Food & Beverage

Boston Pizza launches 1st plant-based offerings

Photo: File/provided.

June 22, 2021

Boston Pizza has partnered with plant-based product provider, Greenleaf Foods, to bring plant-based proteins to the pizzeria's menu, according to a news release. The new menu items stemming from the partnership include Lightlife's plant-based burger and a pizza featuring Field Roast plant-based Italian sausage crumbles.

Boston's Perfectly Plant-Based Burger comes adorned with lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, pickles and mayonnaise on a toasted brioche bun. The Hungry Herbivore Pizza includes Field Roast Italian Sausage that's made with fennel, onions, eggplant and sweet peppers. Boston Pizza chefs toss the plant-based sausage in a barbecue sauce, layering it with their signature pizza sauce, mozzarella, red pepper, Italian herbs and Parmesan.

Boston Pizza Director of Marketing Niel van Oyen said the two companies spent about six months perfecting the items.

"Boston Pizza noticed a growing interest in plant-based menu items over the past several years," he said in an email to Pizza Marketplace. "We made the decision to add Lightlife and Field Roast products to our menu because our guests were telling us they were interested in plant-based menu options.

"The Lightlife Plant-Based Burger gives us a great new addition to our Burger category, and the Field Roast crumble is a delicious pizza or nacho topping. We love the versatility it provides: it's easy for guests who may not have tried a plant-based protein to add it to their nachos or as a mix-and-match pizza topping."

Both options can be made vegan, and the barbecue plant-based sausage crumble can be added to Boston Pizza Classic Nachos or as part of a Create Your Own pizza.

Boston Pizza said consumers have shown an increasing appetite for plant-based protein options in recent years, with a majority of growth in the sector largely being driven by flexitarians. Data shows that more than 40% of Canadians — the chain's primary market — are actively trying to eat more plant-based foods, suggesting that more people will also expect restaurants to offer plant-based choices when dining out.

"We want to constantly evolve our menu to be reflective of changing consumer preferences," van Oyen said. "Many of our guests asking for plant-based menu items aren't necessarily vegetarian or vegan, rather they're interested in flexibility. So, our goal is to provide guests the flexibility they're looking for, without ever compromising on taste."