Swedish affordable furniture company IKEA has announced that its highly anticipated vegan veggie dogs will make their US debut at the upcoming Boston Calling music festival later this month.
Reported by The Boston Globe, the IKEA vegan hot dog, which is made primarily from kale, quinoa, red lentils, carrot, onion, and spices, will be served on a bun topped with spicy mustard, pickled red cabbage, and roasted onion. An “enhanced” version of the IKEA veggie dog will also be served, but toppings have not been announced. The vegetarian hot dogs will then roll out into IKEA stores across the US in fall.
“[W]e have been in music festivals before and it’s a great way to meet people outside of their homes,” said Michael La Cour, managing director at IKEA Food Services, explaining the company’s decision to debut its vegan hot dog at a music festival.
The company had a previous connection with Aaron Dessner of American rock band The National, who is also a co-curator for Boston Calling. “We have also worked with the Dessner brothers of the National, and that’s where we got the link. It’s a great environment . . . and fits the next generation of consumers,” La Cour added.
La Cour recently stated that the company is committed to serving food that is good for the planet and people but wants to focus on producing something that will appeal to its customers taste buds first. While the new plant-based hot dog will not be the first option for vegan food at IKEA (it released a vegan version of its famed Swedish meatballs a few years ago), the new product has already caused a stir in Europe, where it has earned a 95 percent consumer approval rating. “There is no point in creating a more sustainable option for our customers if it isn’t tasty,” La Cour said.
IKEA’s vegan hot dog will not be the only Boston Calling vegan food option. Festival-goers will also find FoMu vegan ice cream, veggie bowls from Whole Heart Provisions, and more among the food vendors.
Image Credit: Boston Calling
