JEWELLERY IS traditionally passed down from generation to generation but sometimes that inheritance is about more than just precious pieces.

Take the Sabmaneeanant family, for example, owners of the fine jewellery brand Jasmin. In their case, the heritage has seen a smooth transition of the business from a father and mother to their four children –three boys and a girl.

                        Thiravut, Panuwat, Sophaphan and Sitthichai Sabmaneeanant 

As Thailand marks Family Day as part of the Thai New Year celebrations, we look at the remarkable success of a jewellery business that has been managed by the same family for48 years and has never once lost sight of its value system, service mentality or the trust of its clients.

                            Chaivate Sapmaneeanant and Suranart Chatniramol

Constantly adapting to a world of changing cycles and subtle shifts, Panuwat Sabmaneeanant, 38, the oldest brother and chief executive officer of Jasmin Jewellery Group, believes jewellery encapsulates precious emotions in life no matter who happens to be buying it. Jewellery, he says, is a symbol of its wearer and like its wearer, each gemstone is unique.

“I’ve been working with my father for more than 15 years and once all my younger siblings graduated, we decided to rebrand and expand the line to appeal to younger people. However, we haven’t attempted to change the way my father ran his business because that is what made him successful. I graduated in gemology from the Gemological Institute of America and we often share our thoughts – theoretical and scientific from my side and experience from his side. That’s also our secret formula,” he adds.

“All of that has helped to open up new opportunities and set a clear vision for operating our business systematically. We all have different opinions but we don’t fight. After all, at the end of the day, we have the same goal so there’s no room for harsh feelings.”

Jasmin recently expanded, opening another boutique at Siam Takashimaya in Iconsiam in addition to its branches at Anantara Siam Bangkok, and The Emporium Shopping Complex. The original store was at the Dusit Thani Hotel, which is now under reconstruction. Panuwat is responsible for branding and overall management, the second brother Thiravut takes care of the sales teams, the third brother Sitthichai oversees the operations, and Sophaphan is in charge of marketing and designs.

Sophaphan, at 30 the baby of the family, says she was initially not sure if she even wanted to go into the family business. After earning her master’s in

Business Administration specialising in innovation and technology from Boston University, she stayed on in the US working for an exclusive jewellery business. She met lots of clients but it wasn’t until the boutique owner asked her to take full responsibility for the shop that she realised she loved the jewellery business for what it was and not merely because she had been surrounded by it all her life.

“Traditionally, when families who own jewellery or gold companies have lots of children, they give each child one shop of their own. We don’t think that is the right way. Many of them end up fighting each other for customers, suppliers, artisans, and so on. It is easier for the giver but it is harder for the takers. We think all of us have different skills and experiences. And in addition to the business being more likely to be successful with our strategy, we don’t want to have bosses both at work and home,” says Panuwat.

“My father has never opted for branding, so there is no confusion in term of image. The brand is built on trust, and we already have a foundation of loyal customers as well as a collection of masterpieces featuring rare stones. There are the classic collections, and we have added more contemporary designs and stylish items to attract younger customers, using high quality materials but selling them at a reasonable price. Our pieces are easy to wear as accessories,” Panuwat explains.

“Our jewellery gets it magic from the refined designs. They are art pieces that boost the confidence of and bring happiness to wearers. We have tried to pass on good and comfortable feelings, and sincerity through the character of our jewellery,” adds Sophaphan.

“There is no pressure on clients visiting our stores. The charm of jewellery is to find the characters of each client by getting to know their styles. That gives us the ideas for jewellery designs that will suit their tastes.”

“We prefer being in department store as it generates traffic and brings in new clients. We don’t target our designs based on age but rather on lifestyle. Our competitors are not in the same sector but are those who sell brand-name products whether mobile phone, bags, shoes, skincare and cosmetics, watch, eyeglasses, and even lifestyle and leisure activities such as Michelin star restaurants or travel,” she notes.

“In the past, when people received their salaries they would buy gold as an investment. Now they prefer to spend on high-end fashion items and lifestyle products. The Bt100,000 diamond has become affordable and the Bt10,000 ring is regarded as cheap. Our pricing is still the same but those high-end fashion products continue to go up,” notes Panuwat.

Jasmin is now reaching new heights in terms of designs, innovation and audacity, with many of its creations crafted by master jewellers.

The rebranding has also included modernising the store and designing jewellery on the “Everyday Shining” theme to attract new and younger customers. Currently on sale is “The Beginning” collection, which is inspired by the asymmetric designs of twirling dresses and dance moves.

The latest collection known as “Fundamental” brings together Jasmin’s signature designs and emphasises the structural excellence for which the house is known. White gold enhances exquisite and modern pieces based on round brilliant cut diamonds and decorated with smaller diamonds in fancy shapes. The new collection consists of a full set with rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings.

“We prefer elegant but contemporary designs. Sometime when we create a very beautiful prototype, I have to think of who could be a potential customer, whether he or she will buy it. Then afterwards, when I’m calculating the price, I ask myself whether I should adjust the materials so that the price is affordable and so on. It’s all about balance. Jasmin jewellery is wearable, timeless, and comfortable,” Sophaphan says.

During a recent panel discussion on “Healthy Hearts, Healthy Ageing” organised by Bayer in partnership with NUS Enterprise, the entrepreneurial arm of the National University of Singapore (NUS), Mark Chan, a 45-year-old cardiologist, surprised participants by telling them he suffers from hypercholesterolemia, a condition characterised by very high levels of cholesterol in the blood, and has been on medication for the last six years.

The slim and youthful looking Chan went on to say that he gives out his personal health details in an attempt to convince his patients to follow his instructions and take their medication rather than decide for themselves the right course of treatment.

“A few weeks ago, the chief executive of a multinational came to see me. He and I are the same age and have exactly the same blood pressure and cholesterol levels. I told him, ‘you need to start blood pressure and cholesterol medication right away’. He replied that he was going to try exercising and cutting out salt first,” says Chan, a senior consultant cardiologist at the National University Heart Centre and deputy director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute, Singapore.

“It’s amazing that someone who is so well-educated doesn’t have the level of health literacy to take primary prevention when we know that hypertension and hypercholesterolemia are the major drivers of strokes and heart attack,” he continues.

“It isn’t because you are well that you are safe from silent risk factors. My patient is not alone in believing that a change of lifestyle is enough to cure him.”

Hypertension, cholesterol and obesity are all risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which covers everything from stroke, heart attack, atrial fibrillation and coronary disease.

A device to measure blood sugar levels./AFP photo

Yet CVD is easy to treat and also preventable: taking the right medication helps cut the risk of CVD by 50 per cent and when combined with a healthier lifestyle – the right diet, no smoking or drinking and exercise – the risk goes down by another 40 per cent.

“Stroke, heart attacks or peripheral blockage lead to amputations. These can kill you or put you in bed for life. You won’t be able to lead a normal life, you may not be able to walk, talk or swallow. Medical science can’t tell you whether you will die or be disabled. But what it tells us is that we have medications that are able to prevent a stroke or reduce the risk of that stroke,” says Claus Zieler, senior vice- president of Bayer Pharmaceuticals Division Asia Pacific.

Worldwide, says Chan, CVD affects slightly over 400 million adults. Half of those patients are in Asia. Moreover, a third of deaths are due to CVD. Cardiovascular disease refers to a condition in which the blood vessels are not supplying the heart and the brain gets into trouble because of fatty plaque. The plaque builds up in the arteries causing a hardening known as atherosclerosis, which leads to heart disease and stroke. If a clot blocks a blood vessel that feeds the heart, it causes a heart attack. If it blocks a blood vessel that feeds the brain, it causes a stroke. If blood supply to the arms or legs is reduced or blocked, it can cause difficulty walking and eventually gangrene.

The prevalence of CVD is higher among the elderly and in Asia, as elsewhere, the ageing population is on the rise. An increase in age is inevitably accompanied by a concurrent increase in chronic medical conditions like CVD.

Non-adherence to treatment can be blamed on many factors, both social and cultural. Associate Professor Angelique Chan, Executive Director of the Centre for Ageing Research and Education, Duke-NUS Medical School, adds that lack of money, transportation problems and no caregiver are also problems regularly encountered.

Patients prone to blood clots and atrial fibrillation receive oral anticoagulant therapy with vitamin K antagonist drugs, the most common of which is warfarin. Warfarin has been used for decades in preventing clotting but comes with complications as the medication interacts with other drugs such as antibiotics, statins and NSAIDS. It also interacts with foods with a high concentration of vitamin K such as broccoli and green leaf vegetables.

That means patients requires careful monitoring, monthly blood tests and dose adjustment. Another side effect is bleeding. This can occur when there’s an imbalance in the dose and can lead to death. The new drug rivaroxaban was later introduced as an alternative to warfarin and does away with the need for monthly blood checks. It is also taken just once a day, generating better compliance and making it a safe alternative. However, it is considerably more expensive than warfarin. While new medicines and preventive approaches have reduced CVD deaths by more than 70 per cent in many countries since the 1970s, the challenges of living with and managing CVDs in the long-term remain for seniors and their caregivers. The burden increases exponentially if one suffers a heart attack or a stroke, which can lead to severe disabilities and require frequent hospitalisations and intensive long-term care.

Chan praises the Singapore government for its preventive actions, among them encouraging people to lead healthier lives by giving them free fitness bands and vouchers if they take more than 10,000 steps a day.

“There is also a nationwide campaign to reduce sugar consumption, with the government actively engaging the food industry to reduce sugar if they want to do business in Singapore. We also have a strict smoking policy that has resulted in a sharp decline in smoking rates over the last ten years,” says Dr Chan.

Other activities include competitions in communities to lower blood pressure and engaging people to take care of their health. Several mobile apps have been created such as the atrial fibrillation app that provides everything from basic records to medical updates and games.

In the field of medication, a lower dose of rivaroxaban has been introduced to use with antiplatelet medication such as aspirin for the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) and peripheral artery disease (PAD), both common forms of CVD caused by atherosclerosis.

Research suggests that by combining aspirin with an anticoagulant, a serious cardiovascular event can be more effectively prevented. The main treatment goal in patients with CAD and/or PAD is to maintain healthy blood flow to prevent serious events.

The recent Compass study recruited 27,395 patients from more than 30 countries including Australia, Malaysia, South Korea, and Thailand and was stopped early due to overwhelming efficacy. Within just one year of the publication of the ground-breaking study, the new combined regimen had been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA and the European Commission (EC) in Europe. In Asia Pacific, the new regimen has been approved in Australia, South Korea and Thailand. Further approvals are expected in Singapore, Malaysia, China, Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia this year.

“Coronary and peripheral artery diseases are common forms of cardiovascular diseases affecting many people in the Asia Pacific region. Even with currently available treatments, patients remain at an unacceptably high risk of serious cardiovascular events, which can lead to disability, loss of limbs and death. The approval of this new regimen provides doctors and patients with a much-needed improved treatment option,” says Zieler.

However, antiplatelet therapy alone has been shown to be only moderately effective, presenting clinical limitations and the scope for a new approach. Despite current guidelines and secondary prevention therapies, one out of 10 patients will experience cardiovascular, myocardial infarction or stroke in the next two years. Also, despite traditional risk reduction strategies, patients with PAD and critical limb ischemia are still at 20 per cent risk of limb loss within one year.

CAD is the most common type of heart disease with a mortality rate in Asia varying from 103 to 366 per 100,000 adult population and rising.

It occurs when fatty deposits, cholesterol and plaque, build up in the arteries, obstructing the blood supply to the heart. This plaque build-up can cause the arteries to narrow and harden, which may limit the supply of blood, and then oxygen, to the heart and brain. Depending on the degree of artery narrowing (stenosis), patients with CAD experience symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath and heart attacks.

Around 202 million people worldwide are estimated to be affected by PAD. Patients with PAD are six times more likely to die from cardiovascular causes than those without the disease. PAD is a common circulatory problem affecting the peripheral arteries, mainly in the lower limb. PAD starts when fatty deposits, cholesterol and plaque, build up in the arteries, obstructing the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the limbs. Sometimes a blood clot forms on top of the fatty deposit, blocking the artery completely and requiring surgery to restore blood flow. If this is not possible, amputation may be necessary. Many people with PAD have little or no symptoms, although as fatty deposits grow, leg pain (claudication) and numbness can occur.

As part of the Healthy Hearts, Healthy Ageing collaboration, Bayer will draw on NUS Enterprise’s expertise and experience in engaging the regional start-up ecosystem to develop a report which gathers research data and critical insights from multi-disciplinary teams of experts across the region. The report is expected to launch in June and examine the CV health imperatives associated with ageing populations across the Asia Pacific. It will recommend key actions for embracing health innovation to support the prevention of major CV events and long-term preventive care in seniors living with CVD.

Californian-born Barry founded her Los Angeles based interior-design firm in 1985. Growing up in a family of artists and painters, Barry takes inspiration in the subtlety of colours and forms from nature, often experimenting with her initial designs through watercolours. Her firm has grown from residential interior design to include numerous licensing partnerships, creating furniture, fabrics and lighting for the home in her signature graceful style.

“The inspiration for the flagship showroom came from the sophistication of my discerning Bangkok clientele and my desire to provide them with a fresh outlook on my brand. The space has been renewed and updated to reflect where I am with new materials, textiles and a Design Studio where you can meet in private,” she said in the statement.

Barry has collaborated with Swarovski for the first time and designed a series of multi-functional candle-holders and vases in mellow hues, juxtaposing the clarity of crystal with the shimmering opacity of brass and gunmetal effects. The versatile pieces create harmonious compositions of colour and light, bringing a magical warmth to the table.

“The inspiration behind my collection stems from my reverence for ‘everyday’ objects. I believe the things we use daily in our homes can be a thing of beauty. I love setting a beautiful table with flowers and candlelight, and so I designed a grouping of votives and vases. I am interested in how these objects live together and how they form harmonious compositions…big ones and little ones. That’s what thrills me…the whole effect, not just the parts, because nothing really ever stands alone. I love the way these pieces work together to create different compositions and how they invite you to mix them with things you already have,” she added.

The showroom is open daily from 10am to 7pm. Find out more at https://chanintr.com/brand/barbara-barry/

CAIRO’S DOWNTOWN, with its old European-designed buildings, is wrestling to preserve its cultural heritage as Egypt readies a new capital in the desert.

A stroll through the district takes pedestrians past buildings that meld Islamic and European motifs, neo-classical columns and ornate decorations.

A view of the central Talaat Harb square in the Egyptian capital Cairo’s downtown district with its elegant centuries-old, European-designed buildings/ AFP

But its elegance and prestige are fading, as the one-way streets and former palaces fall into ruin and shops selling cheap clothes and odds and ends have moved in.

“Some buildings are in a seriously dilapidated state,” laments Ahmed El Bindari, an architectural historian and volunteer tour guide, in the middle of a group of tourists.

He enthusiastically recounts the history of the old buildings, some housing government ministries, and little passageways but complains of a lack of political will in heritage preservation. Bindari and others fear for the future of the district’s old vacant buildings and worry that those in urgent need of repair will fall victim to a drive for urban renewal.

A view of the Said Halim Pasha Palace (1896-1899) in Champollion street, in the capital Cairo central downtown district /AFP

In the heart of Cairo and bordering Tahrir Square, the district is commonly known as Khedivial Cairo after Khedive Ismail Pasha, an Ottoman ruler who governed Egypt in the mid-19th century.

He is credited with transforming Cairo into a modern metropolis with European influences after being inspired on a trip to Paris.

Khedive Ismail ordered the building of the first opera house in the Middle East in 1869 to celebrate the inauguration of the strategic Suez Canal.

He also commissioned French architects to design geometric, tree-lined streets and the downtown area became the cultural hub of the city flourishing with cafes, cinemas and shops.

With its big avenues, facades and bronze statues recalling the French or Italian capitals, the district has also long hosted a lively literary cafe scene, as well as government ministry buildings.

Authorities have traditionally been careful to ensure the buildings retain their style, and many in the city of around 20 million residents are fond of the area.

Since the 1950s however, middle-class residents have progressively moved out of the area in favour of quieter, smarter and more modern suburbs.

The ministries and public authorities still there are due to move too, once the new administrative capital being built in the desert some 45 kilometres from the city centre is ready.

A view of a historic building in the Egyptian capital Cairo’s downtown district /AFP

“What will become of the many ministries such as agriculture, education and health housed in historic palaces and buildings?” Bindari asks.

He points to the gentrification of the so-called Maspero Triangle area hugging the banks of the River Nile, which the government is redeveloping into a financial centre, with luxurious shopping malls and hotels. It has led to thousands of residents in informal housing being relocated to alternative accommodation.

“I’m afraid that under the banner of regeneration, entire urban areas… will be razed to the ground,” Bindari adds.

But Riham Aram, director of the Historic Cairo Restoration Project, is more upbeat.

Since 2014, some 350 buildings have already been restored under an initiative for Khedivial Cairo, she said.

“We’ve repainted entire buildings and restored decorations using similar material to what was originally used during construction,” she says.

“We must maintain this historic district so it doesn’t turn into slums in the future,” she warns. And she adds that ways to reuse 18 government buildings in central Cairo will be examined.

The private sector has also become involved in efforts to preserve the downtown area.

In 2008, a group of businessmen from local construction firm Ismailia Consortium set up an arm of the company to restore city centre cultural heritage.

“We found that the best way to conserve downtown Cairo is that there needs to be economic returns,” says managing director Karim el-Shafei.

“A lot of the apartments are empty. They can be renovated and rented out or sold bringing in profits because they are being used productively.” The firm has bought 32 downtown buildings as well as the historic Cinema Radio located on Talaat Harb street.

But it faces several bureaucratic hurdles even for routine procedures such as opening a new cafe.

Shafei is also keen to draw tourists to the centre and to shop for locally made brands.

But it is not all about investing just to make money, when it comes to restoring important sites, some experts note.

“Along with the focus on the new capital, we hope that interest is not lost in the conservation of Cairo’s cultural heritage,” says Soheir Hawas, a Cairo University professor, who authored a volume on the area’s architecture.

Hawas, also a member of the National Urban Harmony Committee, wants to see government buildings turned into museums and cultural centres.

“These are important pages in Egypt’s long and continuous architectural record and must be preserved,” she argues.

At Hong Kong Disneyland, that news is stirring excitement at Toy Story Land. The buzz over Buzz Lightyear is louder than ever.

Astronaut Buzz, cowboy Woody and all their loveable toy friends are the stars of the hilarious yet often poignant movie franchise about the fun of being a kid and the bittersweet feelings about growing older and leaving childhood behind.

The characters from “Toy Story” will be cooling off summer visitors with splashes of water during the annual parades starting on June 26. 

But childhood never ends at Toy Story Land in Hong Kong. It’s a great place to feed your nostalgia and revisit wonderful memories.

Toy Story Land is designed to resemble a backyard full of toys, and there are plenty of fun rides too.

RC Racer, for example, is a shuttle roller coaster with a semicircular track. Seatbelts fastened, you shoot up very high, very fast, reaching an altitude of 24 metres and diving into an adrenaline rush.

My advice is to sit in either the front or last row if you’re a true thrill junkie, and in the middle if you prefer laughing with joy to being scared silly.

Toy Story Land at Hong Kong Disneyland has its own array of adventurous rides. 

Another adventurous attraction is Toy Soldier Parachute Drop, in which people actually pay money to be hoisted way up and then abruptly dropped into the heedless arms of gravity. It’s terrifying – but entirely safe. If you get a kick out of being way up high with your feet dangling free, you should definitely sign up.

For pure fun, Slinky Dog Spin is a whirling riot without the dizziness. Just check out the smiles on the people coming off the ride.

In another thrill for “Toy Story” fans, Hong Kong Disneyland is preparing to add a Toy Story Float into its water street party.

This fun celebration of summer will return under the name “Toy Story & Pixar Pals Summer Splash”, running from June 26 to September 1. All the favourite characters will be there, along with the new toys from “Toy Story 4”, cooling their fans with blasts of water and mist.

ANT-MAN AND the Wasp are the latest characters delighting visitors to Hong Kong Disneyland, making this a great time to visit or revisit the theme park.

No other amusement park in the world can boast the presence of superheroes Ant-Man and the Wasp. If you love the two iconic characters from the 2018 blockbuster film, the sooner your visit, the better.

The rides on tap for “AntMan and The Wasp: Nano Battle!” are amazing.

There is no need to worry about fast rides and scary heights either. Hong Kong Disneyland makes sure children and adults alike have fun with its latest attraction, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Nano Battle!”

Actor Paul Rudd, who has portrayed Ant-Man in at least three Marvel films so far, shares in the excitement over the new attraction.

“I can’t wait to share this experience with my kids – they’re going to love it,” he said at a recent sneak-peak event. He and co-star Evangeline Lilly, who plays the Wasp, reprised their superhero roles just for the fans in Hong Kong.

“Nano Battle” invites riders of all sizes to jump on SHIELD’s newest combat vehicle, the Dagger, grab a laser gun or EMP Blaster and fight the Swarmbots. The more Swarmbots you can disable during the ride and the higher your score.

The latest attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland makes visitors feel like they’re recruits at SHIELD headquarters.

I was among the big crowd gathered for the sneak peek, three days before opening to the public.

Frankly speaking, I’m not very good at shooting games, but after hearing I’d been assigned to help protect the SHIELD Pavilion, I was keen to do my best. My fondness for Marvel, SHIELD included, has grown steadily ever since the first Avengers film in 2012.

I’ve seen all the sequels and all the movies about the Avengers ever since. I’ve also found Ant-Man funny and think it’s a good idea to help him fight off the villains.

Iron Man shakes hands with an iron grip.

Once aboard the vehicle, I firmly grasped my laser gun and trained my eyes on targets that varied in size and shape.

My tip to other riders heading into “Nano Battle” is that each type of target shape and size has a different score – the smaller the target, the higher the score. And if you want to find out what shape scores the most, read the instruction before you board the Dagger.

My score at the end of the game was 66,260 with an accuracy rate of just 32 per cent. My seatmate scored 107,090 with an accuracy rate of 36. So my message to others who’ve already experienced “Nano Battle” and scored higher is “You should be proud.”

Paul Rudd, who portrays AntMan onscreen, poses with a fan at a recent sneakpeek of the new attraction. 

Hong Kong Disneyland takes pride in becoming established as the ultimate Marvel hub in Asia.

“Marvel stories are deeply loved by guests from all around the world, and our markets especially resonate with these stories,” said Stephanie Young, the park’s managing director.

She said “Iron Man Experience” has consistently been rated the park’s most popular attraction since its opening in 2017.

Just as I imagined, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Nano Battle!” sits right next to “Iron Man Experience”. But to my surprise, the latter was a lot more fun if you sit in the front row of the simulator vehicle than it is in the back row. I tried both because I’m a theme-park fan.

AntMan and the Wasp Easter Eggs

This was likely because the vehicle seemed to fly and move more realistically when I didn’t have other people’s heads in my field of vision. But the middle and back rows are probably best for anyone feeling timid and not wanting to be scared.

I have another secret to share. This simulator-enabled attraction really does climb high and twists and swerves. We’re not talking minor shakes and dodges here. I discovered this during a Back of the House Tour arranged for visiting foreign media late last month.

Collectors will love the interesting AntMan and the Wasp merchandise available. 

Beneath the simulator is a mechanical platform that hoists the vehicle several metres and swings it right and left. The vehicle stays entirely separate from the aisle entrances and exits along which riders walk. The aisle segment only connects with the vehicle when the riders are getting in and out, and then becomes completely independent in its movements.

To culminate the Marvel experiences at Hong Kong Disneyland, no one should miss the opportunity to meet Iron Man. Looking as if he walked right out of the world’s best-loved action films, Iron Man doesn’t just pose for photos but also interacts and jokes with you.

A hamburger meal inspired by AntMan and the Wasp

I asked him, “Can I shake your hand?” and he very nicely obliged.

Then he encouraged me to pose for a photo with his hand held out front. Just as I put my hand forward too, I heard him asking, “Does the light come out of my armour, or is it my aura?” Given that Iron Man too is my favourite superhero, I didn’t hesitate to reply. “Your aura, of course!”

The writer travelled as a guest of Hong Kong Disneyland and Hong Kong Airlines.

IF YOU GO

There are multiple daily direct flights between Bangkok and Hong Kong. Hong Kong Airlines is among full-service carriers with several flights a day.

Hong Kong Disneyland also operates several resorts with tempting packages that include both your room and your park admission.

FAST-FOOD GIANT Burger King has for decades been the undisputed Home of the Whopper – the chain’s signature sandwich featuring one of its flame-grilled, “no nonsense” 100-per-cent beef patties.

So, what happens when the Whopper doesn’t actually have any meat?

BK is going vegan. That’s right, enter the Impossible Whopper, a meatless version of “America’s favourite burger”.

It’s made up of mostly soy and potato protein, and features coconut oil, sunflower oil and heme – an iron-rich protein that simulates the texture, colour and taste of actual meat.

Burger King has for years offered a veggie burger at its thousands of restaurants but it was not marketed as anything even remotely resembling a juicy, tender slab of meat.

So far, the Impossible Whopper is only available at several dozen restaurants in the Midwestern US city of St Louis. But chief marketing officer Fernando Machado told the New York Times that the company expects to quickly expand availability nationally if all goes well.

“I have high expectations that it’s going to be big business, not just a niche product,” Machado said.

Burger King’s partnership with startup Impossible Foods is the latest, perhaps boldest move by a power player in an industry seeking to make inroads with customers on plant-based diets.

Nestle on Tuesday announced plans to roll out “cook from raw” plant-based burgers in Europe – under the Garden Gourmet brand – and in the United States under the Sweet Earth label.

Nestle competitor Unilever in December said it had bought up Dutch brand De Vegetarische Slager (the Vegetarian Butcher) to position itself in the expanding sector.

Impossible Burgers are already on the menu at US chain restaurants White Castle and Red Robin.

The Silicon Valley company, founded in 2011, is planning to launch its products in supermarkets later this year.

While soy burgers have existed for quite some time, several companies have taken the product up a notch by using sophisticated technology to make it taste, look and smell like meat.

Beyond Impossible Foods, other startups in the United States like Memphis Meats and Just, or Mosa Meats in the Netherlands, are working to develop meat from animal cells, not actual animals.

Nestle’s new products are made from soy and wheat proteins, with plant extracts such as beetroot, carrot and bell pepper.

The Swiss food giant goes so far as to say its veggie burger “hardly differs from a traditional burger”.

“They even make the sizzling sound of a regular beef burger during cooking,” it says.

In the US, Sweet Earth – the California-based subsidiary bought by Nestle 18 months ago – will sell its product as the “Awesome Burger”.

According to Nestle, consumers are looking “at different ways to enjoy and balance their protein intake and lower the environmental footprint of their diets”.

“We believe this trend is here to stay,” it says of plant-based food.

Indeed, a survey carried out by Nielsen for the Good Food Institute and published in September showed that sales of plant-based foods grew 17 per cent over the previous 12 months.

The trend is reflected in so-called “flexitarianism” – a plant-based diet with the occasional inclusion of meat – and veganism, which means the abstention from consumption of any animal products including dairy.

A vegan diet has major health benefits, reducing risks of diabetes and heart problems, but some health professionals say that vegans run the risk of not consuming enough of certain nutrients like protein and iron.