Chicken burgers and turkey burgers have been given a significant market boost by the results of a new survey of US consumers carried out by the research firm, Mintel.
Talking to 1,767 US adults who had ordered a burger from a restaurant in the three months prior to January 2016, the company found that healthy dining trends are driving innovation in the non-beef burger sector.
While confirming that Americans still love their beef burgers, the research also revealed strong consumer interest in a wide array of non-beef burger alternatives.
“Nearly half of consumers would like to see more chicken burgers (46%) on menus and two in five (42%) are interested in more turkey burgers,” said Mintel. “Another one third (34%) of Americans are interested in seeing bison/buffalo as a burger option on more menus.
“Interest in non-beef burger offerings is highest among Millennials, who are the most likely generation to agree that healthiness of menu items is the most important factor when choosing a restaurant (64%). Indeed, three in five (58%) of Millennials would like more chicken burgers and half (52%) would like more turkey options on menus. Overall, Millennials are more interested than any other generation in every non-beef burger we surveyed.”
Mintel foodservice analyst, Caleb Bryant, added: “Non-beef burgers appeal to diners for a number of reasons. Beyond offering less fatty, more nutritious alternatives, non-beef burgers tend to have a ‘wow’ factor as they are new and different to many consumers. Having a line-up of non-beef burgers can also help a restaurant’s menu stand out from other restaurants’ burger offerings.”
