Danish Crown to construct beef plant in Denmark after McDonald’s beef supply partnership

DENMARK – Danish Crown is investing in a new beef processing plant in Vejen Municipality after securing an agreement to supply McDonald’s with burger patties for its Nordic restaurants.

The 5,000-square-meter facility will manufacture patties for McDonald’s hamburgers, Quarter Pounders and Big Macs.

The company plans to hire between 80 and 100 new employees over the next year to meet the production demand.

According to Group Chief Executive Officer Niels Ulrich Duedahl, the contract reflects trust in Danish Crown’s supply capacity and is expected to expand employment in Denmark.

McDonald’s has confirmed that from mid-2026, Danish beef will be included in burgers served in its restaurants across Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland.

The chain, which operates 115 outlets in Denmark, requires suppliers who can provide both reliable volumes and consistent quality, according to McDonald’s Denmark Chief Executive Mads Friis.

He said the partnership builds on the company’s long history in Denmark, where its first outlet opened in 1981, and its aim of working with local suppliers.

The Vejen site will occupy an existing building that is undergoing a nine-month renovation and installation of modern production equipment.

Danish Crown stated that about 30 jobs will be based at the new facility, while a further 60 to 70 positions will be created at its cattle slaughterhouse in Holsted, around 15 kilometers away, to prepare beef for processing.

Finn Klostermann, who leads Danish Crown’s beef business, said the deal followed several years of discussions and planning, with the plant being developed to meet McDonald’s requirements for quality and delivery reliability.

The agreement also includes bacon supplies, which Danish Crown will deliver to McDonald’s restaurants in all four Nordic countries, according to Mie Gjedsted, the chain’s Nordic Sourcing and Category Lead.

She said Danish Crown has made commitments to ensure food safety, secure supply and consistent standards when deliveries begin in 2026.

With work already underway, the project ties one of Denmark’s largest meat processors to a leading fast-food chain, bringing local beef into McDonald’s Nordic operations.

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