Ikea announces it will start serving vegan meatballs

Ikea is almost as famous for its Swedish meatballs as it is for its often-frustrating flatpack furniture.

Until now, the only meatball alternative to the traditional variety has been the veggie-balls, made out of chickpeas and vegetables - which taste entirely different.

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But this week Ikea announced that it will add another meat-free option to its menu in the form of meatballs that look and taste exactly like the meat versions.

However, they will be entirely free of any animal products.

What are the vegan meatballs made of?

The new meatless meatballs will be crafted from a plant-based alternative protein, made in collaboration with some of the leading suppliers of vegan protein in the industry.

When the vegan meatballs will be available has not yet been announced, however Ikea has confirmed that the product is currently being taste-tested in Sweden.

Customer taste-tests are planned for early 2020.

Once approved, the vegan meatballs will be served in every Ikea restaurant worldwide.

When will taste tests begin?

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In a press release, managing director at Ikea Food Services Michael La Cour said: “It is a really exciting industry! Looking at the quality of the products that we have been tasting I am looking forward to serve a delicious plant based meatball made from alternative protein at Ikea.

“I hope that the many meatball lovers out there will like it as well.

“We know that the Ikea meatballs are loved by many people and for years the meatballs have been the most popular dish in our restaurants.

“We see a growing demand from our customers to have access to more sustainable food options and we want to meet that need.

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“Our ambition is to make healthier and more sustainable eating easy, desirable and affordable without compromising on taste and texture.”

This article originally appeared on our sister site Lancashire Evening Post.