Kent brewer Shepherd Neame has joined the ever-growing vegan market by launching a new meat-free burger.

Dubbed the Oumph! burger, it will be added the menu at eight pubs in the county.

Containing soya beans, organic herbs and spice mixes, the burger is the brainchild of Swedish firm Food for Progress.

The Kent pubs to offer the burger will be:

• The Spitfire in Kings Hill
• Ship & Trades in Chatham
• Royal Hotel in Deal
• Bell Hotel in Sandwich
• Royal Albion in Broadstairs
• Sun Inn, Faversham
• Market House in Maidstone
• Marine Hotel in Tankerton

It was also be available at a handful of Shepherd Neame pubs in London.

The red colour is completely natural, resulting from the addition of beetroot in the ingredients.

Boasting to be a good source of iron and folic acid, Oumph! is free from gluten, dairy and nuts.

The Oumph! has proved a hit since its launch in Norway and Sweden four years ago.

Shepherd Neame's head development chef Simon Howlett said: “There is a growing market for vegan burgers, so we decided to put a number of different brands to the test before introducing one on our menu.

"We asked 30 members of our team to try the burgers, and every time the Oumph! came out on top for taste and texture.

"When comparing the nutritional content of the burgers, the Oumph! Burger also scored very highly.”

Read more: All the latest news from Faversham