Tim Hortons Partners with JUST to Sell Plant-Based Eggs in Canada

Canadian fast-food chain Tim Hortons, now owned by Restaurant Brands International, is working with alternative protein manufacturer JUST to sell a plant-based omelette breakfast sandwich at select stores in Canada.

JUST’s plant-based eggs are made from water, mung bean protein, turmeric, onion puree, and other vegan-friendly ingredients.

Tim Hortons first expanded into the plant-based market in June, with the launch of its Beyond Meat Breakfast Sandwiches. Positive feedback from customers has fueled the company to launch two Beyond Burgers in July for its lunch and dinner menu.

“The consumer demand for 100 percent plant-based proteins is strong and continues to grow,” said Andrew Noyes, head of global communications at JUST, to LIVEKINDLY. “Canada is one of the most requested markets for JUST, and we’re excited to be able to offer our product at select Tim Hortons locations for this market test.”

Tim Horton’s partnership with the innovative manufacturer shows the company is not shy to make bold advances in the plant-based food category. They’ve become the first fast-food chain to sell JUST products, whose alternative eggs can also be found at retailers like Whole Foods, Amazon Prime, and Safeway.

History has been made! @justforall has partnered with Tim Hortons to launch the world's first ever plant-based egg at a fast food chain. Tim Hortons has 5,000 locations and chose Toronto, its home city, for the initial launch. pic.twitter.com/MSrQIUwhbf

— Josh Balk (@joshbalk) July 25, 2019

JUST is located in the San Francisco Bay Area and is also a trailblazer in the cell-based meat sector. Along with its plant-based eggs, the tech start-up also makes chicken nuggets form lab-grown meat. However, the nuggets have yet to hit the market since the regulatory approval of cell-based meat is still underway in the US.

According to a report by The Good Food Institute, plant-based foods that mimic animal proteins have increased by 31 percent over the past two years which has contributed significantly to the now $4.5 billion plant-based food industry.

In addition, the report also claims plant-based eggs are the least developed category in the alternative food market but are one of the fastest-growing products.

Tim Hortons and JUST’s recent partnership will likely add further growth to this category and if the plant-based omelette sandwich brings in similar sales to their Beyond Meat products, it’s likely that other fast-food chains will want to incorporate this innovative product on their menus as well.