Ikea announces addition to its food offerings

A trip to Ikea isn’t complete without stopping off to pick up a plate of Swedish meatballs or a hotdog after making your way through the furniture maze.

A trip to Ikea isn’t complete without stopping off to pick up a plate of Swedish meatballs, a hotdog or a soft serve as a reward for making your way through the furniture maze.

Hot dogs have been a huge part of the Ikea experience for four decades, and now the Swedish furniture giant is releasing a plant-based hot dog across the country for just $2.

It’s made from rice protein and mixed with onion, apple and carrot. Ikea’s aim is to have half of its meals plant-based by 2025.

Ikea has announced it will now sell plant-based hotdogs. Picture: Supplied.

The rollout of the new plant-based hot dog, which customers have been begging for years, is part of Ikea’s constant efforts to innovate its food offerings. At the heart of it, the furniture giant wants to make sustainable and healthy options more affordable and appealing.

Currently, Ikea Australia already has a veggie dog. This will be in addition to that.

Tim Prevade, Ikea Australia’s food manager, said: “With our new plant-based version of the famous Ikea hot dog, we’ve created a delicious alternative while continuing our commitment to reduce our climate footprint.

“We’re helping to introduce more plant-based eating to Australians by making these healthy and sustainable products accessible and affordable, inspiring our customers to make a choice that is better for the planet.

“We’ve spent a lot of time in development to perfect not only the Plant Dog taste, but the texture so it gives the classic ‘snap’ when you bite into it, just like a traditional hot dog.

Ikea is planning to make half it’s menu plant based by 2025. Picture: Brandon Bell / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

“We’re excited for our Australian customers to get a first taste of the new Ikea Plant Dog, with our bright yellow food truck hitting the streets of Sydney this May,” he continued.

To celebrate the plant-based hotdog, which will join the ranks of the plant-based meatballs, coming to all 10 Ikea stores, Ikea is hosting an Ikea Plant Dog Truck.

The Ikea Plant Dog Truck will pop-up at the Marsden Park and Tempe stores, as well as Centenary Square in Parramatta and Bondi Beach.

The pop-ups begin on May 28 and moves locations each day. Customers must show their Ikea Family membership to get a free plant dog or serving of plant balls.