Wimpy was established in the USA back in 1934 and is older than McDonald’s – however it’s probably lesser known amongst younger generations these days
Jamie is an experienced journalist, based in the Black Country. He began his career in 2014 and joined Birmingham Live as a senior reporter in 2021. His areas of expertise include reporting on local crime and community matters alongside motoring and transport. He also has a keen interest in the paranormal.
They say it’s the little things that count and that certainly rings true for my visit to Wimpy.
It’s a retro brand that goes back deep into the history books of fast food.
Wimpy was founded six years before the mighty McDonald’s and may be better known amongst older generations.
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Although it hasn’t grown as large as other competitors such as Maccies or Burger King, it is still going strong – including in one peculiar place in the Midlands.
Lying at the edge of Cannock Chase in Staffordshire, in a small village called Milford, you’ll find a little Wimpy store set amongst a scenic, rural backdrop.
Reporter Jamie Brassington tries a Wimpy burger
It’s essentially a hut – with a little kitchen and two staff members inside – that offers outdoor seating only and comes complete with four parking spaces.
Perched from the handful of benches outside, you get a great view of the trees at Cannock Chase and the open grassland across the road.
The randomness of the location adds to its charm – there’s not another fast food restaurant for some three-miles west in the nearest town.
Here it feels like you’re truly in the sticks where you might see a deer scampering along the fields opposite.
Reporter Jamie Brassington tries a Wimpy burger
For a such a random location, you’d be forgiven for thinking this Wimpy store has recently appeared.
But it’s actually been going for 61 years and it’s remained in the same family during that time.
Despite its age, this restaurant has been thrust into the 21st-century by only accepting card payments – cash won’t do here.
To place an order, there’s two self-service kiosks to the right of the counter and a little window to the left where you can order in person.
As I wanted to try something that would represent the Wimpy brand, I went for the ‘OG quarterpounder cheese’ – OG being the key selling point here.
A confusing aspect of the self-service process was that you cannot select a meal, despite meals being advertised on the boards.
Reporter Jamie Brassington tries a Wimpy burger
Instead, you have to order fries and a cup drink before a discount is applied on checkout.
Although this is spelled out on a sign near the kiosks, I did not read this in my haste, and I only ordered the burger and fries instead.
The food came within five minutes and the kind staff member gave me a bottle of water, after I’d explained my predicament to her.
Thankfully, it was a sunny day, so sitting outside was no trouble whatsoever.
I enjoyed the burger sauce which gave a juicy and zesty kick.
The meat was succulent, the lettuce was cut up and well-spread across the patty, however I found the bun a little dry.
I was given a generous portion of fries, which were crisp and crunchy.
One little detail that I really liked was the addition of a sachet of vinegar for my fries.
This is not something that I’d not seen before at fast food restaurants, and accompanied with a sachet of salt, it felt like I was eating fish and chips at the seaside.
This gave my meal a vintage feel, a nice touch from an old-school brand.
Had I correctly ordered my OG quarterpounder cheese meal, it would have come to £10.75.
This is not an unreasonable price – a quick check of McDonald’s pricing via the UberEats app shows the same meal would cost £9.99.
I felt my meal was generally good value for money.
What set my experience apart was the leafy location – you’d rarely find a fast food restaurant set in such picturesque scenery.
The store itself was very clean and there wasn’t a spot of litter anywhere to be seen.
For anyone wishing to sample a slice of the past (or rather, a bite in this case), I’d recommend giving this Wimpy a visit – and there’s plenty of places for a gentle walk nearby to work up an appetite or burn off the calories.