McDonald’s Health-Kick Bites Burger King

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Health-conscious Brits are deserting Burger King’s old-fashioned, fat-ridden menu - in sharp contrast to rival McDonald’s, which says they are flocking back to its restaurants, lured by its new-look salads and sandwiches.US giant Burger King today admitted UK sales have been hit by health issues. Despite spending £1.6m on a strategy makeover, British sales remained soft as obesity fears have put people off their Whoppers.

Chief executive John Chidsey confessed his old foe had stolen a march in this country.

‘McDonald’s has done a better job in the UK than we have,’ he said. ‘I just think McDonald’s is six or seven months ahead of us.’

The UK is the only place in the world where sales did not rise, and Chidsey blamed ‘perceptions about obesity and food-borne illness’. He said the company sent a new executive to Britain and is ‘assessing where we’ve gone wrong and where we need to go’.

Things are so bad in the UK the company warns that some franchisees are struggling, and could find it hard to pay royalties and rents. In fact, some have already given up the fight.