About Birds Eye beef burgers…

[Minfilia]

They’ve been a guilty pleasure of mine for YEARS. My perfect comfort food was always burgers with potato waffles and spaghetti hoops - a childhood treat that always makes me feel happy.

Imagine my horror to discover they changed the recipe and they now comprise 20% pea protein and 55% beef.

I don’t want a plant burger. I want my BEEF(ish) burgers.

Yes, I know they’re unhealthy. And ultra processed. And probably about as meaty and nutritious as dog food. But why did they have to go and ruin it.

(PS - has anyone actually tasted them and are they as awful as I’m imagining? I do eat a lot of plant based alternatives but I HATE pea protein based stuff with a passion!)

(Also happy to accept that I may be acting like a highly unreasonable, tantrumming toddler)

If they were it'd still be classed as meat content. The rest is probably filler things that are not meat like breadcrumb.

Just checked on Tesco - Ireland - they are ""Beef (76%), Onion (11%), Water, Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Salt, Onion Powder, Beef Fat, Dextrose, Yeast Extract, Black Pepper, Pepper Extract, Natural Flavouring""

The UK ones have replaced 18% of the beef with peas.

Just buy different ones? Tesco frozen are 82% beef and cheaper.

Tesco finest are 94% beef and still only £8.26/kg

I get it OP - people suggesting to just get different ones/make burgers are missing the fact that its these specific burgers that you love. And now they've changed the recipe so you can't ever have them again. The chances of other brands tasting like the old recipe is slim.

I suspect though, given the reviews, they'll be changing back to the old recipe before you know it 😂

I get you op. I love the frozen aisle spam fritters that used to be disgustingly (beautifully) coated in batter. They've now changed them, still fine coated in vinegar and salt but not the same 😑.

I can recommend the Aldi one. In a jar so not fresh but it's the best I've tasted and think around £1.30

Always have a few in my cupboard

@Minfilia agree if a beef burger you don't want fake meat and want a beef burger

And tbh I don't get why veggies /vaginas want fake chicken nuggets /beef burgers

Have their veggie burgers

Vegans ffs

Ahhhhhh can't edit as on app

😂

I don't get it myself. If something changes for the worse I vote with my wallet and look around for a better alternative. One might even be better than the original of the other brand and I would have never known if I hadn't tried it. Tastebuds change too, childhood favourites rarely taste the same, even if they haven't changed, you have.

Me too OP! Burgers were a treat as a kid, we had one burger each and we were allowed to eat our tea watching telly. Spaghetti hoops , for sure - but my mam always made home made chips in the deep fryer. Yum.

I’m going to stick my neck out and say when I grilled them my kids LOVED them . They are quite soft but not unpleasantly mushy.

But they cost way too much.

im going to stick with my home made turkey burgers padded out with breadcrumbs and caramelised onions and herbs. Delish.

This is just rude. It's like when they put sweeteners in everything

I like pea protein, and I don't object to a third type of burger which is a hybrid of pea and beef. (Beafburgers?) But you should be able to buy pea-free beefburgers if you choose.

Most burgers and sausages (even high quality ones) have something in them that helps to bind the meat together, like breadcrumbs or rusk meal, so I'm wondering if the pea protein has just replaced something like that? I doubt you'll taste it at all if they're just using it as a binding agent.

I was gutted when they reduced the salt content of Pot Noodles, though, so I understand your disappointment!

Pea protein is probably better for you than the wheat they used to add? And still protein so prob a good switch

Pea protein makes everything taste gross. Burgers aren't necessarily UPF foods - read the ingredients list.

Lidl pot noodles taste more like pot noodles than pot noodles do

I totally get it, I hate when they change the recipes of things, taking out salt etc! However, the Birds Eye quarter pounders are so nice, I actually prefer them and they still remind me of the ones I had as a kid. So definitely give them a go!

They're not burgers anymore are they, that's shocking, especially as some people might be allergic. I hope it's prominently displayed on the label.

It's almost certainly been done for cost reasons. Pea protein is a hell of a lot cheaper than beef, so it means they can keep selling the product at a price point that people will pay. Otherwise they'd have to put the price up (or shrink the burgers).

If you want 100% beef, I guess you can just make your own burgers.

Was going to say the same. With a bit of chopped onion, so easy and very tasty. You don’t want the very lowest fat mince though - they come up a bit dry. 10% is good.

Vegans won't eat a beef/pea burger so it'd be pretty stupid to blame it on them.

Ah this sort of thing is so annoying. I live abroad and it seems like every time I come back to the UK an old favourite product has been messed with, filled with sweeteners or some other rubbish.

I'm sure they'll try to tell us they're making these burgers healthier (even though we can decide for ourselves if we want to eat processed meat, thanks!) But obviousl6 pea protein will be a hundred times cheaper than even the cheapest beef and these companies are having a laugh.

Oh no not the skinny little ones with onion in? I can be partial to one three of those!

Missing the point, but £6 a box! 😱

I reckon if you make a rice pudding yourself it would be about 9% rice. It's basically a couple of tablespoons of rice to several pints of milk and plenty of sugar. It's a very good value desert that all my family love ( Ambrosia is good too)