LONDON – McDonald’s UK announced the pilot launch of its “Signature Collection” of premium burgers the company plans to serve in 28 restaurants. The burgers feature a thicker beef patty made from British and Irish beef and will come in three flavors — The Classic, The BBQ and The Spicy. Each burger is served on a brioche-style bun.
The Signature Collection is the work of McDonald’s food development team and the Chefs Council, a team of food specialists with a wide range of experience from Michelin-starred restaurants to cooking for international royalty, the company said. McDonald’s and the Chefs Council used customer insights to create the burgers.
“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,” Duncan Cruttenden, food development director at McDonald’s UK, said in a statement. “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.”
The Classic features two slices of Beechwood smoked bacon, a slice of natural cheddar cheese, whole-grain mustard mayonnaise, ketchup, Batavia lettuce and red onion. The BBQ is topped with BBQ sauce, coleslaw, red onion, Batavia lettuce, Beechwood smoked bacon and a slice of natural cheddar cheese. The Spicy includes sliced jalapeño, pepper jack cheese, Batavia lettuce, mayonnaise and a spicy relish.
The trial will take place in 28 stores in London and the South. The burgers will be served in new black packaging, with French fries served in matching fry cartons. In summer 2016, the Signature Collection is slated for a nationwide rollout when the premium burgers will become a permanent menu item in approximately 400 refurbished McDonald’s restaurants.
