‘Hate, hate, hate’
Sophie Buchan Money and Lifestyle Writer
10:40, 27 Nov 2025
Free Grinch x McDonald’s socks, anyone?(Image: Sophie Buchan)
McDonald’s has launched its festive menu, with its Christmas offering in collaboration with the Grinch. Available from yesterday, November 26, McDonald’s has explained the menu is “here for six weeks only, so savour it while you can”.
I got my hands on several menu items on launch day, and here’s what I thought of it. First up, I tried the Cheesy Chicken Stack. A big 100% chicken breast fillet in a crispy, crunchy coating, layered with mega cheese melt, a cheese slice, lettuce and a chipotle salsa, inside a soft bun.
McDonald’s claims that it “steals the spotlight”, and I’d have to agree. In fact, and this is a major claim, I’d go as far as to say it is the most delicious thing McDonald’s has ever had on its menu.
As the Grinch once said: “Hate, hate, hate. Hate, hate, hate. Double hate. Loathe entirely.” What do I hate? The fact this will be gone in six weeks. Make it permanent, please.
OBSESSED(Image: Sophie Buchan)
Free socks?
Yep. You can get a free pair of socks when you purchase The Grinch Meal. Available as a Big Mac®, 9 Chicken McNuggets® or a McPlant® meal, it also comes with their new Grinched McShaker® Fries (perfect for pickle lovers), a drink, and of course a pair of limited-edition Mismatched Grinch x McDonald’s Socks to keep your toes toasty this winter.
With or without fries?
Shake, shake, shake(Image: Sophie Buchan)
The Grinched McShaker® Fries bring a lovely gherkin-flavoured twist to McDonald’s classic Fries. Just grab the bag, shake, pour onto a plate and eat. Alongside this meal, I also had the Frozen Grinch Lemonade.
This was nice. I am a tad fussy when it comes to frozen drinks because, in my experience, it’s either overly sweet, or it’s bland and tastes like ice. But this was so zesty and had the perfect sweetness to it.
More cheese please
By popular demand, the Cheese Melt Dippers are back Served with a rich tomato dip and also available as a Sharebox, they’re the perfect treat for cheese fans.
Is the vegan burger worth it?
Unless you’re a vegan, you probably don’t care about this. But sometimes new things are worth trying. I’m not a vegan myself, but I wanted to give it a fair try. The ‘meat’ is of course not from an animal and instead uses Beyond Meat.
When it came to the burger, I actually enjoyed it. Because of the flavourful toppings, I didn’t notice it wasn’t meat as it still packed a punch. There’s nothing worse than a dry, boring burger.
As mentioned, I am a massive cheese lover. I’ve tried a lot of vegan and lactose-free cheese before, and I honestly didn’t notice much of a difference in its cheese other than it was a little less creamy.
While I did prefer the cheese I had in my chicken burger, this option is still pretty good for those who want to try something new or who don’t eat animal products.
Also returning…
The menu is so tasty!(Image: Sophie Buchan)
The Big Tasty is back with its iconic smoky sauce . But now, for the first time in the UK, people can pick between the classic single-patty Big Tasty or go all-in with the Double Big Tasty® for maximum indulgence. And there’s the option to add bacon to it.
McDonald’s Festive Grinch Menu – full list and prices
Product Name
Instore Price*
Single Big Tasty® Meal**
£ 7.99
Double Big Tasty® Meal**
£ 9.49
Cheesy Chicken Stack meal
£ 8.99
The Grinch Big Mac® Meal
£ 9.09
The Grinch 9 McNuggets® Meal
£ 9.09
The Grinch McPlant® Meal
£ 9.09
Cheese Melt Dippers with Rich Tomato Dip
£ 2.79
Sharing Cheese Melt Dippers with Rich Tomato Dip
£ 7.09
McShaker® Fries (Medium)
£ 2.19
McShaker® Fries (Large)
£ 2.99
Mischief McFlurry®
£ 2.49
Mini Mischief McFlurry®
£ 1.89
Chocolate Brownie McFlurry®
£ 2.49
Mini Chocolate Brownie McFlurry®
£ 1.89
Grumble Pie
£ 2.39
Frozen Grinch Lemonade
£ 3.19
Coconut Latte
£ 2.89
Coconut Hot Chocolate
£ 2.49
Will you be trying the new menu? Let us know what, and if you’ve tried it, what did you think?
