McDonald’s will slash prices on Big Macs, Chicken McNuggets and Happy Meals from TODAY

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Fast-food lovers can snap up a discount McMuffin this morning after McDonald’s announced plans to slash prices on some of its best-loved items.

Chicken McNuggets, Happy Meals and the Quarter Pounder with Cheese are set to come down in price after Rishi Sunak slashed VAT from 20 per cent to 5 per cent. 

McDonald’s has announced that it has recommended that franchises reduce prices on classic menu items – including 50p off its much-loved breakfast meals.

Other prices to come down include a 40p reduction on Extra Value Meals, 30p off Happy Meals, and cuts to the McCafe coffee range. 

Yesterday, Starbucks announced it will pass on the 15 per cent discount on coffee in stores while outlets with Starbucks licences can pass on whatever reductions suit their business. 

Nando’s, KFC, Pret A Manger, Costa Coffee, Wetherspoons and Wahaca have also followed suit as they try to entice back customers, in a shot in the arm to Britain’s struggling high streets. 

Hospitality and tourism businesses, however, will not be forced to pass on the virus VAT cut to customers. 

But the move to slash the price of junk food has prompted a backlash from health campaigners as it comes amid Boris Johnson’s anti-obesity drive.   

Barbara Crowther, co-ordinator of the Children’s Food Campaign, insisted ‘healthy food should be more affordable than unhealthy food’ as she accused the Government’s measures of being ‘full of contradiction and confusion.’ 

She told MailOnline: ‘The Government needs to make sure tax incentives and VAT cuts are in line with its own anti-obesity drive. Quite simply, healthy food should be more affordable than unhealthy food. 

‘At the moment Government measures are choc-full of contradiction and confusion. 

‘On the one hand, Rishi’s VAT cuts and new £10 August meal deal offer will apply regardless of whether food and drink are healthy or not, whilst on the other the Government obesity plan sensibly looks set to introduce restrictions on junk food multi-buy deals.’       

Katharine Jenner, Campaign Director at Action on Sugar, added: ‘If the Government’s soon to be released obesity plan is to be effective – four years after Chapter 1 was officially published – then there needs to be real joined up policies, including a complete ban on heavily promoting and discounting junk food, alongside no junk food adverts before 9pm, calorie reformulation, and only making healthier, more nutritious food more affordable.

‘For those restaurants and takeaways that have reopened – now is the time to consider providing a healthier selection on their “lower VAT” menu – all with more reasonably sized portion sizes and display their calorie content. 

‘This will play a pivotal role in rebuilding the nation’s health, as well as its economy.’ 

Others said it is ‘shocking’ to see the Chancellor ‘actively discounting junk food,’ with dentists warning of an impact on tooth decay.   

Dr Saul Konviser from the Dental Wellness Trust said: ‘As a dentist, I see a large number of children that require not just a simple filling but often multiple fillings or extractions as a result of eating too many sugary fast foods. 

‘This leads to tooth decay – another public health crisis which is entirely preventable. 

‘Fast food takeaways and restaurants must be more responsible with their promotions and food offering and stop putting profits before the health of our nation.’   

As experts warn the nation needs to shape up to beat a potential second wave of coronavirus, the cost of fast food continues to plunge while gyms remain closed.  

This means that at Wahaca a fish taco costing £6.95 is now £6.10; a McDonald’s Big Mac has dropped from £3.19 to £2.99; and a Happy Meal £2.79 to £2.39. 

Wetherspoon’s breakfasts have dropped from £3.90 to £3.49 at most outlets; at Starbucks, a tall latte costing £2.25 is now £1.91 and at Nando’s a ¼ PERi-PERi chicken on its own was £4.25 and is now £3.70.

Pret a Manger will offer price reductions on hot drinks from today, with reductions on hot food and eat-in prices from July 17.

Restaurant chain Wahaca will however be passing on the cut, and Waitrose will also reduce prices in its cafes.

KFC is slashing the price of its boneless bucket for a few days in celebration of the VAT cuts, with a ‘Boneless Budget Bucket’ costing £4.99 instead of the usual £10.

The bucket comprising ten mini fillets usually costs £14.99.  

Boris Johnson was last week accused of hypocrisy over plans to get Britain into shape by banning buy-one-get-one-free deals on junk food and stopping supermarkets from selling sweets near tills.

In an attempt to make the nation slimmer, Number 10 is also expected to re-consider making it mandatory to put calorie counts on all restaurant and takeaway menus and are in discussion with workout star Joe Wicks over a fitness drive. 

But furious obesity campaigners told MailOnline it ‘defies belief’ that ministers are considering to adopt the ‘sensible’ plans to help millions lose weight just a day after they announced a ‘stupid’ move to offer cut-price meals.

Experts savaged Chancellor Rishi Sunak‘s ‘Eat Out’ scheme, branding it a ‘green light for junk food’ for allowing up to £10-a-head discounts for Britons eating out in August at chains including Burger King. 

Tam Fry, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said it is ‘high time’ the PM gets his ‘strategy sorted out’.

He said: ‘It defies belief that, within just 24 hours, Downing St has both given permission for restaurants to profit from selling junk meals yet announce that supermarkets will be banned from including junk food in BOGOF promotion deals.’ 

Center Parcs, Hoseasons and Haven have been challenged to pay a refund of VAT or reduce prices, but they have not yet given any commitment. 

Malcolm Bell, chief executive of Visit Britain, said the chancellor’s move was to support business – not to help holidaymakers.

He told the BBC tourists had called firms and asked for 15 per cent off their holiday booking. 

‘My message to customers is this is to help the businesses, not to reduce the cost of their holiday. 

‘It is only a temporary relaxation up to January,’ he told the BBC.

Many attractions such as museums, parks and zoos, may also not pass on the reduction.

Merlin Entertainments, which runs Legoland, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures, Warwick Castle, Madame Tussauds, Sea Life centres, and many others – said the VAT cut was a ‘welcome step’ but it remains unclear if it has cut the cost of tickets to its attractions.

The move will make no difference to entry prices to London Zoo because, as a charity, there is no VAT on tickets.

The National Trust said it was ‘reviewing the announcement.’

The National Gallery said that tickets to its Titian exhibition would not fall in price following the cut, because it had ‘lost a lot of money as a result of the lockdown’. 

Pizza Hut said it was ‘studying the detail of the cut and working out how to respond to it.’  

KFC will also offer £1 off sharing buckets and 50p off other menu items.

At McDonald’s, items such as desserts and cold drinks will remain the same price, and prices will not be dropped on McDelivery services.

Customers have also been told to check prices, because many McDonald’s restaurants are franchised, meaning the franchisee has the ultimate say over prices. 

McDonald’s also announced it has reopened four of its restaurants for dine-in customers across the UK and Ireland to test safety procedures.

The fast food giant said the move will see restaurants reopen with table service only, reducing capacity by as much as 70% to enable social distancing.

Hand-sanitising stations, floor markings and Perspex screens will be in restaurants with increased cleaning at touchpoints and seating areas.

Paul Pomroy, McDonald’s UK & Ireland chief executive, said: ‘We are working to reopen our dine-in restaurants when we are confident we can adhere to the government guidance, which enables our teams to work and customers to visit safely.’

The chain is said to be testing this week how to reopen outside seating areas with more details to be revealed later this week.      

The move comes after Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced plans to cut VAT to 5 per cent for businesses in the tourism and hospitality trade.

Pub giant Wetherspoon revealed this week that it will reduce prices on meals and drinks following the Government’s decision to cut VAT on food, coffee and soft drinks.

The chain, which has 867 pubs, has also produced posters praising Chancellor Rishi Sunak as a ‘legend’ after the decision to reduce VAT from 20 per cent to 5 per cent.

Messages including Sunak’s Specials and Dishi Rishi will be displayed alongside details of lower prices on some drinks and food in place from this Wednesday.

Wetherspoons said it will fully pass on the tax cut to its customers, including real ale, coffee, soft drinks, breakfasts and other food.

At 764 of its pubs a pint of Ruddles Bitter will now be £1.29, down 50p on average; while a Doom Bar will be £1.79, down 31p; and Abbot Ale will be £1.99, down 40p.

Lavazza coffee and tea will be reduced to £1.29, down 16p on average; and it will be £1.69 for a 14oz glass of Diet Pepsi and £1.79 for standard Pepsi, down 11p. 

Prices for real ale will be up to £1 higher at the company’s other 103 pubs across the UK, which are located in major town and city centres, airports and stations. 

A National Trust spokesperson said: ‘We welcome the opportunity to raise more charitable funds for our conservation work thanks to the government’s cut in VAT. 

‘While our prices will remain the same, it does mean that for every penny visitors spend on holidays, tickets and food and drink, more of it will go to charity, allowing us to continue looking after the places in our care for everyone, for ever.

‘As a charity we have been severely affected by the coronavirus crisis, and we expect to lose up to £200m this year, and with continued social distancing meaning we have to limit capacity at our places, it will take a long time to recover.

‘We are so thankful that our members and supporters have stood by us as we work through these unprecedented times, and we ask for their continued support as we begin recovering from this crisis.’ 

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