New plant-based range arrives in Mad Mex

Renowned carnivore, ex-AFL player Brendan Fevola rolls out the new range.

Mad Mex partnered with former AFL player and renowned carnivore Brendon Fevola to trial “flexitarian” or plant-based options and roll out the restaurant’s Powered by Plants menu range.

In a statement, Mad Mex said it is the first Mexican restaurant brand to launch vegan mince as part of its menu. Mexicali Mince is meatless but still has a real Mexican meat taste.

Ingredients of Mexicali Mince include soy, tomato, cumin, onion, paprika, chillies, and garlic to deliver an unbeatable tasty, and saucy filling. 

The mince includes a combination of Mad Mex’s signature sauces and spices that has a tasty and saucy filling.

Fevola, also known as “Fev,” said he had challenges with weight and fitness since retiring from AFL footy. Since then, Fevola has been searching for healthy alternatives without compromising the taste so who better to road test the new plant-based mince option than meat-lover Fev.

“I love meat. I must admit I was sceptical of the taste and flavour of plant-based food. I’ve tried them before and it hasn’t tasted nice. This tastes exactly like meat, I can’t tell the difference. 

That’s the biggest surprise to me. I’m focused on my diet right now and if there’s a way I can make healthier choices and still get the same flavour and taste, then I’m all in,” Fev said.

“The flavour is amazing, it tastes like a normal taco. You could have sat me down and not told me that it was plant-based and I would think it was meat. I could feed this to my kids and they wouldn't know. That’s when you know because kids know everything. I swear by this, my mouth is watering. That’s some of the best Mexican mince I’ve ever eaten,” he added.

Mad Mex CEO, Clovis Young, said, “We’re excited to announce these new menu items. We want all our amigos to enjoy our Mad Mex flavour, whatever your typical food choices may be. We were working to create alternatives in our menu that support Mad Mex in becoming a more sustainable restaurant option and try to reduce our footprint on the planet."

"We have been watching this trend closely and were the first Mexican quick service restaurant (QSR) to launch a vegan product. We have had a Powered by Plants range since 2019. There’s a reason our plant-based foods have been such a hit – they’re delicious. We believe fast food should be better and all Australians can enjoy our authentic Mexican cuisine, irrespective of whether they eat meat.” added Young.

To celebrate the launch of the new range, the restaurant is offering free Mexicali Mince Taco when they purchase any main meal from 15 to 21 August, nationwide. All they need to do is say “Mission Mexicali” at outlets to receive the complimentary taco and taste the Powered by Plants range.

Mad Mex said the new menu items have been driven by customer demand, recording more than 12% of customers choosing plant-based food each year. 

So far, Mad Mex opened 12 new restaurants in the year across Australia. It is eyeing to increase its number of stores by 20% yearly in the coming years.