Papa John’s UK just launched a vegan hot dog pizza and we don’t know how to feel about it.
Did Brits want a vegan hot dog pizza? It’s hard to say. But Papa John’s made one anyway. Called The Vegan Hot Dog, the new pizza features a Heinz Tomato Ketchup base, dairy-free Sheese, onions, Heinz American-style mustard, and plant-based sausage.
A questionable creation? Maybe. But the product has proved popular with pizza fans so far. On the Papa John’s UK Instagram account, commenters praised the company for The Vegan Hot Dog pizza, with many calling it “delicious” and saying they “loved it.”
Another Instagram account, called nowyouknowitsvegan, shared an image of the pizza online. One commenter said that the vegan dish is “indulgent” and “so bad and good.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxaHLGVgEPU/
Vegan Food at Papa John’s
Vegan Hot Dog isn’t the first animal-free offering by Papa John’s. Earlier this year, in January, the pizza chain launched three vegan pizzas – a classic margarita, the Garden Party, and the Hot Pepper Passion – complete with dairy-free Sheese made by vegan dairy brand Bute Island.
The new options, which are available in the UK, were introduced after an online petition asking for vegan food at Papa John’s gained nearly 30,000 signatures. The petition was launched by animal rights organization Animal Aid. Animal Aid’s campaign manager Todd Bradbury said in a statement at the time, “By adding vegan cheese to their menu, Papa John’s will be showing that they are up to date with the fast-growing vegan movement.”
“They will appeal to a much wider audience – be they vegans, those wanting to try vegan food or indeed those who have allergies to dairy products,” Bradbury continued.
“We hope that Papa John’s decision [has] a positive effect on their sales,” he added. After Papa John’s introduced the dairy-free cheese, the pizza chain reported that it ran out of stock after one day due to “overwhelmingly” high demand.
The fast food chain has also veganized its popular Marmite and Cheese Scrolls. In March, Papa John’s upped its vegan offerings again by introducing two new plant-based sides to its menu: Cheesy Vegan Potato Wedges and Jalapeno Cheesy Potato Wedges.
