Pizza Hut Debuts Beyond Meat-Topped Pizzas Nationwide

Today, international pizza chain Pizza Hut will launch two Beyond Pan Pizzas at all traditional locations and participating Pizza Hut Express locations nationwide. The culinary teams at Pizza Hut and vegan brand Beyond Meat worked collaboratively on the new options which feature the vegan meat brand’s Italian sausage. The Beyond Italian Sausage Pizza is a classic (dairy) cheese pizza topped with Beyond Meat Italian sausage crumbles, while the speciality The Great Beyond Pizza features dairy cheese, fresh veggie toppings that include tomatoes, sliced red onions, and tangy banana peppers, the plant-based Italian sausage, and is served on Pizza Hut’s classic Original Pan crust. As the Original Pan Crust and marinara sauce do not contain animal-derived ingredients, the pizzas can be ordered plant-based by omitting the cheese. The pizzas are also available on other crust options (the Thin ‘N Crispy and Hand-Tossed crusts are plant-based) and can be modified with additional veggie toppings (prices vary by location). A Pizza Hut spokesperson warns that the pizzas are not considered vegetarian as they are prepared using the same tools and surfaces as other menu items. 

“I’d challenge anyone to go try the new Beyond Pan Pizza and tell the difference. I shared it with friends and family, and they couldn’t,” Pizza Hut Chief Brand Officer David Graves said. “The Beyond Italian sausage is rich, juicy, and has the signature Pizza Hut flavors—pizza lovers everywhere are going to love it.” 

Last year, Pizza Hut—owned by parent company Yum! Brands—tested plant-based Italian sausage made by MorningStar Farms’ new Incogmeato line at one location in Arizona. With this partnership, Pizza Hut is the first in its category to launch a plant-based meat topping across the US. “Our partnership with Pizza Hut is a category first and together we will continue to raise the bar on game changing product innovations as we introduce the delicious taste of Beyond Meat products to pizza fans nationwide,” Beyond Meat CEO and Founder Ethan Brown said. “We’re thrilled to be on this journey with Pizza Hut that enables us to further increase access to better-for-you plant-based meat as we continue to expand our partnership with Yum! Brands.”

In August, Pizza Hut also added Beyond Sausage to its menus across Puerto Rico. Beyond Meat is also working with Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)—another company operated by Yum! Brands—which began testing its plant-based Beyond Fried Chicken in August 2019. Yum! Brands licensee Yum China Holdings also added Beyond Burgers to its Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC brands in China for a limited time in June 2020. 

The Beyond Meat and Pizza Hut partnership is part of a larger collaboration that will bring plant-based options to US and global consumers. As such, today, Pizza Hut is also launching the limited-time Beyond Pan Pizzas at select locations in London, England.