Thursday 16 November 2017

Behind The Scenes At McDonald's

Last week I was invited to McDonald's Silverlink to go behind the scenes and see what new changes they are making to the restaurants, and also to make my very own Big Mac! We were greeted at the store by franchisee Bill who was the 6th McDonald's franchise owner here in the UK and now has several branches here in the North East, including the Silverlink branch which has the busiest drive-thru in the North East. Bill employs over 600 people here in the North East, and funnily enough my partner actually worked for Bill and the store manager Simon many years ago when he was a teenager at the Silverlink branch.

McDonald's Big Mac I Made


First up we were shown around the restaurant and learnt some rather impressive facts that I was not aware of. Such as McDonald's are doing their best to reduce waste and hope to have zero waste to landfill by 2020, they do this by having cardboard and plastic recycling bins in-store and even the cooking oil is made into bio-fuel for their delivery trucks. 

Another thing that I was really impressed by was the new kiosk ordering system that is being rolled out in branches around the country. We normally visit the Killingworth branch (also ran by Bill) which doesn't have the kiosks yet so I had never used them and after seeing what they are like I am impressed. The kiosks allow you to take your time when ordering without feeling you are holding the queue up, it even gives you the option of remove ingredients from your meal - such as pickles or ketchup on a burger. When ordering something like a Happy Meal you will be shown the healthy items such as fruit snacks and milk first before things like fizzy pop.

Kiosk at MacDonald's Silverlink

You also have the option of requesting table service too which is something I had no idea about. You just request it at the kiosk, go and sit down, leave your receipt on the table and a member of staff will bring your food to you when it is ready. I imagine this service is so useful to parents with prams or those with mobility issues. You can still order from the counter if you prefer though. 

Then it was time to go behind the scenes, we were presented with our own hat, apron and name badge so that we really looked the part. We were shown around the stock area and all of the ingredients that McDonald's use are high quality, the fries are made by Mccain, the milk is organic and eggs are free range and the beef burgers are 100 % British beef and have nothing else added (other than salt and pepper). Everything was spotlessly clean and an alarm even sounds every 20 minutes to remind staff to wash there hands.

Kitchen at McDonald's

I always imagined that McDonald's batch made all the food and it was left waiting for someone to buy it but that is not the case at all, everything is made fresh. Clever computerised programs help the staff to calculate the number of burgers that need to be available due to trends for the restaurant.The burgers are cooked on the griddle which can tell how long each burger needs to be cooked depending on its thickness, eliminating human error.  Then when you place an order the staff will create your burger fresh for you. 

We then got to create our own Big Mac, it is very slick how the create them with everything to hand making the process seamless. First, you toast the three-part bun, this takes just 7 seconds, then you can pop it in the box and squirt on some secret Big Mac sauce, add some onions, lettuce and 2 pickles, 2 freshly cooked burgers from the tray and some cheese. It was so quick to make, even for a beginner like me. I don't normally order a Big Mac when we visit McDonald's, I have always been a McChicken sandwich fan, but I enjoyed my Big Mac and think it might be my new favourite.

Big Mac Burger McDonald's

Overal I was really impressed with the changes that McDonald's are making, I now know that they use quality ingredients and the food is cooked fresh so I don't mind my children having one every now and then as a treat. My fifteen-year-old daughter also wants to work in McDonald's when she is at college and after seeing what a great environment it is and how much franchises like Bill care for his staff (even putting some through degrees) I would be happy for her to work there when she is a student in a few years time.


Disclosure This is a collaborative post with McDonald's. 
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34 comments

  1. Did you get to find out the recipe of the secret Big Mac sauce? ;) It all looks fab although those new computer ordering systems have driven me insane. We aren't huge Maccy's visitors but recently visited one and had to use it, I nearly ended up punching it! Totally frustrating although I can see how it makes life easier and nothing can get lost in translation! Must have been fab making your own Big Mac though - the pro's take 7 seconds to make it? That is immense! Sim x

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    1. No, I wish I did as it is delicious! Ah no, I haven't used the machines yet as my local one doesn't have them. xx

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  2. It was really fascinating seeing behind the scenes. There was so much that I didn't know about McDonalds.

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    1. I know I had no idea they used such quality ingredients and everything was so organised x

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  3. Such an interesting insight into behind the scenes at McDonalds I used to work there many moons ago and it has progressed dramatically!

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    1. My partner worked there a long time ago too and he said it has changed so much xx

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  4. Wow I can't believe how quickly they can make a Big Mac! That's truly fast food!

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  5. We have the kiosks and table service at our local McDonalds. It's so handy!
    Mmmm.
    Off to get a meal deal.

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  6. That must have been really interesting, getting a peek behind the scenes. I have to admit, we don't eat there very often, except when we are travelling.

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    1. It was really interesting and nothing at all like I thought it would be like x

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  7. Ahh what a fab event! I love Big Macs, I miss them so much now I'm gluten free.

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  8. I would love to go behind the scenes at macdonalds - its all so quick isn' it

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    1. It was super quick, I couldn't believe how quick and easy it was to make a big mac x

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  9. I did this recently and I was amazed at how much McDonalds has changed, how clean their kitchens are and how brilliant I was at making a Big Mac!!!

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    1. Everything was spotless wasn't it, it is such a slick operation xx

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  10. This was a really interesting read. Must have been great fun to go backstage so to speak and who doesn't like a Big Mac! x

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    1. It was really interesting, I had no idea they used such quality ingredients and how clean everything was x

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  11. Ahh, I've got a lot of love for McDonalds. My brother has worked there for years now and been working his way up the management ladder. They've really looked after him well and paid for him to retake some of his GCSEs which I think is amazing. I'd LOVE to make my own Bic Mac!

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    1. That is fab, they do seem like a great company to work for from the staff we spoke too x

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  12. Ahh this looks like such a fab experience. I've always heard that McDonald's look after their staff! :)

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    1. They seem to treat staff so well, putting some though degrees and giving them great staff benefits x

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  13. MacDonalds is one of my guilty pleasures. Id love to go and have a peek behind the scenes

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    1. It was really interesting, I was amazed at organised everything was x

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  14. The kids love the self service tills, and it's good to know it's not batch cooked

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    1. I had no idea it was all made fresh until I visited xx

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  15. I remember when all the kids used to have birthday parties at McDonalds, and they used to take a few of you into the kitchens to have a look around!

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    1. My brother done that for his birthday when he was a kid! They used to let you in the freezers, mind I went in one and it was soooo cold x

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  16. We have had the self service screens rolled out in our town a few months ago in Ireland. It was the first one in fact. I much prefer them because now everything is computerised and when you are going to the actual till the screens are changing so quickly that you dont even get a chance to read what you want.

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    1. I think the self service tills are a great idea, I love that you are not being rushed and can customise your order. I had no idea that they had half the things on the menu until I seen them on the kiosk x

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  17. I'd definitely be up for making my own Big Mac. I think the problem with me in the kitchen would be that I'd eat more than made it to customers!

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    1. It was good fun, so quick and simple too. I bet you would get sick of the food after a while

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