Beyond Meat is testing whether consumers will embrace its plant-based ingredients in a drink format, with the company rolling out a new product that it says is a first for its nearly 17-year history. On Thursday, the company introduced Beyond Immerse, a protein drink that goes beyond its familiar portfolio of plant-based chicken and burgers.
Beyond Immerse is being positioned as a protein-focused beverage rather than a meal replacement. The drink’s protein comes from peas, and it is sold in two nutrition options: one with 10 grams of protein and 60 calories, and another with 20 grams of protein and 100 calories. Both options include 7 grams of fiber, along with vitamin C and electrolytes.
The company said Beyond Immerse will be available in three flavors and offered for a limited time through Beyond Meat’s direct-to-consumer website, Beyond Test Kitchen. El Segundo, California-based Beyond Meat said it will watch customer response closely and determine the drink’s future based on that reaction.
Beyond Meat’s move comes as plant-based meat sales have faced difficulties. In the first nine months of 2025, the company’s revenue was down nearly 20%, and in October its shares plunged below $1 amid investor concerns about plans to cut debt by issuing more shares.
In earlier efforts to adjust, Beyond Meat has introduced new and “healthier” products, but the company has faced challenges with distribution and with consumers finding them. The reporting said some U.S. customers have been put off by the taste of Beyond Meat’s products and by a long list of ingredients, and that as groceries shifted products away from the meat department and into the freezer aisle, it became harder for shoppers to find the items. Higher prices compared with other lean protein sources have also weighed on sales.
At the same time, interest in protein and “functional” food and beverages has been rising, with market research cited as finding nearly half of Americans actively trying to increase their protein intake. The product launch also follows other restaurant and packaged-food moves into protein drinks, including offerings from Starbucks and Dunkin’, as well as a protein version of Pop-Tarts.
Beyond Meat spokeswoman Shira Zackai said the company sees Beyond Immerse as a logical step. “We really have developed tremendous expertise in bringing the nutrients in plants to the consumer,” Zackai said. “Consumers are looking for protein outside the center of the plate and we know that plants can deliver that. We’re excited to get into new categories and offer that in different ways.”
Zackai added that Beyond Immerse is not a smoothie or a meal replacement and described it as a lighter-consistency drink intended for use after workouts. In a separate discussion with investors in a November conference call, Beyond Meat founder and CEO Ethan Brown said the company’s direct-to-consumer website is meant to test consumer reaction quickly as it moves away from “pure meat-based products.”
Brown said the company plans to emphasize the “Beyond” in its name as it broadens what it sells. “That’s really around broadening the aperture of our business. We have tremendous innovation capabilities and I want to make sure that those are being put to the best use for the consumer,” Brown said.