McDonald’s customers are now able to see the ingredients sourced from the UK and Ireland that make some of their iconic favourites, and just how close they are to the farmers and growers that produce them. The new Map My McDonald’s interactive tool allows customers to see which quality, fresh ingredients are grown in their region, and to meet some of the 23,000 British and Irish farmers that supply them.
The map has been created as a new study shows that residents in the North West care more about local farmers and locally sourced food following lockdown. Over a third (39%) of residents now say that supporting local farmers and growers is important to them, while over two fifths (42%) say they want to eat out more to support local food providers and farmers.
The YouGov poll of more than 2,000 British adults also found that almost half (46%) say their appreciation for locally sourced food has increased since lockdown, with eggs (61%), potatoes (58%), beef (56%) and milk (56%) taking the top spots for ingredients residents in the North West most want restaurants to source from local suppliers.
Alongside the map, McDonald’s is also shining a light on the real-life McDonald’s farmers in its latest national advertising campaign, paying tribute to the 23,000 British and Irish farmers that are McDonald’s ‘essential ingredient’. A new TV advert, airing on the 5th October, will also highlight the surprisingly local ingredients that go into McDonald’s great value favourites – whether it’s the 100% British and Irish beef in McDonald’s burgers, the free-range eggs for McDonald’s breakfast or the potatoes for its iconic Fries.
Fans are being invited to go to MapMyMcDonalds.co.uk to learn all about the quality, fresh ingredients like beef, pork, eggs, milk and potatoes that are grown in their region and meet the farmers that live and work in their local area.
As part of its long heritage in supporting farming, McDonald’s is also announcing two new partnerships. The first, together with its long-standing potato partner McCain, will see the launch of the Sustainable MacFries Fund, providing over £1 million in grants to British potato growers to help improve water and soil sustainability.
The second will see McDonald’s and The Prince’s Countryside Fund launch the ‘Ready for Change’ workshops to help livestock farmers prepare for the future.
Nina Prichard, Head of Sustainable and Ethical Sourcing at McDonald’s UK & Ireland, said: “Clearly, the nation is hungry for homegrown food, which is no surprise given the high quality of ingredients that are produced by farmers and growers across the UK.
“We know that our customers expect a quality experience every time they order from us, which is why we work so hard to source the best quality local ingredients wherever we can. At the heart of that are over 23,000 British and Irish farmers up and down the country, many of whom we’ve worked with for decades.
“These farmers are the local heroes who work tirelessly to deliver quality, local produce for our delicious menu, day in, day out. We are committed to continuing to support them and the overall future of British and Irish farming.”
Helen Brass, Co-owner of The Lakes Free Range Eggs Company, who have supplied eggs to McDonald’s for almost 20 years and features in McDonald’s new TV advert, added: “It’s brilliant to know that so many of the nation’s favourite McDonald’s menu items are sourced from British and Irish farmers like ourselves. We’re proud to have supplied the free-range eggs that are cracked for McDonald’s breakfasts for nearly 20 years, and our work together never stops. Over the last two decades we’ve worked closely to innovate and continually improve our business, including planting native trees across 20% of the ranges on our farms to provide cover for our hens – this protection improves their wellbeing and egg quality.”
The launch of Map My McDonald’s will come as almost a third of people (32%) report that they care more about the quality of the food in their meals than before lockdown. McDonald’s customers can enjoy their favourite menu items knowing:
- Every egg cracked for a McDonald’s breakfast is free-range and RSPCA Assured, which has been the case for over twenty years.
- All McDonald’s burgers are made using 100% British and Irish beef, sourced from over 20,000 farms, accredited by a nationally recognised farm assurance scheme, such as Red Tractor.
- Every drop of semi-skimmed milk in teas, coffees, porridge and Happy Meal® milk bottles is organic and comes from Red Tractor assured dairies.
- Across its menu, McDonald’s only serves 100% RSPCA Assured outdoor-bred pork and was the first UK restaurant to do so.
- And McDonald’s world-famous Fries are made using spuds, sourced from select ‘MacFry’ potato varieties, grown on British Red Tractor assured farms.
