McDonald’s commits to British farming in build up to London 2012 Olympic Games

As a first step, McDonald's will throw open the gates to some of the British and Irish farms that supply its menu and which will also provide meals for athletes, organisers and spectators at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Members of the public will be able to see firsthand the farms that will supply quality British and Irish produce for what is the biggest peacetime catering operation in the world in two years' time. In addition, McDonald's will: • Formally share best practice from farms supplying the Olympics with the rest of the farming community • Feature farms supplying the Olympics in national television advertising • Continue to support agricultural shows and awards that reward and recognise the best • Work with a range of organisations to use the Olympic Games as a global shop window for British and Irish produce McDonald's UK Chief Executive Steve Easterbrook announced the measures at the Olympic Park at an event attended by LOCOG Chair Seb Coe, LOCOG's Food Advisory Group, Olympic athlete and 2009 World Champion gymnast Beth Tweddle, senior figures from the world of agriculture and some of the British and Irish farmers who supply McDonald's. Easterbrook said: "More British and Irish farmers will be supplying the London 2012 Olympic Games than people might have realised. We spend over £490 million a year on food, much of which comes from the UK and Ireland, including quality produce like organic milk, free range eggs and beef from more than 17,500 farmers. These farmers supply our restaurants today and will continue to do so for the Olympics. "Opening up some of the farms that supply our restaurants today and will proudly continue to do so for the Olympics is a first step in this journey. We want people to see the pride they take in growing and rearing high quality produce. Our aim is to contribute to further improvements in the quality of produce, to strengthen those businesses and help secure a stronger farming sector." Seb Coe added: "We want to enhance everyone's experience of the Games by celebrating the great diversity and quality of British food on offer. The sheer scale of providing 14 million meals in just four weeks means this is a genuine opportunity for British agriculture." Peter Kendall, President of the National Farmers Union, described the initiative as a shop window for British farmers and agriculture. Richard Hoskin, of Maiden Castle Farm in Dorchester, who has supplied beef into McDonald's Supply Chain for five years, said: "I think it's a great idea to showcase the British farms and farmers that supply the ingredients for McDonald's iconic food. People are often surprised to hear that all the beef is sourced from the British Isles or that each product is tracked and traceable back to the farm they came from. I'm proud to be part of the new programme that showcases the quality of the food and the farms it comes from." Members of the public can enrol for farm visits at www.mcdonalds.co.uk/openfarms. There are five visits scheduled in 2010 in Dorset, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Cumbria and Derbyshire, with more to come in 2011.