McDonald’s Invites Young British Farmers Behind the Counter
McDonald’s is hosting young British farmers behind the counter of its UK restaurants for the first time this week, where they’ll serve customers as part of a training programme designed to provide them with unique insight into what consumers are looking for in the food they buy.
Three young farmers in the final stages of the inaugural year of McDonald’s Progressive Young Farmer Training Programme, are working alongside crew members for the chance to speak to customers firsthand and prepare food using ingredients they have seen grown, reared and harvested.
Over the last 12 months, each student has traced the entire agricultural supply chain from farm to restaurant front counter. They have been mentored by some of the UK’s most progressive farmers and leading food companies that supply ingredients for McDonald’s menu such as potato and Fries specialist, McCain.
Research commissioned by sector skills council Lantra shows that only 1 in 10 people working in the UK farming industry today are aged between 16 and 24 and more than 50,000 new farmers equipped with the right skills will be needed over the next decade to replace retiring workers. [1]
McDonald’s Progressive Young Farmer Training Programme aims to help young people looking to work within agriculture kick-start careers in the industry by providing them with the blend of farming and business acumen needed to succeed in today’s modern farming sector – from land management and animal husbandry through to marketing and IT skills.
Warren Anderson, Vice President, Supply Chain, McDonald’s UK, commented:
“People are now more interested and curious about where their food comes from than ever before. Research shows that over half of UK adults consider how food is produced when deciding which products to buy, which means successful farmers today need an exceptional understanding of the entire process – from farm through to customer. [2]
“We buy the majority of the quality ingredients we need for our menu from over 17,500 British and Irish farmers. To keep on doing this we need to ensure we support the next generation of passionate food producers, and giving young farmers the rare opportunity to talk to and serve customers in our restaurants will hopefully help them set up and run successful farm businesses in the future.”
Milly Wastie, Chairman, National Federation of Young Farmer’s Clubs (NFYFC), commented:
“We desperately need to attract more young people to work in agriculture, but often they aren’t aware of what career options there are or what working in farming actually involves. It’s fantastic that companies like McDonald’s are committed to supporting young farmers looking to break into the industry. There’s no better way to get young people excited about farming than showing them the whole supply chain from field to customer and giving them the experience to serve customers in restaurants too. The Progressive Young Farmer Training Programme really illustrates the blend of business and technical skills needed to work in the sector today and will set these young farmers up for successful future careers.”
Charles Clack, one of McDonald’s inaugural Progressive Young Farmer students, commented:
“The range of practical and business skills I’ve learnt in the last 12 months has really opened my eyes to what a career in farming is all about. From working on a beef farm that supplies McDonald’s to spending time at processors like OSI Food Solutions and McCain I’ve learnt the importance of long term relationships throughout the supply chain to produce quality ingredients.
“There’s so much more to farming than I think many people realise. It’s rare that farmers get the chance to meet customers, and I’ve loved seeing them enjoy the quality beef that I’ve played a part in producing.”
Farming and Food Minister David Heath said:
“The UK’s agri-food sector is a hugely important part of our economy, contributing £96 billion and employing £3.8 million people. It’s vitally important that we attract new talent with the right skills into the industry if the sector is to grow and become more competitive on the world stage.
“That’s why initiatives like McDonald’s Progressive Young Farmer Training Programme are so important. It’s given Charles Clark an opportunity to go behind the scenes of McDonald’s agricultural supply chain, including being mentored by ABP in my constituency in Somerset. This will prove extremely valuable for his future career and I wish Charles all the very best.”
McDonald’s serves 100% British and Irish beef, 100% Freedom Food pork from British farms and 100% free-range eggs on its UK menu. The Progressive Young Farmer Training Programme forms part of Farm Forward, McDonald’s long-term programme developed in response to major challenges facing British and Irish agriculture.
