Food at UCL, delivered by Gather + Gather, has been recognised for its innovative MOCK x Bird pilot. A four-week experiment that asked one big question: can plant-based food genuinely compete with fast food on taste, demand and commercial viability?
Posted on June 25, 2026
The idea began with our customers at the heart of innovation.
Food at UCL already had a strong track record of encouraging more sustainable choices, with menus containing at least 50% vegetarian or vegan dishes and carbon labelling available across campus. Through UCL’s Foodies Forum, students helped the team understand why. Plant-based options were available, but students wanted greater variety and visibility and food that delivered the indulgence, familiarity and value they associated with their favourite fast-food dishes.
So, rather than asking students to change what they wanted to eat, the team changed our offer.
Head Chef Alex and the Food at UCL team worked directly with students to develop the concept.
A focus group of 15 students, including 40% of whom are meat eaters, tested more than 30 alternative proteins and fast-food dishes before the final menu was developed. Familiar favourites came out on top. Burgers, crispy tenders and loaded fries generated the strongest response, with MOCK products scoring an average 9.2/10 during testing.
MOCK, a plant-based protein made from soy and wheat, was used to recreate the texture, juiciness and crunch students expected from fried chicken.vThe result wasn’t positioned as a compromise or simply a “vegan menu”. It was designed to stand up as a fast-food experience in its own right.
For four weeks, the team trialed replacing the existing BIRD fried chicken counter entirely with MOCK x Bird.
The launch was supported by campus activations, sampling sessions and 12 student influencers, generating more than 8,000 social media views across the campaign.
With MOCK initially costing considerably more than chicken, collaboration with the supplier secured pilot pricing that allowed the team to achieve price parity and test demand in a realistic trading environment.
The results demonstrated that making plant-based food more appealing could create meaningful changes in customer behaviour.
During the pilot:
The environmental impact was measurable too, with the pilot estimated to have avoided approximately 181kg CO₂e emissions and 190,000 litres of water use. The trial also gave the team valuable insight into what drives sustainable choices.
Taste and familiarity encouraged students to try the offer, while sampling and peer-to-peer activity helped build engagement. The pilot also showed that customers wanted clearer information around protein, nutrition, satiety and value — learnings that can now help shape future plant-based concepts.
For Gather + Gather, the project demonstrates what can happen when our chefs, clients, suppliers and customers come together around a shared challenge.
Rather than restricting choice, MOCK x Bird focused on making the more sustainable choice one students genuinely wanted to make.
Chris Short, Director of Campus Experience and Commercial Services at UCL, said:
“This award demonstrates how listening to our community and working collaboratively with partners can deliver meaningful change. By making sustainable choices more appealing and accessible, we are supporting our students and staff to reduce their environmental impact without compromising on taste or experience.”
And while the pilot showed that plant-based fast food isn’t yet a direct replacement for every meat-based purchase, it highlighted a clear opportunity: when plant-based food competes on flavour, familiarity and value, it can broaden choice, attract new demand and support meaningful sustainability goals at the same time.
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