topic best avoided.

Ms Robertson said: “We just want to offer customers the choice. I think some people might go for the vegan version instead, so we might end up reducing the number of fillet burgers we sell.

“But it might also allow vegans who have never tried KFC’s original recipe flavour the chance to do so. It works both ways.”

Unsurprisingly, KFC’s move towards veganism has support from advocates of plant-based dining.

Tony Davison, from Quorn, said: “A vegan KFC? We couldn’t believe it either. But we’ve done it – working with KFC we’ve created a bespoke Quorn fillet that does the Colonel’s recipe justice.”

And Peta’s Dawn Carr added: “We’ve been so excited to hear about this… We’re confident it will be a huge hit with the skyrocketing numbers of vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians around the UK.”

While the term “skyrocketing” might be a little enthusiastic, the UK’s shift to veganism is evident. And many others who haven’t yet committed to going the whole hog are simply looking to cut back on meat.

KFC isn’t alone in identifying the surge.

In January, McDonald’s introduced a vegan-friendly Happy Meal in the UK, which replaces a standard chicken or beef wrap with a red pesto goujon. McNuggets have been tested in Norway.

Burger King has also taken note. Its vegan Whopper, which uses a tailor-made iteration of the new Impossible Burger, famous for mimicking a bleeding beef pattie by using the plant-derived compound heme, has so far exceeded sales expectations in the US.

A spokeswoman previously said to i that “regulations don’t allow” the company to sell the Impossible Whopper in the UK. Yet.