Burger van tricks football fans into eating meat-free alternatives without them realising

Football supporters fail to notice difference between vegetarian burgers and real thing

Fans expecting a meaty clash between Crystal Palace and Wolves last weekend were left disappointed - after they discovered burgers and hot dogs served outside the ground were actually veggie versions.

Sainsbury's set up the 'sausage sting' to promote their new range of plant-based products.

Supporters of both clubs turned up at the burger van before Wolves’ 1-0 win and ordered ‘beef’ burgers, melt burgers, hot dogs and chilli dogs unaware they contained alternatives to meat.

After being told his burger was meat-free Shaun Berry, who had travelled down from Wolverhampton to see Wolves play at Selhurst Park, said: “Nice taste, that.

''We never eat veggie or vegan stuff at home, but these days it’s coming in more and more.

“Five years ago things were really different. There are alternatives for everyone and I’m all for it to be honest.”

Tony Arch, who had been waiting in the downpour for hours to see Crystal Palace play, said: “Very nice, it’s not meat but it tastes like meat.

“I don’t eat veggie usually, but my next door neighbour, who’s Finnish, eats it all the time, so I’ll have some of that when I go over to see her.”

Some punters even took pictures of the ‘Free burgers’ signage to post on social media.

One peckish Palace fan was also relieved to discover his chilli dog was meat free, as he had been told to lay off the red meat by his wife.

Ray Walker, who was along supporting Crystal Palace said: “I don’t normally grab food in the ground. We usually stop in and get a sausage roll or something.

“They used to have burgers in the grounds but the price was going up every season, so a stand out here would be busy all afternoon if it was here full-time.”

Some customers were wary of taking advantage of the offer and others called foul on the ruse.

Wily punter Elizabeth Kozlowski blew the whistle on the cheeky stunt. She said: “These guys think they are eating meat - but I knew.

''I looked over at the grill while they were making the burgers and I thought something looked different.”

She added: “I don’t mind if they’re not meat, though. I try to stick to a vegetarian diet at home and I don’t eat much red meat – and it’s nice to see other people trying it, even if they don’t know it.''

Sainsbury’s has recently expanded its range of vegan-friendly products by over a third, making it easier for their customers to enjoy a veggie, plant-based dish for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

SWNS