Next time you pick up a Happy Meal, you’ll also be getting a little taste of Kent.

McDonald’s will be using English apples in the fruit bags during the UK apple season, and expects to buy up to 7,500 kilograms of Kentish apples a week to meet their demands.

The local fruit will feature in the fast food chain’s bags of fresh cut fruit, 77,000 of which are sold in the UK restaurants every week.

Dean McKenna, Head of Supply Chain at McDonald’s said: “English apples are renowned for being the best in the world and the Royal Gala variety has always been the most popular with our customers.

“We are committed to sourcing as much of our produce as locally as possible and supporting UK agriculture and we hope that including English apples in our Fruit Bags will increase customer demand in choosing this option – and encourage people to hit the Government’s ‘Five-a- day’ recommendations.”

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Kentish apples will feature in the bags throughout the British apple season, from October 24 to February.

Farmer John Collingwood from Hawkhurst added: “It is great to see an organisation like McDonald’s supporting the British apple industry, and their scale means that they will be able to share the delicious flavour of Kent apples with their many customers across the UK.”

McDonald’s first added fresh fruit bags to its menus in April 2003 as part of a range of new options for parents buying Happy Meals for their children.

The 80g bag includes grapes and slices of apples and can be chosen instead of fries in a Happy Meal or purchased separately.