McDonald's capital of the UK revealed – but how many restaurants are near you?

11 January 2024 , 12:15

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Figures reveal which area of the UK has the most number of McDonalds per head (Image: In Pictures via Getty Images)

We're a nation of Maccies lovers – but there's one UK spot which takes the Golden Arches' Crown.

Figures have finally revealed what we've all been waiting to hear when it comes to a post-night out fast food fix. With more than 40,000 McDonald's branches across the country, one location in particular has 15 outlets serving just 200,000 residents.

Analysis by the Reach Data Unit of Food Standards Agency (FSA) figures has calculated which spots have the most branches per number of residents, with London's Westminster claiming the top spot. For Big Mac fans, Cannock Chase in the West Midlands and Bolsover in Derbyshire have the joint next highest ratio in the country, with five restaurants for every 100,000.

Other spots high on the list include West Dunbartonshire (4.6), Newport (4.4), Harlow (4.3) and Boston (4.2). Of the major UK cities outside London, Manchester has 3.6 per 100,000, Edinburgh and Cardiff both have 2.5, Liverpool 3.5, Newcastle 2.3 and Birmingham 2.

Meanwhile, there are still 18 council boroughs which remain McDonald's free, the figures have shown. Despite a petition from locals calling for a branch, Forest of Dean remains Maccies-free, with Waverley in Surrey being the largest local authority area not to have a restaurant. Check our widget below to see how your local area fares.

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Others without an outlet include Bromsgrove, Broxbourne and Tewkesbury, while residents on some of the Scottish archipelagos remain untouched by what's often seen as the symbol of American consumerism, with no McDonald's branches at all on the Orkney or Shetland Isles.

In 2020, Rutland became the last UK county free from any signs of the chain to open a restaurant, after plans for a diner and drive-thru for the edge of the town of Oakham were rubber stamped. Proposals prompted dozens of objections, with one resident declaring they were "proud Rutland is the only county not to have a McDonald's".

But the opening was welcomed by many residents who were thrilled to see the picturesque market town brought up to speed. One man told the BBC the opening was "the talk of the town".

"I don't think it will make a difference to us - though it was a good thing we were the only county without one," he said. "Hopefully it won't open the door to other fast food chains."

David Dubas-Fisher