McDonald’s UK menu has had a major shake-up this week as the fast food chain launched new World Heist items.
These are limited-edition products taken from countries all around the world, including Canada, Australia, Japan, Poland and Malaysia.
There are new burgers, McNuggets, a twist on fries and cheesy sides as well as different desserts and drinks.
It’s one of the most exciting food launches at McDonald’s in recent years, so naturally, Metro had to give the new items a try to find out if they live up to the hype.
We tried everything on the World Heist menu and there was one product in particular that proved an instant crowd-pleaser on the desk being hailed as ‘banging’, ‘the best’ and ‘10/10’ by the lifestyle team – the Garlic & Black Pepper McNuggets.
The nuggets (£4.99 for six) went down a treat with lifestyle editor Kristina Beanland, who rated them an impressive 10/10 and proclaimed them ‘the best nuggets McDonald’s has ever sold’.
Hailing from Japan, they see classic nuggs given a glow-up, with the chicken getting a garlic coating with a kick of black pepper. They are then served with a garlic and soy mayo, a dip that really makes all the difference.
Maccies claimed they give a ‘flavour bomb’ in every bite and we wholeheartedly agree, with lifestyle reporter Charlie Sawyer describing the taste as ‘banging’.
While Ross McCafferty, acting first person and opinion editor, went as far as to say that the new item had ‘ruined’ regular McNuggets for him.
‘They make the original nuggets look like a JOKE,’ he said. ‘Which is a bit harsh, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go back to the other ones now I’ve had these.’
Online the Garlic & Black Pepper McNuggets have also been a huge hit with those who’ve tried them so far, with TikTok user Pauli B saying they are ‘on point’, while Kyle Fenlon claimed they were ‘phenomenal’.
On Reddit, u/Loki-616 thought the nuggets were ‘excellent’, and u/ILostMyselfInTime who tried them when they were on a menu in Luxembourg said: ‘They are SO good. I will cry myself to [sleep] when they are taken off the menu.’
As for the rest of the items, here’s a look at our thoughts on them:
Pineapple McSpicy
Thomas O’Neill, the head of menu for McDonald’s UK&I, told Metro that the Pineapple McSpicy from Australia was his favourite of the new World Heist items and I have to admit, I agree.
With a ring of pineapple inside, this burger won’t be for everyone, but personally I was a big fan. The sweetness of the pineapple ring juxtaposes the spicy chicken in a way that shouldn’t work but absolutely does. It’s refreshing and warming all at once, in quite a quirky way.
My only criticism is that it doesn’t need the bacon, it’s not adding anything special to the mix. Take this out and the burger is an elite fast food item.
And Ross was also impressed by the McSpicy, adding that it has ‘no right to taste as good as it does’.
Maple BBQ & Bacon Double Quarter Pounder
I LOVE anything with maple syrup, so I was excited to try this one, especially after the McSpicy set the bar so high, but honestly it was my least favourite of the bunch.
The Canadian burger is said to have a ‘very different’ barbecue sauce in it than what we are used to in the UK and it shows. I was expecting something sweet and tangy, but that wasn’t the case at all, the sauce was actually quite salty, and aside from the two quarter pounder patties, there wasn’t an awful lot of filling inside the burger to balance flavours.
Sour Cream & Black Pepper McShaker Fries
These McShaker Fries from Poland have well and truly divided both the internet and the Metro team.
Online fans have called them ‘the worst’ thing McDonald’s has ever made and said they taste ‘like sick’, and both Kristina and Ross weren’t keen on them, but I will definitely be ordering these again while they’re on the menu.
They’re essentially like Walkers Salt & Shake crisps – you add the sachet of seasoning to a bag of fries and give them a shake, which is fun for the novelty aspect.
As for how they taste: imagine Sour Cream Pringles and McDonald’s fries had a baby. Yum.
Mac & Cheese Triangles
It’s no secret McDonald’s fans love a cheesy side – from Mozzarella Dippers to Halloumi Fries and there’s no doubt in our minds that these will be popular too.
We were all in agreement on this one. I mean, it’s deep fried mac and cheese, what’s not to like?
The only thing I think could be improved on is the tomato ketchup dip, which is a little basic. These could benefit from some kind of Italian pasta sauce, perhaps a marinara or even something a little spicy.
But the triangles themselves are a winner as long as you eat them while warm.
Choco Caramel Pie
When I saw this pie on the menu, my brain flashed back to the Galaxy Caramel Pie McDonald’s sold in 2024, which I boldly proclaimed to be ‘the best thing I’d ever eaten from McDonald’s’.
This pie, from Indonesia, takes on that one and somehow manages to give it an upgrade. It’s even better.
Instead of just having a caramel filling, this dessert has a split molten middle that’s half caramel and half chocolate ganache inside a crispy chocolate pastry.
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’ll definitely want to try this while it’s around.
Chocolate Pretzel McFlurry
Metro’s first person and opinion commissioning editor, Maicey Navarro Griffiths gave the new chocolate McFlurry from Malaysia a try.
The McFlurry also comes with a caramel sauce and is meant to be a ‘sweet and salty masterpiece’ according to Maccies, but for Maicey, it fell short.
‘The ice cream and chocolate sauce were nice, but I found the pretzel pieces went soggy quite quickly and I just wasn’t a fan of the texture,’ she said.
Sakura x Sprite
The latest Sprite drink from Maccies sees Sprite Zero mixed with sugar-free Sakura syrup to create a drink that’s a little floral.
The flavour is quite subtle, it’s not going to overpower you, but it’s nice and refreshing. Perhaps not something you’d order every time you go to McDonald’s but I appreciated the option to try something new and different and also the fact that it’s got a light pink colour to it is an added bonus.
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