Colonel Sanders, now visible from Uranus

Haha, when I say Uranus, I don't mean your bum. I mean the planet Uranus, outer most of our solar system. You may have now realised that this was indeed a terrible pun to lead into this news piece about the KFC logo being the first to be visible from space - in a publicity stunt to promote the revamped branding, a giant KFC logo was constructed from 65000 giant coloured tiles somewhere in the desert near Area 51. An impressive feat, you must agree. Read here for more informationz.

Scotland: It's a different world

Imagine my surprise and delight upon arriving into Edinburgh last weekend and finding that our hotel was a stone's throw from KFC. But wait, there's more. After a particularly boozy awards bash on Friday night I decided the only sensible cure was to pay the colonel a visit. It would seem Scotland has their own regional variations on the classic menu, including paninis! Both a spicy and italian version were available. Naturally, I opted for the latter in order to provide a better comparison to the almighty Zinger Tower and I have to say, it fared very well indeed. Soft, toasted panini, swiss cheese, a Zinger piece of chicken, sliced in half to fit the panini and salsa. Though you might not be able to tell from my lager-ravaged face, it was delicious.

Kentucky GRILLED Chicken??

It was only a matter of time until the Colonel would have to join other fast food chains in offering a low-fat, healthier menu option. According to Brand Republic, KFC are setting up to release a line in Kentucky Grilled Chicken, already being sampled in Australia. Under the name "Cayan Grill" the grilled chicken meal weighs in at less than half the fat and calorie content of the original recipe chicken. A spokeswoman from KFC UK reported that there were no plans to release the grilled variant in the UK, but this could just be until an official announcement is made.

Colonel's face disfigured, KFBloggers raging

Thanks to an anonymous tip off (and thedailywtf.com), it has come to my attention that Google Streetview is disfiguring the sweet face of our Lord Harland Sanders. Apparently the software recognises the faces of the general public and blurs them for privacy reasons, but will also do so to any signage featuring a distinguishable face. Surely this system should have some kind of built-in understanding that defacing the Colonle is the equivalent of defacing the Queen's face on say, a stamp or bank note?? Somebody should be severely punished for this outrage!

Boneless Banquet is fit for a king

There seems to have been somewhat of a lul in the amount of bloggin' we have been doing recently, this may be because we are too busy consuming chicken...or maybe because we are too lazy (I like to think a little of both). It's about time we delved into the colonel's ever changing menu, and this time it's the new (or not so new anymore) Boneless Banquet meal. Myself and good friend and colleague Steve took on what can only be described as a lunchtime feast for two hungry gents, some 2 or 3 weeks ago. Both opting for the Bonless Banquet, we eagerly tucked into lunch. It's great to finally see a box meal catering for the boneless meat/non-burger fan - the combination of popcorn chicken and crispy strips was a winning combination for me. Unfortunately Steve's opinions were considered blasphemous in the presence of our lord harland, so his comments have been stricken from the record...as I prefer to remember it, his opinion on the meal was mostly praising, although he showed some disappointment that the beans were not Heinz branded.

Until next time *drinks gravy*

New Hot Rods, Variety Bucket and Box Meal

And so it comes around again, another innovation from the Colonel...the new "Hot Rods" which appear to be some kind of boneless breast meat with a spicy fried coating (possibly similar to that found on the hot wings, or the now-defunct fiery pepper bonesless bites) impaled on a wooden skewer. They're also available as part of a new Variety Bucket, or in the standard box meal set-up with fillet burger, small side etc. The box meal sounds interesting as I am a fan of both the Fully Loaded and Wicked Zinger, but this seems to bring together my two favourtite elements - boneless meat, but with the hot wing zing. Although the connotations of sucking on a "hot rod" do concern me slightly, i'll be giving it a whirl this weekend. Oof.

UPDATE: after seeing the tv advert again, I had previously failed to mention that the 'Hot Rods' come with a cooling herb sauce. Looking forward to testing this out at the weekend!

KFC Takes 2nd Place in Fast-food Industry

It's been a long time coming, but finally the colonel's hard work has paid off as KFC slips greasefully past Burger King to take the 2nd place spot in the fast-food chain market sector. Surely with the launch of KFC AM the next stop is number 1??... click the image to read the full story.

Breakfast comes to KFC

It was with great trepidation that last Saturday I ventured towards KFC's flagship UK branch in Marble Arch, London. For I was about to sample the biggest new addition to the menu we all know and love since the introduction of burgers back in the nineties: KFC AM.

Having heard rumours of the breakfast as far back as last year I was understandably dubious. Was it really true? KFC, for breakfast? Sausages, made of chicken? I had to find out. I set off alone at approximately 8.40 (KFC AM is served between 7.00 and 10.30 am). The indication I stumbled upon was a tactical poster ad at Marble Arch tube:

My interest now piqued, I ventured forth towards the restaurant. What greeted me was beyond all possible imagination, for no less than seven new items have been added to the already glorious range. Be sure to expand the image to the right for the full details (though as this is a test period don't be surprised if we don't see them all for the official launch). In fact, such was the choice that I suffered a momentary lapse in the decision making process. What was it to be? The classic twister, remade with breakfast ingedients? The Wrapstar with literally everything on the AM menu in it? The eggy bread of the Loader - possibly the most unusual of any fast food breakfasts i've seen. In the end though I settled on the Charger. And a sausage one at that. Let's face it, you're all wondering how a chicken sausage tastes right? And the purest test is to try it sans bacon.

So down I sat, Charger in hand. The anticipation was killing me. I had just enough time to snap a cheeky photo before delving into the golden glory in front of me and let me assure you, it was everything i'd hoped for. The sausage was flavoursome and meaty, the cheesy omlette...well it was cheesy. In fact it could be argued cheese has the strongest presence in this menu. From pepper jack cheese slices to cheese omlettes to mild cheese sauce to grated cheese. Dairy product haters need not apply.

Charger: 7.5/10

Next up: the AM Wrapstar.

Paul here. After Al's initial foray into the land of KFC AM, it was my turn. While travelling to Marble Arch, my thoughts were consumed with worry and doubt. Would the new breakfast menu live up to the hype? Surely this could not be the Colonel's first real failure? I turned to the menu as I arrived at the restaurant on Sunday morning - I had already decided to have the AM Wrapstar, but when confronted with the full menu and an impatient chicken technician (till operator) I found myself in two minds. Such choice! In the end, I committed and went for the AM Wrapstar. Aside from the Challenger box meal (only a truly hungry man would attempt this) the AM Wrapstar appeared to be the most feature-laden menu item consisting of no less than 9 ingredients: chicken sausage, bacon, chesse omlette, cheese sauce, hash brown, a tostada, diced tomato, grilled tomato ketchup (yes, grilled) all packaged in a heated tortilla wrap. One thing I had noticed on closer inspection of the product image was the presence of baked beans, carefully positioned between the two central sausages. There was no mention of beans in the product description however - a shame, but none-the-less I found a quiet seat and laid out the meal.

One bite into the AM Wrapstar and I took a good helping of all the layers. The cheese omlette in particular was a taste sensation, complemented by the warm cheese sauce and diced tomato. In terms of meat, the chicken sausage and bacon combination were both hearty and filling. As I reached halfway, I looked down, only to spot several baked beans languishing centrally between hash brown and sausage. The promotional poster was indeed accurate, taking the tally of breakfast iungredients in the AM Wrapstar to 10. Let me just say this - if you're seeking some kind of early morning sustenance, look no further.

AM Wrapstar: 8.5/10

Ever Wanted To Work at KFC HQ?

It's something we've all dreamt about. Imagine working behind the scenes for KFC...what would it be like? What is the Colonel like as a boss? Do you get to eat KFC all day? Is everyone terribly obese? These are just some of the questions that I had, and thankfully many of them were answered in this interesting feature from Marketing magazine. Click the image to read the article and find out what it is actually like to be an employee of the greatest chicken merchants on the planet.

Boneless wonders

For years now I've been somewhat of a pariah in the chicken eating world. the 'bird' is the most scrumptious of all the meats and with 11 simple additions becomes the world's greatest foodstuff. My problem, however, is that I've always found the menu limited due to my inability to eat chicken on the bone. For years I got by with fillet burgers, then in time 'zing' was introduced to the menu. Now however the proportion of boneless products on the Colonels menu has mushroomed. we now have more choice than ever before and 'boneless' has actually become a buzzword. There are mini fillets, crispy strips, fillet burgers, fillet towers, twisters, popcorn chicken, the wrapstar (will it make a comeback) the original boneless box, the slightly larger 15.99 boneless box and recently the boneless variety box. but the newest addition the "boneless bites flavour station" with barbecue, sweet chilli and fiery pepper sauces to choose from. This burgeoning class of boneless foodstuffs is heartily welcomed. Score 1 for the colonel!

Bouncers Hired to Prevent Trouble at KFC

KFC Camden has become the first fast-food restaurant in Britain to be forced to employ bouncers in an effort to prevent trouble at the crime-ridden location. In recent times, patrons of the North London eatery have been slashed with a knife, smashed with a bottle and kicked in the head, while reports have suggested that the premise often "smelt of cannabis".

Aside from the fact you'd need to be clucking mad to venture here after dark, I am curious as to what new rules have been put in place with the introduction of this new security. If my knowledge of bouncers is anything to go by, I can only assume that there is some kind of dress code to be followed and that you must be able to walk in a straight line to get in. Of course in this case, I fully support these requirements - as we all know, if you're not visiting KFC dressed as a Kentucky gent in a fine white suit, with a fresh palette to sample the Colonel's delicious chicken, then you shouldn't be there anyway.

Read more here.

Lancaster: The Review

Lancaster KFC has for many years been an extremely sad experience. Sure, the Colonel did a fantastic job renovating the place with bright colours, Kandinsky prints and even a large kiddie's banquet table. Sadly, that was probably in around 1980. Up until last year, grease dripped from the ceiling (literally), tables were left strewn with rubbish and the kiddie's table? Well let's just say, the Colonel's secret blend of 11 herbs and spices has an incredible ability to make its way between a glass surface and the printed table veneer underneath it. This was not a place you'd want to spend a lazy afternoon in. Proceedings used to go something like this:

• Enter
• Queue for a ridiculously long time
• Order
• Wait
• Wait some more
• Receive order from a server who looked as though he'd grown up in an Oliver Twist era poor house
• Eat lukewarm chicken purely because you knew you'd be letting Harland down if you didn't
• Feel dirty

So it comes as an extremely pleasant surprise that Lancaster KFC has finally been refurbished. Imagine the looks of joy on our faces when our Northern correspondent first informed us. "What would they alter?" we wondered. "Will we ever be able to enjoy our lukewarm chicken on the kiddie table again?". Our answers were forthcoming upon the reopening in February: "It's exactly the same" our misinformed correspondent told us. Saddened by this news, it was with a heart full of sorrow and a head full of low expectations that we made our way back to KFC.

Lancaster KFC sits at the very peak of what we can refer to as the town centre, thus rendering it visible from a great distance and causing it to act as an extremely gratifying welcome to the town itself. Even from this great distance, we could tell our correspondent was severely misinformed. The signage has been updated with the new branding, the interior completely renovated. Even the kiddie's table has gone (attempts to locate it in skips out the back were unsuccessful). But the best addition? Lancaster KFC now contains two large leather sofas to kick back and enjoy that chicken on. Surely a first for the chain. The Zinger Tower was excellent. Excellent to the degree that long term KFC veteran and contributor to this blog, Dave, said it was the greatest he had ever tasted. This is how fried chicken should be my friends.

8/10

(Northern correspondent is now fired)

Toasted twister home recreation: attempt 1

Sometimes, as Albad rightly pointed out, a trip to KFC, no matter how tempting, is simply impossible. You might be in an area with no KFC's within the minimum 20 mile radius, you might be unable to leave the house, or, like me; you were curious- you wanted to walk the zen path of KFC and recreate the colonels early experimental years yourself, attempting to make delicious chicken dishes nearly as good as could be served to you in any upstanding kfcookery in the kfcountry.

Ingredients for attempt 1 (again, all available at Sainsburys for the sake of tradition (not every ingredient is necessary for variants))

Southern fried chicken breast fillets
Sainsburys hot salsa
Bacon
Ranch dressing
Salad
Cheese -here I'm using red Leicester
Mayo, pepper (for KFC's signature pepper mayo, see right)
tortilla wraps.

I had more than enough ingredients pictured here to make multiple toasted twister variants - namely the original, salsa and the new melted BLT. Obviously ingrediants will vary based on your choice of what to construct.

Construction


This was a more experimental affair than previous documentation
on this site of reKFCreations, so subsequent attempts should prove neater and more reasonably portioned than this. I'll initially describe how to prepare the new melted BLT variant.

Begin by starting to cook the chicken, which should take around 20 minutes. Around the last 5 minutes of cooking, you should be putting on the bacon to cook - ensure that it's crispy and firm by the time you want to place it in your wrap. I advise grilling, especially as you'll need to gently toast your wrap later.

While you're waiting for all your ingredients to cook, it might be a good idea to start preparing the wrap. Wash your salad and chop your cheese (or remove it from it's packaging) as well as laying out your tortilla wrap.

When the chicken is cooked, remove it and slice it thinly enough to fit in your wrap. Add a little salad on top, the bacon slices, a little
salsa to recreate the original dishes tomato, and finally a drizzle of ranch dressing for authenticity. Now close up the wrap and toast it gently (overtoast it and it will become brittle as an osteogenesis imperfecta patients bones... have I been watching too much House again?). And... voila! it should be finished.

The verdict 6.5/10 + 7.5/10


While obviously the same complaints as always apply - chiefly the chicken not being up to the colonels high standards, the overall effect, taste and presentation-wise was extremely similar to the real wraps. The original toasted twister salsa recipe had a slight edge over it's rival however (just remove the cheese and bacon and add the pepper mayo seen above), but this may have been due to the fact that both the portion size and cooking times were slightly adjusted for the latter wrap, whereas the melted BLT was a giant even by stomach standards - the thing took two hands to lift, two tortilla wraps to hold it and literally two people to eat it. Hold back on the portions used KFC fans - you'll end up with a better wrap out of it. Subsequent attempts might show the melted blt to be the superior wrap with the greater experience gleaned from this experimental feastery.


This weekend, while in the process of seeking out the vast amounts of food necessary to support my titantic, KFC-and-lager wrought body, I'll be providing both a review of one of Brighton's 2 KFC branches as well as an overview of the real melted BLT toasted twister at the same time. See you then!

'The Stomach' Takes On Boneless Box Meal

After Dave's incisive thoughts on the Boneless Box Meal challenge, Obad 'The Stomach' Sanders and chums decided to bravely (some say foolishly) take on the beast that is the deluxe 12pc meal. Below, he recounts the events that took place in what proved to be a monumental occasion.

"Obad here. After a long nights drinking the other night, the only sane recourse the next, hungover morning was seeking refuge in the warm glow of the colonels welcoming bosom. Being present with a group of friends, the subject of the Boneless box inevitably came up, and like fools, we gamely split the larger, 15:99 box between three hungover adults.

What fools we were. Almost immediately upon starting the meal, and despite the excellent quality of the plethora of food and drink available to us, each of us started to flag, slowly munching our way through the mire of the colonels finest foodstuffs.

Eventually, only I battled on, and finally reached the end of the last crispy, soft boneless piece of delectable chicken. My compatriots nodded their heads sagely at my glorious achievement, for every time you waste an item of KFC, the colonel cries a single tear.

But wait! A lone tub of beans remained, untouched! What devilry was this? Each of us was thoroughly ill, one man was near comatose, the other near paralytic, and I thought I heard the soft voice of the colonel in my ear, calling me towards the bright light that I saw before me to reign forever by his side in the great franchised food chain in the sky.

But did I surrender? No! Someone had to be man enough to eat those beans, and I, "the stomach" had to be that man! I flipped open the plastic cap, and in one mighty motion slammed a plastic straw, into the beans and drained the crimson fluids within, then jammed my mighty spork of justice into them, spooning them heroically towards my mouth, before finally putting the upturned pot upside down upon my head, a rightful crown for my righteous acts. The meal was completed!

...But never to be repeated. Meals such as those were too much for any three men. (four might be alright and you could stretch it to five easily)."

Look out for future posts from Obad, soon to be fully fledged KFBlogger.

KFC London: Oxford Street (The Plaza)

A popular restaurant in one of London's busiest shopping areas, the Oxford Street KFC located in The Plaza's food court is frequented daily by 1000s* of shoppers, city workers and tourists. Many a hung-over Saturday shopping trip has begun in ernest at this branch, so it's about time we conducted a full review - myself and fellow KFBlogger Albad head down to check it out. (*estimated amount)

Paulbot
My Order: Fillet Tower meal, large
My Opinions: Service was very swift, which was pleasing to see and is typically the case at these high profile locations. My burger was well constructed and warm to the touch, while both mayo and ketchup had been added in the appropriate quantities. The chicken seemed to be slightly dry but still perfectly edible and forgiveable considering the generous amount of chips I was given. Overall, a pleasing experience on this occassion, but on previous visits I have found the quality to be quite variable - this may come down to the staff that are on duty and time of day.
Score: 7/10

Albad
My Order: Zinger Tower meal, large
My Opinions: Like Paulbot I have had a variable past with this particular branch. I remember one fateful afternoon trip during which I was served a Zinger Tower with chicken so overcooked and hard it would be better described as some kind of meat–flavoured biscuit rather than the succulent chicken fillet piece we are used to. However, on this occasion all was well in the world of Oxford St KFC. The chicken juicy, the salsa spicy and the bun fluffy. Incredibly, the chicken technician on duty out back in the kitchen even avoided the all too common over-enthusiastic mayo application. The main problem with the meal was merely the size: being in an incredibly hungover state as I was, it was necessary to replenish my body with vast quantities of liquid. As such, a large Pepsi Max was the only option. Sadly, the accompanying large fries got the better of me once again.
Score: 7/10

Zinger Tower Home Recreation: Attempt 1

You know how it is. You've had a hard slog at the office, headed back to the house for an evening in front of the TV and a sudden KFC hunger pang strikes. Trouble is, your nearest outlet is far from easily accessible and your utter lack of energy prevents you from taking the walk into town. The solution: create your own Zinger Tower burger.

Ingredients for attempt 1 (all Sainsburys brand unless otherwise indicated):
Southern fried chicken breast pieces
Processed cheese slices
McCains hash browns
Hot salsa
Iceberg lettuce
Soft, sesame seed topped white baps

Construction Poor construction is an all too common problem with the Zinger Tower. Start with the buns. Spoon a small amount of salsa onto the bottom bun, place the chicken on top and quickly add the cheese - you'll want it to start melting slightly. Next: hash browns (we had to use 2 of this variety). Top off with lettuce and a moderate spoonful of Mayo for the lid of the bun.

The verdict: 6/10
Don't get us wrong, this was a tasty burger indeed. However, without the secret blend of 11 herbs and spices it just wasn't quite right. The hash browns were slightly too thick, causing their flavour to overpower the burger. We also found the buns slightly too noticeable. In the real deal, the bun's main function is to hold the other ingredients in place. Here, it was too large.

For the inevitable next attempt we'll be using the finest quality Marks and Spencers ingredients we can lay our hands on

Melted BLT Toasted Twister

Get down your local chicken eatery because the colonel has a special treat in store for you: the Melted BLT Toasted Twister. Promotional material suggests this fresh addition is a variation on the long-standing Toasted Twister, but with added bacon, cheese and ranch dressing. Conceptually, the bacon-cheese combination is a firm favourite amongst us KFBloggers, while the new ranch sauce (presumably replacing the Twister's signature pepper mayo) seems like a natural accompaniment. So how does the new kid on the block taste? Watch this space for our full review, coming soon!

Challenge to KFC's Crown from Korean Fried Chicken Chain

South Korea-based fast food chain BBQ Chicken are looking to steal the colonel's thunder with their special cooking process and snack-portability innovations. The fried chicken merchants have invented a convenient drink cup/food container combo which allows hungry customers to have a snack on the go, while their olive-oil based frying technique ensures perfect delicious chicken every time.

The Col-Pop combines a standard fast-food drinks container with a handy tray located at the top containing bite-sized chicken balls (their version of Popcorn Chicken). In "fast-food" terms the concept is a winner, but I can't help wondering if the combination of cold Pepsi and hot chicken in such close proximity may create problems. With BBQ Chicken restaurants currently only located in the US, we must rely on the opinions of fast food bloggers at Serious Eats, who remark that the temperature difference did result in some moisture build-up in the chicken repository. Still, top marks for effort.

Finally, Reports suggest that BBQ's olive-oil frying process delivers chicken that is "crisp, crunchy, greaseless, and has just enough peppery bite" while the meat is "perfectly cooked, [and] moist". While it is difficult to comment without a true taste-test and comparison, it seems that BBQ Chicken may certainly provide good competition if they were to ever land in the UK.

KFC Manchester: a lesson in excellence

There we were, waiting in line, hungover and drooling with anticipation. I say waiting in line but in fact, the efficiency of Manchester's branch is such that a line barely exists at all. Here's the system: Attendant A takes the order and deals with payment, attendant B meanwhile is busy assmebling the order. To the extent that as soon as I uttered those famous words: "Large Zinger Tower Meal please", B was already scouring the heating racks for the finest fried chicken. And what great fried chicken it was. Perfectly assembled burger, not too much mayo (an all too common error) and left just long enough so that the cheese had started to melt.

Sadly my fellow chicken-loving compadré was somewhat unimpressed with the level of grease on his wings. Serves him right for ordering a box meal as far as i'm concerned.

Boneless Box

If enjoying a humble burger based meal with a friend at KFC is akin to taking a sedate stroll around a park together, then sitting down with a friend to partake in the boneless box challenge can only be likened to storming a fortified bunker together.

Consider for a moment the enormity of the task. 8 mini fillets, 2 boxes of regular popcorn chicken, 4 portions of regular fries, 2 large sides, 6 dipping sauces and a 1.5 litre bottle. Completing that feast between 2 people is a staggering feat by anyones reckoning and it should be rewarded.

Evolution of the KFC brand

While designing and creating the KFB header image for the blog, I found myself searching the web for high quality KFC logos which I could *ahem* borrow and doctor. As I stumbled across an assortment of different logos from years gone by, it struck me that I hadn't until this moment considered the details of the KFC identity - especially the changes made in the recent brand update and logo redesign.

KFC's logo from 1997 until November 2006:



The new, redesigned logo - November 2006 onwards.



Although the logo has clearly been updated and the design tweaked somewhat, it maintains the same look and feel. We can see that the Colonel remains as the focus point and the face of the brand. However, he now appears to be wearing an apron over his white suit - this could be to reinforce the sentiment of good quality, home cooked food, and of course the fact that the Colonel devised the secret recipe himself. Personally, I like the idea that the Colonel is out back carefully preparing and constructing my Fillet Tower, even if it is just a marketing ploy.

The colour palette has also received an update, dropping blue altogether in favor of a stronger black shadow, while the KFC red is now a darker warmer hue. I think this was a good decision as the colours of the old logo now seem far to bright and gaudy in comparison, reminding me of food colourings and E numbers - not particularly good for a fast food restaurant chain.

Finally, the KFC typeface has remained but has been modernised by giving it a solid, clean white fill. The detail in the vector artwork of the Colonel has also been simplified, for example there are fewer shadows on his face and a less complexity in his beard and hair. This seems to give the Colonel new life and a fresher, younger face, rejuvenating the brand.

A short remonstration against the obesity argument

The plea for us not to overindulge is certainly a pertinent one in the UK, when healthcare is free for all at the point of use and funded by public taxes. The current fashionable argument goes a little something like this. Why should those people who live a healthy lifestyle have to pay higher taxes to fund the treatment of those corpulent souls who do not lead healthy lifestyles?

Yes, Heart Disease is the biggest killer in the UK. But is it the greatest drain on resources? The rotund and slothful amongst us can easily counter calls for them to lose weight, do exercise etc.
Having lived a life where they have enjoyed every meal the portly people amongst us have the good grace to shuffle off this mortal coil before the onset of any of the myriad costly health problems associated with old age.

Whilst a heart attack victim may need a bypass operation, an elderly person who has eaten healthily and exercised all of their life may find that they've worn out a few of their joints and so burden the tax payer with the cost of a couple of knee or hip replacements.

A few years later their healthy cardio vascular system may be let down by diseases of the mind associated with old age. Alzheimers, strokes, parkinsons or just plain old senility, all need treatment that costs the taxpayer. The only treatment for some of these ailments is palliative. 24 Hour care becomes very costly and may be needed for years.

It begins to look then, that eating copious amounts of delicious Kentucky Fried Chicken is far from irresponsible. Remember. . . . . you're doing it for the greater good.

A Quest: the Lost KFC of Burslem

In honour of being asked to write for KFB I undertook a journey to a magical place. I had heard tales of my goal in dingy taverns and hoped beyond hope that they were not the siren song of thieves and brigands trying to lure the faithful to their peril.

Burslem you must understand is a commercial and retail wasteland, playng not second, but third or fourth fiddle to the nearby retail juggernaut that is Hanley, the beating heart of Stoke-On-Trent. Could it be true? Could Burslem, a small and insignificant part of the city really be home to a house of Our Harland?

And so, with hope in my heart and hunger in my belly I undertook to traverse the city in search of haute cuisine in Burslem. If it were true, I would be able to lay claim to a prize greater than just a Zinger Tower, the prize of knowing I had visited every single KFC in the greater S-O-T area.

As I entered Burslem I passed boarded up shops and derelict factories; hope was fading. Then, however like a mirage of an oasis in the desert, I saw the gaudy plastic frontage flash past me and I knew then that I had found the legendary lost KFC of Stoke-On-Trent.

I left my automobile in a nearby side-street and resolved to finish my journey on foot, but before long I was forced to face my demons. As I approached the magnificent edifice in respectful silence something seemed amiss. I was confronted by a sea of empty vinyl covered seats and neither was there a warm and inviting phosphorescent glow from the striplights. . . This KFC was closed for business.

Was I too late? Had this KFC ceased trading only recently. My head span, my belly rumbled and my heart began to palpitate as if to tell me it needed some fresh oil and grease if it were to keep my blood flowing smoothly through my veins.

And then, a miracle I saw a flicker of light and realised that at 11.15am in this backwater, that Burselm had missed decimalisation and was still opening at the archaic time of 11.30am instead of the usual 11am we have come to know and love.

Saved from a near nadir I drifted into a reverie. As the hour approached I was brought back to reality by by the familiar sound of a KFC lock disengaging from it housing. I ordered a Zinger Tower and drifted away on a pillow of winds.

Original Recipe Blog

It's a great day to be a colonel - Kentucky Fried Bloggin' is now live!

Featuring all the latest KFC news, from new menu additions and taste tests to reviews of KFC restaurants in the UK and all over the world. Watch this space for more great posts!