McDonald’s U.S. menus are not the only ones that go through changes throughout the year. In the U.K., company’s branch there recently changed up its menu by pulling six popular, limited-time-only items in late August. McDonald’s U.K. and Ireland was also forced to take milkshakes and bottled drinks off the menu at its restaurants due to supply chain issues in August.
The limited edition menu items leaving the U.K. menu include the single and double BBQ Quarter Pounder with cheese, Mars McFlurries and the McSpicy, reports the Mirror. Garlic Cheese Bites, something Americans have never seen at U.S. McDonald’s, was also pulled from the menu. While these items are gone, they were replaced with six new items: the Big Tasty, Big Tasty with Bacon, Chicken BBQ Smokehouse, Mozzarella Dippers, Cadbury Milk Chocolate McFlurry and Cadbury Caramel McFlurry. Yes, McDonald’s U.K. will also have mozzarella sticks, which are also not available in the U.S.
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These menu changes were all planned to keep the menu fresh, but the coronavirus pandemic has forced McDonald’s U.K. to make other drastic changes. No location in all of Britain will carry milkshakes and bottled drinks because of supply chain issues. “Like most retailers, we are currently experiencing some supply chain issues, impacting the availability of a small number of products,” a McDonald’s U.K. and Ireland spokesperson said Tuesday, reports Reuters. “Bottled drinks and milkshakes are temporarily unavailable in restaurants across England, Scotland and Wales.”
While the limited-edition items are no longer on the menu, McDonald’s U.K. and Ireland fans will soon get to try something new. The McPlant plant-based sandwich will be available in 10 restaurants in Coventry on Sept. 29 before expanding to 250 restaurants on Oct. 13. The sandwich will be widely avaialble in both countries by 2022, reports Market Watch.
McDonald’s customers in the U.S. saw plenty of changes to the menu in 2020 and 2021. Last year, the chain dialed down its menu during the coronavirus pandemic. Salads, chicken tenders, grilled chicken sandwiches, and some breakfast items disappeared, notes Business Insider. McDonald’s also stopped offering All Day Breakfast in March 2020. It still has not returned.
“As McDonald’s and franchisees evaluate if and how we bring All Day Breakfast back to our menus, we want to ensure these improvements will remain consistent for our customers,” McDonald’s told Business Insider. “Any final decision will be made in partnership with our franchisees, based on consumer demand, and designed to drive the business while minimizing operational disruptions.”
Although these changes were made, McDonald’s continues to introduce new menu items. Earlier this month, the company announced plans to add Glazed Pull Apart Donuts to the menu, beginning on Sept. 1. The donuts offer customers “a unique twist on a classic donut that fans are sure to love,” according to the company. The sweet treats will only be available for a limited time.
