What really happens on the Aussie farms growing McDonald’s lettuce

The “hectic” story behind a famous Australian ingredient used in McDonald’s burgers has been revealed.

Behind the five tonnes of iconic McDonald’s lettuce trucked off to the fast food outlets across the country every week are two brothers with a “hectic” way of life.

Matt Vella, 35, lives eight minutes from his family’s farm in NSW, which he has gradually taken a more prominent role in running, alongside his brother, since leaving school at 16.

“It’s a hectic lifestyle but it’s also magic being able to go from home to a farm,” market gardener Mr Vella told news.com.au.

He and his brother John, 39, send off about three tonnes of iceberg and two tonnes of cos lettuce every week – a demanding but rewarding grind.

“It’s busy, really busy. But I love it. I love growing veggies, it’s a lifestyle and you’re always outside, it’s great,” Mr Vella said.

Their farms in Elderslie and Razorback, in the Macarthur Region, produce lettuce year-round to be harvested every morning at 6am.

By the same time the following day, they’re at the processor in Wetherill Park getting prepped to be taken to Macca's stores.

Given the relatively short hold life of lettuce, large scale work needs to be done quicksmart.

“It’s less than a 24 hour turnaround for us,” he said.

Matt Vella grows lettuce for McDonald's at his family farm in NSW. Picture: Supplied

After being picked, the lettuce is taken to the shed where it’s cooled before being sent off.

The cooling process involves the veggies being put into a vacuum cooler which chills them to two degrees in about 15 minutes.

“It’s one of the requirements we need to adhere to and it keeps the lettuce fresh,” he said.

Mr Vella hasn’t got much say in what happens after that, but he knows all too well how a piece of lettuce can impact the quality of a Macca's meal.

“It’s got to be cut cold and crispy, it has to be harvested fresh and when it’s processed it can’t be old and has to be cut fresh and kept cold, and cut up to keep the crisp in it,” Mr Vella said.

The family makes up a McDonald's annual shopping list worth more than $1 billion.

Despite dealing in lettuce day in and day out, he isn’t even close to being sick of it.

“We still eat a lot of lettuce, my wife’s always making a salad with it for sure,” he said.

There may be an intensive process to growing the perfect lettuce, but unlike other veggies, it doesn’t take that long to grow.

“The plant starts its life in our nursery in Razorback, then they get taken to the farm and planted in the ground by a guy on a transplanter machine towed by a tractor,” Mr Vella explained.

McDonald’s uses both iceberg and cos lettuce sourced from Australian farmers.

In summer the growing cycle is about eight weeks and in winter, it’s more like 13.

“Once they get to the end of their life they get harvested, put into bins and sent to our processor.”

In the summer months, the farms are “pumping”, Mr Vella said, because the weather is warmer and the lettuce process needs to be extra swift.

“Lettuce is so soft-leafed so if it gets too hot, the leaves get burnt,” he said.

His farm is one of many valued Aussie suppliers utilised by Macca's and included in the fast food chain’s recently released 2023 shopping list, valued at more than $1 billion.

The restaurant bought an extra 29 million kilograms of Aussie items in 2023 compared to 2022, driven by demand for Aussie beef from international McDonald’s restaurants and

consistent purchasing of Aussie produce including lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes and cucumbers.

Originally published as What really happens on the Aussie farms growing McDonald’s lettuce