We tried McDonald's first vegan burger — here's the verdict (MCD)

Oliver Pechter / BI Nordic

• McDonald's is introducing a vegan burger, the McVegan, to menus in Finland and Sweden on December 28.
• The burger went through an extensive development process, as more than 100 recipes were tested.
• We enjoyed the burger and think it could attract new customers to McDonald's.

The news earlier this autumn that McDonald's was testing a vegan burger in Finland rocked the fast-food landscape. Though the burger was only sold in the small city of Tampere from October 4 through November 21, the response was overwhelming. And now McDonald's is rolling out the McVegan nationwide in Finland and Sweden on December 28.

"The test in Finland blew all the expectations out of the water," Staffan Ekstam, McDonald's head of food strategy in Sweden, said.

Oliver Pechter / BI Nordic

During development, tasting panels tried out and reviewed over 100 different recipes, with the sole objective of perfecting the first vegan burger for McDonald's, which has struggled to attract millennials with its standard range of burgers.

The soy-based patty has been developed specifically for McDonald's by Anamma, a niche food company from southern Sweden. Anamma led quite an anonymous existence until it was acquired in 2015 by Norwegian food giant Orkla, in response to a blossoming vegan trend in the fast-food industry.

Oliver Pechter / BI Nordic

We tried the McVegan – and here's the verdict 

Granted, McDonald's vegan debut is very late on the scene in the Nordics, but now that it's here, it's actually not bad. All in all, this is a very decent burger, and I say this as a person who never eats at McDonald's. The taste of the actual patty is quite neutral, with a good texture complemented by the straightforward, classic burger ingredients of lettuce, onion, tomato, and vegan mayo.

Oliver Pechter / BI Nordic

McDonald's attracts customers with a competitively low, or "very aggressive" price, as Ekstam puts it: SEK 49 ($5.8) for a McVegan. This is not only less than your average McDonald's menu item, but also considerably cheaper than McDonald's Swedish rival Max, which has seen enormous success with its range of vegetarian offerings in recent years.

Judging by the response the McVegan received in Finland, this product fills a substantial gap and might attract a whole new customer segment to the fast-food chain.

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