Too much to digest? McDonald's contributes £11.3 million to the Peterborough economy each year

Fast food giant McDonald's and its suppliers made an £11.3 million contribution to the Peterborough economy last year, it has been claimed.
Matthew Jarrett and McDonald's director of franchising Jason Hall at the opening of the new restaurant at Morrisons in Peterborough, at the Brotherhood Retail Park.Matthew Jarrett and McDonald's director of franchising Jason Hall at the opening of the new restaurant at Morrisons in Peterborough, at the Brotherhood Retail Park.
Matthew Jarrett and McDonald's director of franchising Jason Hall at the opening of the new restaurant at Morrisons in Peterborough, at the Brotherhood Retail Park.

The mouth-watering statistic is contained in a new 104 page report independently produced for the convenience food chain to mark its 45th anniversary.

Called ‘Serving the UK: McDonald’s at 45', it shows just how rich an ingredient the franchise-based business and its supply chain is to the areas in which it operates.

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The report states that each year, McDonald's and its supply chain, which includes firms like food packaging manufacturers Dart Products, of Flaxley Road, Kingston Park, Peterborough, contributes about £11.3 million to the city economy.

Yet even without its supply chain, McDonald's directly generated more than £9.3 million in Peterborough in one year, employing 576 people.

The value is measured from products sold in restaurants, expenditure with other companies and wages and salaries spent in the local economy.

Across the East of England, McDonald’s has contributed £183 million and supported 15,983 jobs to the regional economy.

That rises to £341 million if the supply chain is included.

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Farmers across the region benefited from £40 million of income as a result of McDonald’s, mainly for products such as pork and potatoes.

Franchisee, Matthew Jarrett, who owns and operates nine restaurants in Peterborough, said: "Creating and sustaining jobs across Peterborough is of huge importance to me, and the fact that we have been able to make a significant financial contribution to the area is something my team and I are very proud of.

“We employ people based on their qualities not their qualifications but, as the worlds of business and education move closer, there’s no longer a need to decide between learning and earning.

“There’s also no such thing as a typical 9-5 at my restaurants.

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"We know that people take a job with McDonald's for all sorts of reasons, from wanting to earn some extra cash while studying at colleges or at university, to needing a flexible job that fits around childcare.

"That's why it's so important to us that we offer our employees flexible working options.”

Paul Pomroy, chief executive, McDonald’s UK & Ireland, said: "Our impact doesn’t begin and end with the number of Big Mac sandwiches, Veggie Wraps or coffees we sell.

"It goes so much further than that. It is in the 2.1 million jobs that McDonald’s, and our franchisees, have created in the past 45 years, the £35.6 billion we have spent with UK businesses and the £54.4 billion we have contributed to the UK economy.

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"While a meal from McDonald’s is enjoyed in the moment, our real and lasting impact is in the communities we serve and the national economy as a whole.

"We are a central part of many of the communities we work in and we use our position to try to make a difference."