McDonalds Blogger Event, Birmingham

Sometimes, as a blogger, you receive an invitation to an event that is just too good to miss. It may include Champagne Cocktails, meeting celebrities, amazing fashion shows, or it may invite you to make your own Big Mac. Yes, I did say make your own Big Mac. That was the event that I took part in last week at the Small Heath branch of McDonalds, and I have to say it is one of the most fun events I had been to in a long time – and the Big Mac was delicious.

McDonalds has been around in the UK since 1974 (in Woolwich London, the restaurant is still there!) and is pretty much a part of everyone’s life, whether you have an occasional burger or are a regular visitor. But McDonalds is moving with the times, and the restaurants, ordering service and general delivery of food is all changing. Gone are the days when asking for a tailor made burger meant a very long wait, or when trying to order food with children meant standing in a queue with your pushchair, McDonalds is now aiming to deliver fast and convenient food.

One of the major changes to stores have been the electronic order pads that mean you no longer have to order at the desk. These offer all the food options, and the chance to tailor make your meal too, by removing sauce from burgers, changing chips for salads etc to literally create the perfect meal for you. The machines accept vouchers, as well as card payments, so you don’t miss out on money off offers. What I also like is the option to have the food delivered to your table – perfect if you have young children and pushchairs and don’t want to leave them whilst you wait at a collection point for your food.

Another thing I was really impressed with was the electronic order boards above the counters. In the past these were manually operated, but now, the electrical system allows them to be changed immediately if items are no longer available. This stops the disappointment of ordering food that you can’t have.

Once we had checked out the front of house, it was time for the exciting part, to don our hairnets and aprons, add our own special badges and to get into the kitchen. I have to admit that I expected the kitchen to be much bigger, but when you see how organised every operation is, you realise that lots of space is not a necessity. As child I went to a McDonalds birthday party and had a trip around the kitchens, so was surprised to see just how different the operation is now. There are no open grills for the burgers, but specifically time covered grills. Everything is done to precision, from the amount of onions added to a burger, to the squirt of Big Mac sauce. Every single order is done to order, no burgers are left sitting on the counter waiting to be chosen – this enables food to be piping hot and perfect. The whole space is supremely clean – not even a lettuce leaf left on a counter, and the general feeling is one of total efficiency. I was impressed!

I loved making my own Big Mac, but was nowhere near as quick as the staff, who can literally make one of these in less than a minute. In fact, I loved the whole experience, the Small Heath branch felt like a really bright and friendly place to eat with your family, and the staff were truly friendly and seemed to have a real pride in their work, which is great to see.

*This is a sponsored post.

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