Swindon McDonald's served 'mouldy burger' to mother

Tammy Durgan says she has been to McDonald's on Great Western Way in Swindon several times in the past and had never experienced any hygiene concerns before.

But on Wednesday, June 5, Tammy ordered food at via the restaurant's drive-thru with her son, aged 22, keen to try out McDonald's new hattrick burger. 

After receiving their order, both Tammy and her son quickly realised that something was wrong.

The McDonald's burger that Tammy bought for her son. (Image: Tammy Durgun)

"There was mould on the burger bun," she told the Adver.

"My son took the burger back minutes after receiving it and the manager tried to say that the burger bun had just touched the oven - but it was clearly mouldy.

"We have been to that McDonald's several times before as it’s close to our house and they usually just get things wrong or we have missing items, but mould is just another level."

After making a complaint to the manager, Tammy's son was offered a replacement burger, but instead insisted on a refund.

"My son got a bit angry and just asked for his money back as they were refusing to acknowledge the fact it had mould on it," she added.

Admitting to their mistake, a spokesperson for McDonalds said: “We are very sorry to hear about this customer’s experience.

"Food safety is of the utmost importance to us, and we place great emphasis on quality control – following rigorous standards to avoid any imperfections and it appears that on this occasion we have fallen short.

"The restaurant team has conducted a thorough investigation and we understand that this was an isolated incident.

"We would encourage anyone with a complaint to contact our Customer Services Team to help find a resolution.”

The mouldy burger was served by McDonald's on Great Western Way (Image: Google Maps)

McDonald's on Great Western Way currently has a five-star food hygiene rating, and was last inspected in October 2022.

In fact, ratings from the Food Standard's Agency show that at the time of writing, all McDonald's stores in Swindon are rated as five stars for their hygiene.

However, other members of the Swindon community have come forward to share their similar experiences.

"It happened to me a few months ago at the Orbital, they apologised and refunded the full order," local resident Josh Hicks told Tammy.

The Swindon mother has now received a refund on her burger, and McDonald's has reassured the public that there is no reason for concern.