A taste of America: the arrival of the burger in Britain, 1954–94

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Abstract The proliferation of the burger in Britain ignited anxious public discourse during the 1970s and 1980s over the increasing visibility of globalization and Americanization. Owing to its connection to capitalist infrastructure, newspapers fanned fears that the rise of the McDonald’s Corporation would damage traditional British business, consumption habits and lifestyle. This article evaluates how the British public experienced the development of fast food as a process of modernization and reveals how, despite local resistance, McDonald’s uniquely adapted their business approach to capture the British market, thus paving the way for other American fast-food companies.