The latest food and beverage industry news and trend analysis

McDonald's UK and Ireland has launched its 2026 World Menu Heist promotional campaign, introducing a selection of limited-edition food and beverage items adapted from its international operations across seven countries.

Arriving in restaurants nationwide on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, the temporary menu collection integrates customer-favourite products originally developed for McDonald's menus in Germany, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, India, China, and Australia. The campaign spans core dayparts, introducing international burgers, loaded sides, branded condiments, beverages, and the platform's first imported breakfast offerings.

International Menu Assortment and Flavour Profiles

The collection translates established international regional favourites into UK restaurant operations, balancing indulgent comfort foods with sweet-and-savoury flavour profiles:

🥤 Guava x Sprite Zero (India) (£2.39): Carbonated Sprite Zero blended with tropical guava-flavoured syrup served over ice.

🍳 Chicken & Egg McMuffin (Australia) (£4.39): Crispy coated chicken layered with a free-range egg, mayonnaise, and a cheese slice in a toasted English muffin.

🍟 Paprika McShaker Fries (The Netherlands) (£2.29): Standard McDonald's French fries supplied with a separate smoky paprika seasoning sachet and shaker bag for custom seasoning.

🍔 Big Rösti (Germany) (£6.99 individual / £8.99 medium EVM / £9.99 large EVM): Formulated with a British and Irish beef patty layered with a crispy potato rosti, streaky bacon, sliced cheese, cheese sauce, and creamy baconnaise in a glazed sesame seed bun.

🍔 Maple & Cheddar Chicken (Canada) (£7.29 individual / £9.29 medium EVM / £10.19 large EVM): A crispy-coated chicken breast fillet paired with cheddar cheese, diced and crispy onions, lettuce, tomato, mustard maple sauce, and citrus mayonnaise in a toasted poppy and sesame seed bun.

🍳 Chicken & Bacon McMuffin (Australia) (£4.59): Crispy coated chicken paired with streaky bacon, mayonnaise, and a cheese slice inside a toasted English muffin.

🧀 Mac & Cheese Triangles (UAE) (£2.89 individual / £7.09 Sharebox): Crisp-fried macaroni pasta bites filled with cheddar cheese sauce, served with a tomato ketchup dip.

🍦 S'mores McFlurry (Canada) (£2.69 standard / £1.99 mini): Dairy soft-serve ice cream swirled with marshmallows, chocolate biscuit crumb pieces, and chocolate sauce.

🌶️ Szechuan Sauce (China) (£0.70): A sweet and savoury dipping sauce accented with mild Szechuan pepper heat.

Daypart Expansion and Breakfast Innovation

A notable operational shift within the 2026 campaign is the extension of international limited-time offerings into the breakfast daypart.

While previous international promotions focused predominantly on afternoon and evening dining, the inclusion of the Australian Chicken & Egg McMuffin and Chicken & Bacon McMuffin introduces chicken protein to the UK morning menu for the first time. The adaptation addresses growing consumer demand for hot, savoury morning protein options while utilising existing kitchen holding equipment and assembly workflows.

Availability

The World Menu Heist range will be available across company-owned and franchised restaurants in the UK and Ireland via dine-in, drive-thru, click-and-collect, and McDelivery channels starting 22 September 2026.

To maintain kitchen operational throughput and manage promotional rotation, McDonald's is implementing a phased availability schedule:

Short-Window SKUs (22 September to 19 October 2026): The Big Rösti, Maple & Cheddar Chicken, and Guava x Sprite Zero will operate across an initial four-week promotional window.

Extended-Window SKUs (22 September to 16 November 2026): The Australian breakfast McMuffins, Mac & Cheese Triangles, Paprika McShaker Fries, S'mores McFlurry, and Szechuan Sauce will remain available across an extended eight-week operating cycle, subject to stock availability.