Unlike other imported plant-based burgers, this one is locally made making it a lot more accessible to South African consumers. International Marketing Director Tammy Fry says: “We’ve been making plant-based meat alternatives since 1991, and we have lovingly nurtured and grown the vegetarian and vegan food market in South Africa. As a result, we’ve been at the forefront of the boom around plant-based eating, leading the charge with assessible, convenient and delicious plant-based products for all consumers – from omnivores, flexitarians and pescatarians to vegetarians and vegans.”
The Big Fry Burger took the company three years to develop explains Tammy, “Our development team, along with Wally Fry, had to push all their innovation boundaries – which is why we’re calling it beyond the impossible. It challenged us to be better, and to raise the benchmark of plant-based meat products locally and globally.”
Tammy goes on to explain that one of the key development yardsticks was taste. “We wanted a patty that cooked and tasted just like a ground beef burger. The Big Fry Burger literally sizzles on the grill and is most definitely going to satisfy the cravings of the most avid meat eater – except, unlike its beef counterpart, this burger is much better for consumers, for the planet and for the animals.”
The Big Fry Burger, like all of Fry’s products, is non-GM, naturally cholesterol free and low in saturated fat. The burger is exceptionally high in protein with 20g per 112g patty. Notably higher than the average beef burger, which has 17g of protein per 112g. The Big Fry Burger only has 4g of fat per 100g compared to the average beef burger that has 14g of fat per 100g.
The Big Fry Burger is made up of a blend of non-GM plant proteins and is a flavoured with coriander seeds, paprika, cilantro, white pepper, black pepper, parsley and turmeric. “The texture is quite different to the other Fry’s products. It’s a lot meatier and feels a lot like ground beef. The Big Fry Burger is also the only Fry’s meat-alternative product that is sold uncooked and it therefore has quite different cooking instructions which can be found on our website and on the packaging,” explains Tammy.
The burger’s packaging is also a big leap forward for the company, as every element of the packaging is 100% recyclable. “Our packaging is a huge priority for us at the moment. We are hoping to have plastic free packaging in the next few years and we are working day in and day out to achieve that goal,” she ends.
The Big Fry Burger can be found in the frozen section of selected retailers. The recommended retail price is R59.99 for two patties.
