Hell Pizza topped Pizza with vegan Burgerpattie pieces instead of meat

08-Jul-2019 - New Zealand

Statement: Hell Pizza

Hell Pizza comments on the accusation that they have used plant-based meat on their burger pizza without notice. The statement is the opinion of Hell Pizza.

Dear Loyal HELL Fans,

On Friday 21 June we released our limited-edition Burger Pizza, featuring Beyond Meat Burger Patties. We care about the future of the planet and wanted to introduce you to this plant-based option in an unexpected way.

We have been blown away by your response. In the days after, we surveyed the people who ordered the pizza. From ‘amazing” to ‘mind-blown’ and ‘delicious’, 80% of our customers said they weren’t phased to have eaten the Burger Pizza and its plant-based patty and 70% would order it again.   

However, we acknowledge there were concerns around the contents of the Beyond Meat Patty, particularly in relation to allergens, and for customers being able to make an informed decision when ordering their pizza. 

Here at HELL, we take allergens very seriously. We are known for our commitment to catering for customers with dietary requirements - whether that’s gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free or vegetarian.  Beyond Meat Patties are gluten and soy-free.  Our 75 stores had a full list of the Burger Pizza’s ingredients and were told to fully inform customers who asked of the pizza’s ingredients while it was available for sale, as we are required to do with all food products we offer for sale. 

We have met with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to work through these concerns, and how we can meet the needs of, and inform, consumers.  It was a very positive meeting, and MPI indicated it was satisfied with our response to these concerns.

Since their first point of contact, we have been proactively working with MPI.  We have been completely open, which has been recognised by MPI.  HELL acknowledges and has taken on board MPI’s feedback and will incorporate it into any future campaigns. 

Our Burger Pizza is now sold out, and due to the cost of Beyond Meat, we don’t have any immediate plans to add it to our regular menu - however, if you demand it, we will consider it!  While we still love meat, we think there’s room for more Kiwis to consider meat-free options, just to take a bit of pressure off the planet.

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