A fast food chain has flipped the current trend for plant-based 鈥渕eat鈥� on its head by creating a 鈥渕egetable.鈥�
In a swipe at the vegan craze for plant-based burgers, Arby鈥檚 has released a one minute commercial for 鈥淭he Marrot,鈥� a meat-based carrot.
鈥淚f they can make meat from veggies (and other stuff)鈥e can make veggies from meat,鈥� the caption on the 56 second clip reads.
鈥淢eet the first-ever megetable: The Marrot.鈥�
The ad continues like a cooking show, explaining the ingredients needed for the counterfeit carrot and how to make it.
The recipe involves turkey breast, a cheese cloth and plastic wrap to keep the parts together. The meat then needs to rolled in carrot powder.
An hour in the oven leads to an impressive carrot-like result. Topped with a sprig of parsley bound to fool the most eagle-eyed vegan on first sight.
The end of the ad is a play on the chain鈥檚 slogan 鈥渨e have the meat鈥� to 鈥渨e have the megetables.鈥�
A tongue-in-cheek press release announcing the 鈥渕egetables鈥� boasts of its meaty credentials and fires a shot at other restaurant chains who have been quick to embrace the plant-based craze.
鈥淧lant-based meats are the latest incarnation of making vegetables look like what Americans really want, which is great, tasty meat,鈥� Jim Taylor, chief marketing officer for Arby鈥檚, .
鈥淯niversally, people know we鈥檙e supposed to eat vegetables every day. But 90 per cent of American鈥檚 don鈥檛 eat the recommended amount. So we said if others can make meat out of vegetables, why can鈥檛 we make vegetables out of meat?鈥� the release states.
Arby鈥檚 said the Marrot will 鈥渘ot initially be available to guests.
One of the most prominent food companies making plant-based burgers is Beyond Meat.
The American company made its stock market debut last month and saw its price per share triple on the first day of trading.
The company鈥檚 patties are used in Burger King, Tim Hortons and A & W, among others.
Beyond Meat founder Ethan Brown told The Canadian Press that Canada is 鈥渨ell-positioned to benefit from the transition from animal meat to plant-based alternatives.鈥�
He claims his products requires 99 per cent less water and 93 per cent less arable land to produce.
