McDonald’s food we’ve loved and lost over the years as Chicken Legend leaves menu - from sundaes to McPizza

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The Chicken Legend is set to be put to rest along with the McPizza, the McRib and everyone’s childhood favourite, the toffee sundae

McDonald’s announced a menu overhaul this month, with five new items up for grabs over the next few weeks including the chain’s first permanent burger in 15 years, potato waffles for breakfast and the Twirl McFlurry. But the shake-up means fans are bidding farewell to the popular Chicken Legend, which is leaving stores forever on October 19 before being replaced by new kid on the block, the McCrispy.

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The Chicken Legend is being replaced by the McCrispy burger in just a few days.The Chicken Legend is being replaced by the McCrispy burger in just a few days.
The Chicken Legend is being replaced by the McCrispy burger in just a few days. | McDonald's

But the Chicken Legend isn’t the only McDonald’s treat that has fallen victim to changing eating habits and trends in the UK. Here we take a look back at all the McDonald’s food we’ve loved and lost over the years - from butterscotch sundaes to McPizza in the 1980s.

Toffee and strawberry sundaes

A childhood favourite of many, the 99p toffee and strawberry sundaes were removed from the McDonald’s menu in 2018 and you’ll still find calls on social media to bring them back four years later. McDonald’s explained it had ditched the sundaes as they “weren’t very popular”. Government recommendations regarding sugar also played a part in the removal.

McPizza

Yep, McDonald’s sold pizzas in the UK for a limited period in the mid-1990s as part of a product and sales test. The restaurant trialled three flavours - cheese, pepperoni and the ‘deluxe’. The McPizza didn’t really take off in the UK, but it did in America where it was a fixture on the McDonald’s menu in the 1980s all the way up until the late 90s. The McPizza was eventually dropped altogether due the fact it took 11 minutes to cook, which went against the chain’s ‘fast food’ philosophy.

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McBites

The popcorn size Chicken McBites, along with the frankly gross sounding Fish McBites, were launched as part of the Little Tasters collection at McDonald’s stores in 2013. The McBites never took off and were removed from the menu the same year.

Salad shakers

McDonald’s introduced salad shakers in the early 2000s when they ran for about three years before being discontinued. They came in a range of options - chef, garden and grilled chicken caesar. You can still pick up a salad in McDonald’s if that’s what you’re into, but these days it won’t come in shaker form.

The McRib

The McRib first appeared in stores in the early 1980s but was dropped from the menu in 1985. The BBQ pork sandwich returned in 2015 for just five weeks before vanishing again. Explaining why, McDonald’s UK stated on its website that the McRib patty is made from ground pork which should be cooked separately from beef on the grill. As many stores didn’t have the grill capacity to cook pork and beef products at the same time, the McRib had its day.

A McRib - would you like to see its return? A McRib - would you like to see its return?
A McRib - would you like to see its return? | Getty Images

The McHotDog

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Hot dogs first appeared on Mcdonald’s menus in the UK during the 1990 before fizzling out. The classic American treat was also presented as a seasonal menu item in the summer of 2002 at stores across the UK.

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