A Suffolk farmer is at the forefront of a promotional campaign by fast food giant McDonald’s highlighting its commitment to UK produce, according to a report by Sarah Chambers for the East Anglian Daily Times.
Andrew Francis, who runs the farm operation at the Earl of Iveagh’s Elveden Estate near Thetford and supplies the chain with potatoes – features in a new Map My McDonald’s interactive tool which allows customers to see some of its army of 23,000 British and Irish farmer suppliers.
The 22,500 acre country estate includes more than 10,000 acres of farmland – making in the largest lowland farm in the UK – and grows a range of crops including 75,000 tonnes of potatoes, onions, parsnips and carrots.
The restaurant chain is launching two new partnerships as it ramps up support for UK farmers. Together with its long-standing potato partner McCain, it is launching the Sustainable MacFries Fund, providing more than £1m in grants to British potato growers to help improve water and soil sustainability.
McDonald’s UK head of sustainability Nina Prichard said the desire for homegrown food was “no surprise” given the high quality of ingredients produced by UK farmers and growers.
Source: East Anglian Daily Times
Photo: Elveden Estate senior farms manager Andrew Francis, who features in a ‘map my McDonald’s’ promotional campaign | Courtesy McDonald’s
