The day I made my own Big Mac #YourNewMcDonalds

Recently I went to visit the McDonald’s at Norwich airport where along with a group of other bloggers we were given a guided tour of the new facilities available and given the opportunity to make our very own Big Mac.

I haven’t actually been into one of their restaurants for quite a while and it’s mainly because with having three children I just find it easier to use the drive-through. When we do go out as a family for meals it’s generally quite stressful with the children, so this is usually one of the easy options that they love and also means that we eat in the car, making life easier for us as they’re contained!

Our usual trip to McDonald’s is usually for a treat for the kids (and my husband) or simply because we can’t be bothered to make a meal due to having had a really busy day and it’s just easier just to take a trip to McDonald’s. With kids, there is just something about it there that they love and without a doubt they always eat every single morsel in their happy meals.

Now personally I’ve always eaten McDonald’s but I’ve never really discovered my favourite burger. That is until fairly recently since they introduced their Signature range. I must say that I absolutely love the BBQ burger and in my opinion it gives most gourmet burgers a run for their money. As the burger is put together at the time of you ordering, it comes out with crisp salad ingredients inside a brioche bun. Not a soggy salad leaf in sight and really tasty too.

The whole queuing up for food system has completely changed – where have I been? No more lengthly lines of people and food servers in a row. It was refreshing to see that the till area was very minimalistic. The focus very much being on ordering your food through the kiosks, without the added pressure of having people waiting in line behind you. You also get better opportunity to peruse all that is on offer, including all the extras for your kids that you might normally miss off of your order, such a fruit bags and different drinks.

There are various ways to order now and there is something to suit everyone. If you like to stick to traditional ordering at the counter, then you can still do that. If you want to process your order yourself, like you would do at the self scanner tills at the supermarket then you can do that too, by selecting your chosen items on the touch screens and paying via the card debit machine. If you’re still at home and you want to order, then you can now order through their app, so that when you arrive to collect, you simply scan a QC code you are given on your app and your order will be put straight through, skipping the whole ordering process. So many options, meaning that there something to suit everyone.

I have heard many myths over the years about what goes into the food and I think it’s fair to say that most people will have heard one tale.  So if you’ve ever been unsure about what cuts of meat McDonald’s use or anything about what is involved in the process from farm to restaurant then it’s well worth a look at What Makes McDonald’s.

Tablets and charge points available for everybody

One of the things I hadn’t realised that McDonald’s have is tablets for their customers to use. I’m so not keeping up with the times, I realise this! It all depends on which store are you going to the Norwich Airport restaurant has four tablets which anyone can use. It depends on what time of day really obviously as kids generally monopolise them when they’re in there but they are used just as much by adults grabbing a coffee and breakfast before work, so it’s perfect for checking emails, social media and the news.

The best feature for me was the magic table. It’s an interactive table for anybody to use and features various games. It’s certainly very popular with both customers and the staff.

There are various ports so that you can charge your phone and other devices while you are in there. Perfect if you are able to travel or have returned from your travels and equally just as handy for anybody popping in that needs to boost their device when grabbing a bite to eat.

After we had been given a tour of all the features that are being rolled out across all the restaurants in the country, it was time to go behind the scenes to make my very own burger…

Preparing to make my Big Mac

What surprised me about the food preparation

I have to admit I’ve never thought too much about what goes on with the preparation of the food before it’s handed to me in a bag or on a tray, just simply that they were made and queued up to be given to the next customer.  I was able to see that the meat is cooked and then stored in trays that are clearly marked, so that the meat is dished out according to when it was cooked. If the meat hasn’t been used within a 15 minute period then it will be discarded and the next one in line will be used. This way they are ensuring that what you are getting is fresh and nothing has been reheated.  You can also order your food to be cooked completely fresh as you wait, so although it makes your wait a little bit longer, it’s worth knowing that you can have your burger cooked fresh on the spot if you wish.

Here I am starting the process of making my very own Big Mac! There is a particular process involved with toasting the bun (which I failed with at the first hurdle) and then it was a case of selecting the relevant box and then deciding what I wanted adding (from the Big Mac ingredient list). I went for everything bar the gherkin, how nice it was to omit that without having to pick it out.

Here I am with my finished burger and a lot more insight into how McDonald’s works!

Last but not least…

Their work with Ronald McDonald House Charity (RMHC)

Ronald McDonald House Charities has been McDonald’s charity of choice since the Charity was founded in 1989 and you can read more about the charity and what they provide here.  You may have noticed that there are collection boxes in every one of their restaurants across the UK and the money raised is primarily used to build new Houses.  They play such a vital part in this charity.

Nb. A collaborative post with McDonalds.