My Burger will allow McDonald’s customers to create their own burgers by choosing from a range of 80 ingredients. The customised burgers can then be shared online to collect public votes, before being judged by a panel including Celebrity Masterchef winner Phil Vickery on 29 June.
The panel, which will also feature MacDonald’s representatives, and independent expert and a member of the public, will assess the 12 most popular burgers to choose five that will appear in the chain’s 1,200 UK restaurants for a week each between October and November 2014.
Phil Vickery MBE said: “A great burger is more than just a combination of your favourite ingredients. There needs to be a good balance of flavour, texture and appearance. What’s more, the best ones need a great name to go with it. There are some fantastic ingredients to choose from and having had a chance to design and cook my own burger, I’m excited to see what people come up with.”
Alistair Macrow, senior vice president, chief marketing officer, McDonald’s UK added: “We’re giving our customers the unique chance to design their own burger online with the potential for it to sit side-by-side with the likes of the iconic Big Mac. To canvass the public’s support and pass the taste test of our judging panel, customers will have to think about what looks, sounds and tastes great.”
The customised burgers need to include up to six ingredients, starting with a McDonald’s beef patty and a choice of 20 different buns. There are more than one million possible combinations with ingredients ranging from streaky bacon, cheddar cheese and sliced onion to guacamole, chorizo and pineapple chunks.
The My Burger campaign will run online between 20 May and 15 June.