Why has McDonald’s removed the chicken legend from its menu – and when will it be back?

Fast food fans have been left disappointed that one of their favourite McDonald’s menu selections has become unavailable in many of the chain’s outlets.

The burger chain has removed the item from many of its menus, as supply chain issues continue to affect consumers and businesses across a variety of industries.

Here is everything you need to know about it.

According to reports, the popular poultry package can still be attained by visiting one of McDonald’s thousands of stores across the country.

However, the fast food outlet appears to have removed the item from their delivery menu.

McDonald’s and many other fast food businesses delivery services have boomed in recent years, partly in response to coronavirus lockdowns keeping many customers at home.

This means that a large percentage of McDonald’s orders are now placed through delivery services like UberEats.

Fans have been outraged by the lack of their chicken of choice, with one tweeting: “HOW DARE @McDonalds TAKE THE CHICKEN LEGEND OFF THEIR UK MENU AM ABOUT TO KICK OFF!”

“Who’s blimmin idea was it to take Chicken Legends off the menu? I’m stuck now cos I’m a fussy sod,” another added.

A third said: “McDonald’s has taken the Chicken Legend off the menu and that is my villain origin story.”

“I think I’m having Chicken Legend withdrawal symptoms,” another joked.

The supply issues are linked to those that have dogged many industries for weeks. and have seen shortages in everything from meat produce to CO2 gas.

A potent combination of a lack of HGV drivers in the UK, post-Brexit rules delaying shipments, and general demands have led to the shortages.

Customers may have noticed that shelves in many supermarkets and shops have looked quite bare in parts lately, partly as a result of a shortage of lorry drivers in the UK.

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has said there is a shortage of more than 100,000 drivers, from a pre-Covid total of 600,000 or so.

This has increased significantly, although there was a shortage of about 60,000 drivers prior to Covid, primarily because of changes to migration rules as a result of Brexit.

Because the UK is no longer part of the single market, in which HGV drivers can move across borders more freely, many European drivers have opted to work solely within EU countries.

The increased bureaucracy involved in travelling to and from the UK often means increased costs to drivers who are paid for distance, rather than time.

“We apologise for any inconvenience, and thank our customers for their continued patience,” McDonald’s said. “We are working hard to return the item to our delivery menu as soon as possible.”