Pizza Hut tests out vegan pepperoni in partnership with Beyond MeatPizza Hut tests out vegan pepperoni in partnership with Beyond Meat

Joanna Fantozzi

Pizza Hut is expanding its partnership with Beyond Meat with the announcement Tuesday of Beyond Pepperoni pizza, which will be available in 70 locations across five test markets in the U.S.

The new menu item is available as an LTO and customer reaction will be gauged to see if the test warrants a wider rollout, Pizza Hut said.

“Pizza Hut is always thinking about what craveable food innovation is next and how we can meet evolving customer tastes,” Georgeanne Erickson, chief brand officer of Pizza Hut told Nation’s Restaurant News. “Right now, our customers are asking for more plant-based options, so we’re focused on successfully testing the new Beyond Pepperoni Pizza. […] We hope to bring our new Beyond Pepperoni Pizza to more Pizza Hut locations in the near future and look forward to gathering insights from our customers during this test.”

The signature Beyond Pepperoni pizza topping is a proprietary plant-based creation made with peas and rice, but no hint of GMOs, soy, gluten, hormones, antibiotics, or cholesterol.

“We know there is strong consumer demand for pepperoni, and we’re thrilled to unveil a game-changing plant-based pepperoni topping as the next chapter in our innovation-focused partnership with Pizza Hut,” Dariush Ajami, chief innovation officer of Beyond Meat said in a statement. “We’re confident fans will love Beyond Pepperoni as it delivers the crisped edges and savory flavor profile of Pizza Hut’s classic pepperoni with the added benefits of plant-based meat.”  

Related:Pizza Hut brings back ‘The Edge’ thin-crust pizza with end-to-end toppings

Pizza Hut has previously rolled out Beyond Mat sausage topping in Nov. 2020, and in Feb. 2021, Yum officially announced their partnership with Beyond Meat, with plans to co-create multiple products for each of the Yum brands over the next several years.

The creation is currently available at 70 Pizza Hut locations in Albany, New York; Columbus and Macon, Georgia; Houston, Texas; and Jacksonville, Florida for delivery, carryout, or pickup. The topping can also be added to any crusts, including stuffed and pan crust.

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