Lidl launches the Next Level Meat vegan burger
Vegetarians and vegans used to have a somewhat limited shopping experience at Lidl, but that has now changed. The range of vegetarian and vegan products has grown considerably, with its showpiece being the climate-neutral ‘Next Level Meat’ vegan burger.
Lidl is launching the new range just before the national ‘Week Without Meat’, which starts today. Week Without Meat or not, more and more Dutch people are choosing to eat no meat every now and then, or to remove meat from their menu altogether. In the Netherlands, 1 percent of the population is now vegan, between 2 and 4.5 percent are vegetarian, and more than two-thirds are flexitarians. So it’s high time to expand the selection of good meat substitutes on the shelves!
Great price
The Next Level Meat vegan burger is an affordable alternative to the hugely successful Beyond Burger, no doubt the most hyped piece of ‘meat’ of last year. Unlike the pricey Beyond Burger (almost 6 euros), the Next Level Burger costs 3.29 euros. Does the burger also reach the next level in terms of flavour? I gave it a try.
Tartare-like texture
Soy, wheat and pea proteins form the basis of the veggie burger, which looks remarkably similar to a hamburger in colour and tartare-like texture. Then there’s the flavour. The burger is already seasoned, but just like a real burger, it only becomes truly delicious for me with a good bun (toasting your bun is an absolute must; it adds a lovely roasted aroma) and killer sauce. I made the Big Mac sauce, and the combination worked really well! The Next Level Meat vegan burger is a genuinely good meat substitute if you no longer want to eat meat but still want the meat experience. You can also turn it into a fresh BBQ showstopper with a fresh, spicy chimichurri, or make an Asian vegan burger with the surprising all-purpose sauce, the Korean ch’o kanjang, which is also ridiculously easy to make.
100% climate-neutral
In addition to the vegan burger, Lidl also sells ‘Next Level Meat’ mince. According to Lidl, both products save 91 percent in CO² emissions compared with beef products. The remaining 9 percent is offset by the supplier through Climate Partners, a company that supports projects in the Brazilian rainforest, where more and more areas are being allocated to small farmers and are no longer being cleared for soy plantations. As a result, according to Lidl, the Next Level Burger and the Next Level mince are 100% climate-neutral.
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