More than 5,000 square meters will be equipped to produce burger patties for McDonald’s hamburgers, Quarter Pounders, and Big Macs in the new production facility, that Danish Crown has already started setting up in Vejen. A production on a scale that will require Danish Crown to hire between 80 and 100 new employees over the next 12 months.
“It’s fantastic that McDonald’s has chosen us to produce their burger patties going forward. With this agreement, we are creating many new jobs in Denmark while providing clear proof that the supply security we can offer as a farmer-owned food producer makes us an attractive partner,” says Niels Ulrich Duedahl, Group CEO at Danish Crown.
Having Danish beef in its burgers by the summer of 2026 is a welcome and positive development for McDonald’s. The restaurant chain is always looking for partners who can meet the strict quality requirements as well as the volume needed by the 115 Danish McDonald’s restaurants, and restaurants across the rest of the Nordics. That is why the agreement is important for the chain’s Managing Director in Denmark, Mads Friis.
“We opened our first Danish restaurant back in 1981, and as well our head office as our 25 Danish franchisees sees McDonald’s in Denmark as a Danish company. We want to contribute as much as possible to the Danish society, so it means a lot to us whenever we find Danish companies that are just as focused on quality in every aspect as we are. We are also confident that our guests will appreciate that we are now using Danish beef in our burgers,” says Mads Friis.
The new factory in Vejen is being established in an existing facility, which will be completely renovated over the next nine months and equipped with the latest machinery and technology for burger patty production.
While around 30 employees will be hired to handle the production at the Vejen factory, between 60 and 70 new employees will also be a needed at Danish Crown’s cattle abattoir in Holsted, located about 15 kilometers from Vejen. The new employees at the abattoir will be responsible for cutting all the beef that the new factory will process into burger patties.
“McDonald’s is extremely careful and selective when choosing new partners. That’s why we are especially proud to have secured such an important agreement – the result of several years of targeted effort,” says Finn Klostermann, CEO for Danish Crown Beef, adding:
“At the same time, it is a truly fantastic task to set up a new production from scratch, where a combination of our existing employees and many new hires will establish a production that meets McDonald’s demands for everything from eating quality to delivery reliability.”
Mie Gjedsted, Nordic Sourcing & Category Lead at McDonald’s, is also pleased with the contract.
“We place high demands on our suppliers, and I am very pleased that Danish Crown has been willing to invest in meeting them. I have no doubt that from the summer of 2026, we will have high-quality meat, strong supply security, and a sharp focus on food safety – not only for the beef but also for the bacon that Danish Crown will supply to our restaurants in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland,” says Mie Gjedsted.