Last Updated on January 5, 2020
KFC admitted selling chicken to vegetarians instead of a much-awaited vegan burger, saying “Hands up – this isn’t great.”
A couple, who had become vegetarian a few years ago, decided to return to the chain after the release of their vegan burger.
As they were finishing off their burgers, they came to the realization that they had been sold chicken instead of a vegan alternative.
The burger then made them feel ill when they noticed the chicken.
The anonymous woman, speaking to The Liverpool Echo, said “We both became vegetarian a few years back so obviously hadn’t been to KFC in a while.
“We heard about the new vegan burger and as it launched yesterday we decided to give it a try.”
When the couple ordered their meal through a drive-thru, they specifically requested for “two vegan meals.”
The brand began advertising the “Beyond Meat” options in the summer of 2019.
“It’s Kentucky Fried Chicken but it’s made with @BeyondMeat,” the company posted to its Twitter account. “It’s confusing, but it’s also delicious.”
It’s Kentucky Fried Chicken but it’s made with @BeyondMeat. It’s confusing, but it’s also delicious. Feast on these Kentucky Fried miracles tomorrow while they last at KFC in Atlanta, Georgia. pic.twitter.com/lC5oYM1cmk
— KFC (@kfc) August 26, 2019
The vegetarian customer added, “We asked for fries as a side and were informed they weren’t vegan so clearly it was understood what we ordered. We had the choice of beans or corn but then were asked if we wanted a fillet or zinger burger.”
“I was a bit confused but thought maybe they were different spices so I said fillet,” said the customer.
“I started searching online and people were saying they couldn’t tell the difference between it and real chicken but we realised the mistake then,” the vegetarian went on. “My husband had already finished his but I threw the rest of mine away. I was physically sick after.”
According to descriptions of the burger online, the burger was meant to taste identical to chicken.
However, when the couple saw an advert for the vegan burger, they realized that it was meant to come in a different box.
After seeing the advert posted on a billboard, the enraged customer recalled, “I rang the restaurant and asked them to confirm which box it was supposed to come in. They said green and I told them what had happened. They offered us vouchers and free burgers but I wouldn’t be willing to go back there.”
“We just want other people to be aware so they can check before eating.”
A KFC spokesperson issued an apology and said “Hands up – this isn’t great. We’re really sorry for what happened to these guests, so offered them a full refund straight away and replacement vegan burgers on the house.
“In this instance there was a miscommunication in what was ordered, but we totally understand how important this is to get this right, so we’ll continue to keep doing everything we can to prevent these incidents happening again.”
National File recently reported on a doctor’s findings regarding the Impossible Whopper, a similar offering by Burger King.
The doctor discovered that the burger contains 18 million times more soy than a standard Whopper.
