Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton will open a string of herbal burgers, joining other stars in a craze for dummy meat

Count Lewis Hamilton, a Formula 1 racing car racer, among those embarking on the herbal meatless burgers industry following the growing popularity of Burger King's Impossible Whopper, which has caught the attention of consumers and stormed the fast food market.

Hamilton, 34, as well as promoter of Italian nightclubs and entrepreneurs Tommaso Chiabra and investor Ryan Bishti, open Neat Burger Monday, near Regent Street, London, and several other sites in Britain will follow. .

They are currently seeking £ 15 million to fund the expansion of sites in Covent Garden and Kings Cross.

"We are not targeting vegans or a plant-based niche, we are aiming to convert meat eaters," Bishti said in a statement. "We are part of a movement that occurs when you look at the world of today in the Amazon with deforestation for crops and agricultural agriculture. This is an ideal way to make a change. "

The craze for herbal burgers became viral when Burger King presented its "Impossible Whopper" on August 8, with more than 45 meatless burgers sold daily at Burger King's premises, according to analyst Andrew Charles .

In an effort to capitalize on the growing popularity of this concept among consumers, Hamilton and his company are also considering the opening of a US site over the next year, with the intention of opening another 14 Neat Burger sites. Europe in the next two years.

Hamilton, a native of the United Kingdom and the richest sportsman in the country with a net wealth of 187 million pounds, became a vegetarian in 2017. The five-time world champion Formula 1 now holds a significant share of the company.

The vegan and vegetarian food market has exploded over the years, with the number of vegans in the UK increasing from 150,000 in 2014 to more than 600,000 in 2018, reports the Vegan Society.

Hamilton is not the only sports personality or the only celebrity to enter the herbal burgers game, while Jay-Z, Trevor Noah, Serena Williams and Katy Perry are investing in Impossible Foods while the market for Meatless burgers continue to grow in the world.

Burger King led the recent expansion of the herbal burgers market, and it was hard to ignore the positive spin-offs for competitors. The Impossible Whopper is expected to contribute 6% to the growth in US Burger Kings' store sales this quarter, according to the report. market research and investment company Cowen.

"Our estimate of 6% of comparable store sales for 3Q involves unique cases of consumer testing for Impossible Whopper that are maintained, or even offset, by a brand that continues to grow, with Burger King using television advertising for promote innovation, "said Charles in a statement released last Thursday.

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