McDonald’s UK is celebrating 50 years with exciting new menu items and a strong focus on giving back to the community. During our visit to the South Harrow branch, the Harrow Online team got to sample these new additions and even tried our hand at making our own burgers!
To mark their 50th anniversary, McDonald’s has introduced three new desserts: the Birthday Cake Donut, Milkybar Raspberry Ripple McFlurry, and Munchies Cookie Dough McFlurry. We also made the Munchies McFlurry ourselves and were thrilled with the results!
The Birthday Cake Donut, featuring a strawberry-flavoured filling and buttercream icing with sprinkles, has joined the McCafe menu. Plus, 20p from each sale will be donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities UK, which is also celebrating its 35th birthday.
During our visit, we tried making the Double Big Mac and enjoyed the other options McDonald’s has brought back for its anniversary. The menu now includes favourites like the Double Big Mac and the McCrispy BBQ Smokehouse, returning for the first time since last year. There are also new additions like Cheesy Garlic Bread Dippers and the McDonald’s Chicken Sharebox.
McDonald’s has also made some updates to its classic beef burgers. The changes include a tighter sear on the patties for a juicier bite, grilled onions for extra flavor, fresher lettuce, and new brioche-style buns.
Community Engagement and Initiatives in Harrow
McDonald’s Harrow has been active in the local community, engaging in various initiatives to benefit residents. Councillor Matthew Goodwin-Freeman, who also paid a visit to make his own burger, praised the South Harrow branch, saying, “Whilst I may not have been the fastest at making a Big Mac, I was blown away with how much McDonald’s Harrow do to benefit our local community! Litter picking, apprenticeships, sponsoring community events – they are great champions in our community.”
Reema Mavani, a local franchisee, shared insights into McDonald’s community efforts: “At McDonald’s Harrow, we take our role as a responsible employer seriously. Every Wednesday, my team, along with local councillors and the Harrow Litter Pick Team—who recently celebrated their 1,000th member at our South Harrow branch a few weeks ago—conduct a thorough litter pick starting at our restaurant and covering a one-mile radius.
“We handle the disposal of this rubbish responsibly at our own expense. In addition to this, we’ve donated over 100 litter pickers, more than 300 litter hoops, and Hi-Vis jackets to local residents. Recently, we also contributed over 50 graffiti removers. We store and distribute the purple bin bags provided by the council at our South Harrow branch for local residents. As a token of our appreciation, we offer free breakfast and coffee every Wednesday to those that are involved in the litter picks.”
McDonald’s has also been promoting its apprenticeship program, highlighting the success of employees like Alex Evans.
Starting with McDonald’s at just 16 years old, Alex chose to forgo university after his A-levels due to concerns about debt and a preference for practical experience. After discussion with HR Manager and coach Eleanor Gill, the team decided that sponsoring Alex’s apprenticeship while he worked as a shift manager was the right move. Alex completed his Level 4 apprenticeship in Management and Hospitality and is now an Assistant Manager, with aspirations to running his own restaurant one day.
Alex’s father noted, “Since starting the apprenticeship, Alex has gained more focus, a clear goal, and has matured significantly.”
Fundraising Activities in Harrow and Brent
Throughout the summer, McDonald’s stores in Wembley and Harrow are hosting fundraising events to support Ronald McDonald House Charities UK. Activities include face painting, games, and an internal raffle. One of the events planned features Assistant Manager Beckham Fernandes shaving his head live to raise money!. These efforts have already raised £2,000, with more planned throughout the summer.
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
Harrow Online reaches hundreds of thousands of readers each month and has a social media audience of more than 200,000 followers.
For news tips, press releases or enquiries, contact Chris at info@harrowonline.org.
