The European Centre for Quality McDonald's

McDonald's offered himself to make sure that the taste and quality is not a genius and evil, they are perfectly compatible.

Nowhere is no asphalt, only bricks - just passed the rain, and underfoot is dry, do not have to jump puddles area of a football field.Here it is, the real basis of German quality.



Hang signs on the street, which is easy to find their way to the center but came to the building itself, they are no longer needed.Once it becomes clear immediately that he had come to the address - a building surprisingly reminiscent of our Moscow McDonald's. Maybe the reason - in a sloping roof and quiet beige?
For the moment decided to have lunch at McDonald's not far from the center. When you travel, especially in "exotic locations" McDonald's - it's a lifeline. If local schools do not inspire confidence, you start to look for the yellow M on a red background - and that nice, always being a "Western embassy."
Come and order a familiar food, she even called at home: he and Big Mac Big Mac in Africa.

While composing questions for the meeting, photographed all around.By design, there are differences, but more importantly, the taste - is the same.He ate slowly, played in this taster, and honestly tried to find even the smallest differences from Moscow poppy - and found none.
In the heart.

And finally, here it is - the European Centre for Quality McDonald's:
Here I met a Russian representative, Irina and Director Stephanie.
What to do at the Center?Detailed account would take more than one day, so hospitable hosts tend not to ship me the technical details.
First and foremost, I need to know - there are gold standards for the quality of McDonald's here, all the products from suppliers to verify compliance with these very standards.

Rule number one - the taste and quality of meat, bread rolls, potatoes and everything else should be equally good everywhere and always.

That is why the hamburger in Munich, London and Madrid, exactly the same as in Moscow.

Of course, in Spanish or Indian spices hamburger can be - McDonald's takes into account national characteristics and take into account the tastes and preferences - but the quality and standards compliance is also verified here.

The Center also determine the shelf life - as soon as they come to an end, such products are simply disposed of.Not a single McDonald's world there is no chance to stumble upon spoiled, stale food - these are the rules of the Centre.
Here, this confident attitude is starting to look very appropriate.
And now the fun part - testing.
Here's freezer, which holds the components:

Temperature strongly -21 degrees (I told her, without even looking at the thermometer):
Kitchen, as in all McDonald's restaurants, fully working - cleanliness and functionality, all designed and provided for the convenience of staff working in laboratories of quality:
Then I met the chief specialist of beef.
His name is Brian and he knows absolutely everything about meat.Which parts can be used, what age should animals, recipes, temperature and time of processing, texture and hardness of meat - even those parameters, the existence of which McDonald's regular visitors, like me, just do not know about.

Always nice to talk to a real expert - and Brian, moreover, seemed more enthusiastic and genuinely loves his job.
There is also a special room for testing products, where experts evaluate the quality of the 10-point scale, and dozens of items: hardness, taste, aftertaste ...
There are many other terms, difficult to understand, but certainly important.

Light in the room is extinguished, all the samples are numbered, for the purity and impartiality of the evaluation.

Red recalls the photo labs, are shown not only images, and product quality.
Then we brought a tray of chops per sample.They are almost as perfectly aligned as the plates on which they have brought.Looks appetizing smells too - now try the tooth:

Habitual movement cut a piece and ... yeah, right, is delicious.
The next item on the program - buns.What is interesting, evaluation sheet filled with meatballs on the one hand, and the evaluation sheet rolls - with two. It is important to all: texture, color, uniformity of application of sesame smell - on all counts.
While we all discussed it, I could not resist the temptation and began to peck pieces - one by one - they are good, even by themselves, without the chops, and with them - even better.

After the meal - of course, a cup of coffee. McDonald's restaurants in Russia are working with one supplier, the Finnish company Paulig, known for producing quality coffee.For the technology of preparation and quality of the equipment carefully watched, so coffee at McDonald's really great - I thought he was much tastier than the expensive and often obscure espresso and cappuccino served in the pathos of the Moscow schools.
After the coffee break - the continuation of tour.

I talked with two charming Frau of Food Studio, the department that creates and tests new dishes.Before getting to the restaurant menu, new items are all under construction here: recipe components, standardization of preparation (even then, which side of the chops will be the sauce, how many grams of lettuce and put a lot more), the necessary equipment and much more - a lot of work !
Here's the kitchen, where produce and test new products - in my opinion, quite comfortable:



In the kitchen hangs a menu, like those found in restaurants.Here shows that we can now to prepare:

All neatly laid out strictly in its place, a still life twenty-first century - without a pitcher of beer and Wildlife:


On special and very detailed instructions, we have prepared roll McWrap Crispy Chicken, every man.I got ... uh ... mediocre
And here is a true specialist Christine - excellent.Once again, I could not resist and tried:
By the way, as part of anything extra: bread, two kinds of sauce, two kinds of greens, sliced tomato, cheese and fried chicken. Все! Everything!

Well, and then tour ended.Honestly, I'm impressed.I always thought that cooking a meal - it is art.Here, I realized that for McDonald's - is a science.The work of art can be a masterpiece - or may not be (alas, it happens more often).The science is counted and the result is predictable. And I like it more.

And yet - I am personally convinced that the quality is strictly monitored and all used products - natural: burgers made from 100% beef, fresh vegetables, delicious pastries and - all thoroughly thought through.
There was still a little time, so I drove into the city center, well, then - in the airport and the night flight to Moscow. Since the end of this interesting and unusual for me to ride.



Blog Archive