Major fast food chain McDonald’s has revealed a pilot range of premium burgers which it launched in 28 restaurants last week.
The new editions to the menu have been created by McDonald’s team of food specialists and its Chefs Council – a team of chefs with experience ranging from working in Michelin-starred restaurants to cooking for international royalty.
Known as ‘The Signature Collection’, the premium burger range consists of a much thicker beef patty, made using 100% British and Irish beef. The burgers are available in three varieties: The Classic, The BBQ and The Spicy. Each is served in a brioche-style bun.
“At McDonald’s we are committed to listening to our customers and evolving our menu to offer something for everyone,” explained Duncan Cruttenden, food development director for the restaurant chain.
Cruttenden headed a team of experts who used customer insight to create the products. During research, three key focus points arose. It was revealed that customers wanted a thicker beef burger, high-quality ingredients and for the meals to be freshly prepared. Following this hypothesis, McDonald’s Food Development team joined forces with the Chefs’ Council to create the range with these areas at the heart of the products.
“When the Chefs Council started to develop this new premium offering, we worked with a brief generated by our customers – they told us they wanted thicker beef patties, high-quality ingredients and freshly prepared,” added Cruttenden.
“We’ve crafted a range that is a truly exciting permanent addition to our menu – every product has to earn a place on our menu and our customers have told us the Signature Collection has done just that.”
To ensure that the range stands out from other products on the menu, the Signature Collection is served in a stylish black packaging, with fries served in a matching carton.
The new burgers hitting the restaurants are:
1) The Classic: 100% British and Irish beef patty served with two rashers of Beechwood smoked bacon, a slice of natural cheddar cheese, wholegrain mustard mayonnaise, ketchup, Batavia lettuce and red onion.
2) The BBQ: 100% British and Irish beef patty topped with smoky BBQ sauce, coleslaw, red onion and Batavia lettuce, also served with Beechwood smoked bacon and a slice of natural cheddar cheese.
3) The Spicy: 100% British and Irish beef patty complemented with jalapeño slices, Pepper Jack cheese, Batavia lettuce, mayonnaise and a spicy relish.
Due to the thickness of the premium patties, the burger takes slightly longer to cook than other burgers on the menu.
The trial was launched on last week, (4 November) in 28 restaurants in London and the south of the country, with plans to roll out to an estimated 400 additional restaurants as of next summer.