Yorkshire McDonald's franchisee rowing 3,000 across the Atlantic Ocean

Matthew Pitchforth, age 42, a McDonald’s franchisee from Halifax, and three team-mates will row approximately 3,000-miles over 35 days, crossing the Atlantic Ocean from the Canary Islands (La Gomera) to Antigua. He will be joined by Nick Perks, age 50, who works as a builder, Richard Hornsey, age 41, a company director, and fellow McDonald’s franchisee Dean Fitzmaurice, age 42, to make up Team Graft.

It’s all with the aim of providing support for families who have a child in hospital, said Matthew: “Ronald McDonald House Charities UK does an amazing job for families across the UK. It’s an unimaginably difficult time having a child in hospital, and the charity helps ease that emotional and financial burden. Whether short-term or long-term, the 14 Ronald McDonald Houses provide free ‘home away from home’ accommodation and support for the entire family, giving them a warm and comfortable place to rest, eat, and relax, just moments away from their child’s hospital ward.

“As the largest corporate supporter of the charity, we have been supporting the charity since 1989 and, together as a group of restaurants, have helped over 100,000 families. For the last 35 years, our customers have played a huge part in that by dropping their spare change into the collection boxes at our tills and in the Drive-Thru, rounding up at kiosks, and donating My McDonald’s Rewards points.

“This will be the biggest franchisee challenge in the past 35 years, aiming for a record-breaking singular donation in McDonald’s history. We will go above and beyond to make this happen. We want to row with purpose, row with heart, and row as one, making a lasting impact on the lives of those who need it most. We are aiming to raise awareness and hopefully £1 million for Ronald McDonald House Charities UK.”

The row is widely acknowledged as the world’s toughest rowing challenge and Matthew, who lives on a farm in Halifax with his wife and two children, is only too aware of how difficult it will be.

“There are many challenges we will face, and it makes me feel very nervous,” he said. “These include sleep deprivation, salt sores, extreme weight loss, heavy winds, fierce storms, and the odd shark along the way. From previous years, the waves that rowers experience can measure up to 40ft high. Each day, we will row in excess of 30,000 oar strokes during the race and will likely be 8kg lighter by the end, losing 5,000 calories a day. Even the embarrassment of being around three close friends for a month with no proper toilet on board, just a bucket.

“The vast temperature changes will also be unusual to experience. We expect temperatures as low as 10 degrees during the night shifts at the start, rising to well into the 30s with added humidity as we approach the finish in the Caribbean. There is a lot to endure, but the mental and physical endurance will result in a life-changing achievement that we’ll never forget.”

Born and raised in Halifax, Matthew attended school in the town, college in Huddersfield, and university in Sheffield before beginning his career with McDonald’s in London, living and working in various locations before returning to Halifax in 2010.

The fast-food restaurant company has been at the centre of his life ever since. “My career journey started at Honeytop Foods in 2003, where I worked for a McDonald’s supplier producing pancakes and flatbreads,” he said. “I then joined McDonald’s Supply Chain in 2003, starting in Quality Assurance in Finchley and eventually becoming the QA Director for McDonald’s Europe by 2010.

"From 2010 to 2017, I worked for ARYZTA Bakeries, which supplied bread buns for 60 per cent of McDonald’s across Europe. I began as quality assurance director and finished as managing director at ARYZTA in Dunstable, where I built a new facility for McDonald’s UK.

“With the arrival of my second child, I wanted a change and applied to become a McDonald’s franchisee. In December 2017, I opened my first restaurant, Huddersfield Leeds Road, marking the beginning of my franchisee journey. I now operate seven McDonald’s restaurants across Yorkshire.

“As well as fundraising for Ronald McDonald House Charities UK, the restaurants and I do a lot of other community and charity work. Most recently, we supported the Albie Sugden Foundation, where we hosted two events across our restaurants in Leeds and Huddersfield, doing a cycle challenge to raise funds.”

With the race set to begin in early December preparations and training are well underway said Matthew: “Our biggest priority and focus will be a huge fundraising push to hit our target. We will also continue our training and rows in the North Sea with regular catchups. On top of that, we’ll have daily trips to the gym and will be following strict dietary requirements. Finally, we have our final boat design set to be completed by September, and we are really looking forward to seeing it.

“ I used to be really fit and done loads of different challenges over the last 20 years, then hit middle age and spend too much time in the pub justifying that walking the dog there is enough exercise. I love a challenge and the thought of conquering the Atlantic – it gives me goosebumps every time I think about it.”

And he is already planning on what to eat when back at work. He said: “A double cheeseburger and, on an indulgent day, a double quarter pounder with cheese and a strawberry milkshake.”

To donate visit justgiving.com/team/teamgraft