Femail blind taste test Burger King’s new Rebel Whopper and compare it to the beefy original

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Telling a whopper! Three meat-loving Femail reporters blind taste test Burger King’s new plant-based burger to see if it can match up to the flame-grilled original

  • Burger King launched the Rebel Whopper made from soy earlier this month
  • It’s an alternative to the Original Whopper and has just launched on Deliveroo 
  • Blindfolded Femail reporters tested burgers to see if they could tell them apart

By Bridie Pearson-jones For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

The start of 2020 has seen hundreds of diners tucking into vegan dishes as dozens of high-street chains and supermarkets launch plant-based menus.

Among them was Burger King, which is now serving a soy-based alternative to its much-loved Whopper, which is available across the country in store and for delivery exclusively on Deliveroo. 

Although the ingredients are completely plant-based, the burger isn’t strictly vegan because it’s cooked in the same grill as meat. The burger chain says the Rebel Whopper is aimed at flexitarians looking to reduce their meat-intake, rather than vegans or vegetarians.

It also claims that the  new plant-based offering is just like the original burger, so what happened when three meat-loving MailOnline reporters put it to the test.

All three of our tasters were blindfolded to see if they could tell the difference between the new plant-based offering and the original.

Claire’s verdict: Correctly guessed which burger was meat

Claire said: ‘I wasn’t 100 percent sure which one was which, because the tastes were very similar. 

‘Something in the texture of the vegan rebel gave it away, though.

‘I was it was good, although, I would not seek it out, there are definitely better vegan burgers out there! 

Tim said: ‘Even with a blindfold on it was easy to tell which was which – the rebel whopper had a softer texture, different taste and even left behind a much more planty aftertaste.’

Claire, who thought the burgers were very similar, said: 'I would not seek it out, there are definitely better vegan burgers out there!'

Claire, who thought the burgers were very similar, said: ‘I would not seek it out, there are definitely better vegan burgers out there!’

Tim said: '' Both these burgers were very filling, but that's really where the similarity ends.'

Claire said: 'I wasn't 100 percent sure which one was which, as the tastes were very similar'

Both Claire (right) and Tim (left) correctly guessed which burger was made from beef and which was soy

A vegetarian’s verdict 

As the Rebel Whopper is cooked on the same grill as meat, it’s debatable as to whether its actually vegan, but I tried it and many other vegetarians I know would too. PETA encourage people not to worry too much traces of meat or dairy and with that in mind I had a bite of the burger. 

I didn’t think either burgers looked particularly appealing, but in appearance they were indistinguishable, Burger King have done a good job of making it look very meaty.

As soon as I tried the Rebel Whopper I could tell it was soy. I’ve tried just about every mock-meat there is and soy has a very distinctive texture, it reminded me of Linda McCartney’s mozzarella burgers. I don’t mind the texture of soy though. 

That said it was tasty, it definitely wasn’t as good as an Impossible Burger, a Moving Mountains Burger or a Beyond Burger but still as nice alternative nonetheless – and better than a load of mushed up veg. 

I wouldn’t seek it out, but if I was with someone who was really keen on getting a BK, I wouldn’t be opposed to ordering it.   

– Bridie Pearson-Jones    

Tim’s verdict: Correctly guessed which burger was meat

‘Both these burgers were very filling, but that’s really where the similarity ends. 

‘Even with a blindfold on it was easy to tell which was which – the rebel whopper had a softer texture, different taste and even left behind a much more planty aftertaste. 

‘The salad only masked the difference very slightly. 

‘The Rebel version was fine but I think I’d stick to the meaty one if I was ordering myself – and one of these burgers is more than enough to fill you up. 

James’ verdict: Correctly guessed which burger was meat  

‘Before I tried both burgers, I was hopeful that both would taste remarkably similar. 

‘I’d heard these vegan alternatives could almost have you fooled into thinking they were the real thing.

‘However I found the taste between the meat Whopper and the Rebel Whopper quite different and it was clear to me which one was which.

‘This wouldn’t be a problem if the Rebel Whopper tasted better than the meaty original, but for me it was the latter that got my taste buds tingling.

‘It was certainly a good try from Burger King on this, the Rebel alternative is still tasty and people should be commended for branching out and trying new things. But on taste alone, it’ll have to be the meat for me.    

James correctly guessed which burger was meat. He said:'I found the taste between the meat Whopper and the Rebel Whopper quite different and it was clear to me which one was which.'

James correctly guessed which burger was meat. He said:’I found the taste between the meat Whopper and the Rebel Whopper quite different and it was clear to me which one was which.’

James added: 'It was certainly a good try from Burger King on this, the Rebel alternative is still tasty and people should be commended for branching out and trying new things. But on taste alone, it'll have to be the meat for me.'

James added: ‘It was certainly a good try from Burger King on this, the Rebel alternative is still tasty and people should be commended for branching out and trying new things. But on taste alone, it’ll have to be the meat for me.’

Can you tell which is which? Three MailOnline reporters tried the Original Whopper (left) versus the Rebel Whopper (right)

Can you tell which is which? Three MailOnline reporters tried the Original Whopper (left) versus the Rebel Whopper (right)

‘There’s been a surge in demand plant-based meals’

Following successful plant-based launches in the US and European markets , The Rebel Whopper landed in the UK this month to satisfy Brits’ plant-based needs – which seem to be continuing to surge across the UK. 

Tom Peters from Deliveroo said: ‘We’re continuing to see a massive increase in demand from our customers for plant-based dishes following a huge surge in popularity in 2019 across the UK. Plant-based food is a growth area we are really excited by at Deliveroo so we’re thrilled to be offering Brits the Rebel Whopper from Burger King.’

Burger King, are now serving a soy-based alternative to their iconic Whopper, which is available across the country in store and for delivery exclusively on Deliveroo

Burger King, are now serving a soy-based alternative to their iconic Whopper, which is available across the country in store and for delivery exclusively on Deliveroo 

Katie Evans, Marketing Director of Burger King said: ‘This really is a game-changer – we wanted out first plant-based Whopper to replicate the indulgence and flame-grilled taste of the real thing as closely as possible, and we’re thrilled with the result. We’re delighted to satisfy the demand for this highly-anticipated product and finally bring the Rebel to the UK.’

The Rebel Whopper consists of a flame-grilled, 100 per cent plant-based patty topped with freshly sliced tomatoes, fresh lettuce, creamy mayonnaise, ketchup, crunchy pickles, and sliced white onions on a toasted sesame seed bun.

Proving the rise of flexitarianism isn’t just another here-today and gone-tomorrow food trend, Deliveroo has seen a huge increase in demand for plant-based food in the last twelve months, with orders of meat-free dishes up 170 per cent on the previous year. When looking at the past two years combined, orders of plant-based dishes via Deliveroo have increased over 330 per cent.