How Macca's Australia feeds the whole country: Inside the fast food giant's $1 billion shopping list
Feeding Australia, let alone the world, is no small feat, and that's something McDonald's understands intimately.
In fact, according to the fast food giant's 2023 shopping list, it's a daily job that has a hefty price tag.
Last year, McDonald's spent more than $1 billion across the local supply chain on more than 330 million kilograms of Australian produce, ingredients and products.
That's an extra 29 million kilograms of Australian items bought when compared to the chain's 2022 shopping list, which, in large part, was driven by significant demand from the brand's international restaurants for Australian beef.
Read on to see how McDonald's Australia fed the country last year, with it's 2023 Australian shopping list broken down in numbers.
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If the Sydney Harbour Bridge could step onto a scale, the steel would weigh 53,000 tonnes.
That's nothing when compared to the full weight of McDonald's Australia's 2023 local shopping list, which, if all stacked up and put on a scale, would clock in a whopping six times the weight of the iconic landmark.
"In 2023 alone, we served up approximately 49 million Big Mac burgers to customers across Australia, with each Big Mac featuring 100 per cent Aussie beef, lettuce, wheat flour, pickles and onions sourced from farmers across Australia," McDonald's Australia senior director of supply chain Tom Mahony said.
Third-generation lettuce grower Matt Vella from Camden, New South Wales is one of the people who fulfilled McDonald's Australia with its 3.9 million kilogram lettuce order.
"We've proudly partnered with McDonald's for over a decade, supplying 3,000 kilograms of fresh, crisp iceberg lettuce each week, totaling more than 156,000 kilograms per year," Vella says.
"Our lettuce is grown here in Camden and delivered fresh to McDonald's supplier, Golden State Foods, who wash, slice and package up the lettuce to be delivered to restaurants in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia."
"McDonald's consistent and reliable weekly orders have been instrumental to our growth, enabling us to expand into a thriving 100-acre farm with over 30 employees," Vella continues.
"Having McDonald's support is crucial – it allows us to continue doing what we love and showcases the quality of Aussie produce to millions of customers everyday."
McDonald's Australia sources its tomatoes from farms in Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia.
"Australian farmers are responsible for growing the very best produce in the world," Julie Collins, federal minister for agriculture, fisheries and forestry says.
"It's great to see this quality is reflected in the [McDonald's] local shopping list which will help to support Australian farmers.
"This will boost local economies across the country, supporting jobs and ensuring regional and rural Australia thrives."
We think McDonald's Australia should bring back its 24 McNuggets for $9.95 deal to mark this milestone... 20 million kilograms of RSPCA-approved Australian chicken were used for burgers and nuggets last year.
That's thanks to farmers in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, and Victoria.
With a large onion weighing up to roughly 275 grams... you can imagine just how many tears came with the 1.2 million kilogram order.
McDonald's Australia sources its onions from Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia.
No milk? No sundaes, shakes, frappes or coffees.
Almost every state and territory is involved in the production of the chain's 52 million litre order, with New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia on the supplier list.
Thanks to suppliers in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia, the country can have McMuffins.
