Vegetarians Don’t Have to Miss Out on Pizza Hut’s Pepperoni Pizza Anymore
The chain and Beyond Meat are testing a plant-based pepperoni in five markets. Is it near you?
Photo courtesy of Pizza Hut
Big topping news for pizza-loving vegetarians and those who, for whatever reason, eschew pepperoni (yet secretly crave it): Pizza Hut and Beyond Meat have just announced they are collaborating to bring plant-based Beyond Pepperoni to Pizza Hut pizzas.
Starting August 10, Beyond Pepperoni Pizza — featuring a plant-based version of Pizza Hut’s most popular pizza topping — will be available as a test product for a limited time in almost 70 Pizza Hut locations in five different markets.
Beyond Pepperoni was co-developed by Beyond Meat and Pizza Hut's culinary teams as part of the brands’ ongoing partnership. (They previously collaborated to produce a plant-based sausage pizza topping that is, sadly, no longer available.) The plant-based pepperoni aims to mimic the “subtle heat” and crisp texture of Pizza Hut’s classic pepperoni. It features ingredients such as peas and rice, but is free from GMOs, soy, gluten, hormones, antibiotics or cholesterol.
“Pizza Hut's new Beyond Pepperoni Pizza delivers the same iconic taste as our original pepperoni that fans know and love,” Georgeanne Erickson, Pizza Hut’s chief brand officer, said in a news release. “With this new plant-based option, we’re giving customers more choices and more reasons to love Pizza Hut.”
Dariush Ajami, chief innovation officer of Beyond Meat, said the new product was being introduced in response to “strong consumer demand” for plant-based pepperoni.
“We're thrilled to unveil a game-changing plant-based pepperoni topping as the next chapter in our innovation-focused partnership with Pizza Hut,” Ajami said. "We're confident fans will love Beyond Pepperoni as it delivers the crisped edges and savory flavor profile of Pizza Hut’s classic pepperoni with the added benefits of plant-based meat.”
Beyond Pepperoni Pizza can be ordered — for a limited time only and while supplies last — on any crust at test Pizza Hut locations in Albany, New York; Columbus and Macon, Georgia; Houston, Texas; and Jacksonville, Florida.
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