McDonald's president explained real reason its prices have gone up following viral £14 Big Mac photo

I remember the good old days when you could pick up a Big Mac for 50p and then buy a house on your way home with the change from a tenner.

Ok, I'm not quite that old and that's not quite true, but the reality is things are getting more and more expensive these days and fast food is no exception - with notoriously cheaper companies such as McDonald's even adjusting their prices with the times.

Maccies has long been the spot for parents to take their kids for a cheap meal when they can't be bothered cooking, but it seems as if the days of dining for under £10 are well and truly over, with one TikTok star slamming the 'ridiculous' prices on offer there last year.

The global company, which is constantly changing its menu to add new recipes or bring back old classics, is perhaps best known for the Big Mac, featuring two beef patties, a slice of cheese, lettuce, onion, pickles and the signature burger sauce.

The iconic burger reportedly first appeared on the menu back in 1967 and cost just ¢45 (35p), although this would be equivalent to over $4 today, so you can understand why an American customer was particularly disappointed when they spotted a Big Mac meal - which includes the classic fries and drink - priced for over $17.59 (around £14) at a Connecticut rest stop.

X user Sam Learner's photo post quickly went viral back in 2023, and in May last year, McDonald's president Joe Erlinger responded with an explanation as to why prices are going up.

He said in an open letter: "Recently, we have seen viral social posts and poorly sourced reports that McDonald’s has raised prices significantly beyond inflationary rates. This is inaccurate.

"And for a brand that proudly serves nearly 90% of the U.S. population every year, we feel a responsibility to make sure the real facts are available.

"I can tell you that it frustrates and worries me, and many of our franchisees, when I hear about an $18 Big Mac meal being sold - even if it was at one location in the U.S. out of more than 13,700.

"More worrying, though, is when people believe that this is the rule and not the exception, or when folks start to suggest that the prices of a Big Mac have risen 100% since 2019."

Erlinger cites the pandemic, like every other company, as a reason why prices have increased but he suggests that the average price of a Big Mac is just over $5, so the bloke in Connecticut was clearly getting ripped off... well, unless it came with Michelin star fries and the nectar of the gods.

The McDonald's president added: "The average price of a Big Mac in the U.S. was $4.39 in 2019. Despite a global pandemic and historic rises in supply chain costs, wages and other inflationary pressures in the years that followed, the average cost is now $5.29.

"That’s an increase of 21% (not 100%). Inflationary pressures have affected all sectors of the economy, including ours.

"Our franchisees (who own and operate more than 95% of all restaurants in the U.S.) set menu prices for their restaurants, which account for the increased costs of running their businesses.

"In doing so, they work hard to minimise the impact of price increases on our fans."