Only British Potatoes for the French Fries of McDonald's UK

McDonald’s in the United Kingdom is to start sourcing potatoes from British farmers only, as the fast food giant looks to appeal to customers more conscious about where their meals come from.

While most of its potatoes are already supplied from Britain, McDonald’s currently sources 13pc from countries across Europe, including Germany. The move, which starts later this month, will mean an extra £9m for British farmers on top of the £70m McDonald’s spends with them each year.

McDonald’s is one of the largest buyers of British potatoes, and the company expects to buy a quarter of a million tonnes of potatoes this year.

“A succession of wet harvests has caused the British potato sector great uncertainty in recent years, so I hope our long-term commitment to only source from this country will give farmers the confidence to innovate and invest for the future,” said Connor McVeigh, ‎supply chain director at McDonald’s UK.

It comes as part of a wider £350m investment programme in the UK, as the group overhauls its 1,250 stores in the country and transforms its menu offerings.

It has also launched touchscreen, self-service kiosks that give customers more choice and allow them to select their own ingredients.

Despite reporting lower sales in the US, McDonald’s has enjoyed 37 consecutive quarters of growth in the UK, and plans to open up to 30 new outlets a year this decade.