Who's The Daddy? Big Daddy Box Meal Review

Apologies to any avid fans out there, the team here at KFB have been somewhat lazy and lackluster of late but today I am here to break the deadlock with a post of epic proportions...and when I say epic, I truly mean it. It occurred to me recently that there was an item on the KFC menu that has not received the attention it deserves. Of course, I am talking about the largest item designed for consumption by a single person - the Big Daddy Box Meal. It's time this bad boy had a full review!

The Big Daddy burger has actually been around for quite a whiIe, originally introduced to the menu as a TLO alongside the fillet tower and zinger tower meals. These days the Big Daddy burger has secured it's own long term spot on the menu, but as part of a box meal in direct competition to the Fully Loaded and Wicked Zinger box meals. I ventured to The Plaza KFC branch on Oxford Street to sample the Big Daddy.

On first impressions, you'd think there was little or no difference between the Big Daddy and other box meals. Just like the FL and WZ box meals, you'll get the burger, fries, 1 small side of your choice and 1 piece of OR chicken (or 2 hot wings with the WZ). "What makes this the so-called daddy then??" I hear you cry. Well, the real difference is in the burger itself.

The Big Daddy burger contains a few ingredients that make it stand out, and one in particular that is found in no other item on the current menu. As well as the staples (kaiser bun, OR chicken breast, hash brown, cheese slice, lettuce, ketchup) the Big Daddy also contains a slice of fresh tomato, creamy peppered mayo and most important of all - bacon. These are the additional ingredients that have earnt this burger it's title based on sheer size, but more importantly, can it earn the KFB seal of approval in terms of taste??

Biting into the Big Daddy, the bacon is not immediately evident. This will come down to the amount of bacon in the burger, which may vary from restaurant to restaurant. On this occasion however, I would have liked some more bacon in my burger - especially seeing as it is the key ingredient here. After a few bites, the flavour of the bacon did reach my palette and it certainly added a distinct texture and savoury smokey note to an already great burger. Another element which took me by surprise was the creamy pepper mayo, which seems to be borrowed from the Mini Fillet burger and added another interesting touch of flavour.

All in all, I enjoyed the Big Daddy burger and the new flavours it offered. My only concern, is the price. At well over the £5 mark, the BDBM is certainly expensive; granted, you get large fries and large drink as standard, but when all is considered the burger is really not so much larger than say, a Fillet Tower or Zinger Tower. If you are a big bacon fan, or specifically have a penchant for the creamy pepper mayo found in the Mini Fillet, (and you're happy to stump up the extra change) then the BDBM may well be for you. However, this blogger will be sticking to what he knows, and loves, best - a Fully Loaded box meal, large enough to satisfy any hungry adult and leave change from a fiver in your pocket.

BREAKING KFC NEWS - Griddled is the new fried!

KFBloggin's sources at KFC headquaters revealed to us today news so incredible, we knew, no matter what the risk, that we had to share it with you, the KFC fans across the world. We've long suspected it's, "second coming" would occur soon, but today is the day that we can proudly announce to you, that available in Woking from the second of June 2009, in Woking, KFC has introduced its new, healthier than ever: GRIDDLED CHICKEN. To quote;

The new range comes in a choice of a Griddled Chicken Ciabatta, Griddled Chicken Twister or a Griddled Chicken salad – or as part of a Griddled Chicken Variety Bucket...

...The new griddled range aims to offer customers lighter options, with the Griddled Chicken Ciabatta containing only 354 calories and 13 percent of a woman’s GDA for fat.

...(the griddled range), consists of 100% chicken breast fillets which are marinated in an exciting new signature Chimichurri flavour – a blend of herbs, roasted garlic and a touch of citrus. The marinated chicken is then cooked on a griddle in the oven to seal in the flavour.

Martin Shuker, Managing Director, KFC UK and Ireland said, “We are trialling the Griddled menu in response to the growing customer desire for new taste experiences, and lighter menu options.” Shuker added, “Our hope is that the new griddled range will become a signature part of our menu, for customers who want to try something new and exciting.”

The new Griddled chicken range will be trialled in the North East for a period of three months, at which point KFC will review the success of the initiative. Customers will be told about the new product range through a mixture of television and outdoor advertising.

Our north-eastern readers will no doubt already be on thier way out of their front doors by now in a maddened attempt to sample some delicious Chimichurri flavours, much as their american KFBrothers in arms did before them. Readers elsewhere in the UK will now be waiting 3 months or more for, Mr Shucker to give the go-ahead to launch the product in their region. Until then, feast your eyes on what you're missing out on with this delicious sample image of the new, "Griddled Chicken Ciabatta."


And as for KFBloggin's hardworking authors: road trip anyone?

KFC releases delicious new product!

It is with no small measure of excitement that KFBloggin' announces the (long-rumoured) launch of KFC's newest product range! Firstly, and perhaps most shockingly we have this news straight from the hallowed inter-pages of KFC's American website.

THE LAUNCH OF KENTUCKY. GRILLED. CHICKEN.





Yes indeed, after the products sucess in certain asian countries the healthier food movement has reached even the chickeny walls of KFC's original stores! Lauching april 27th (whereupon dedicated fans can visit any participating U.S branch for a free sample) this new form of kentucky chickenage is rumoured to contain nearly half the calories of a traditionally coated drumstick. Indeed, the website shows happy, faintly ridiculous dancing customers metaphorically EXPLODING with energy after partaking of the golden-grilled goodness.

Readers of this blog might like to visit the website, play the ddr-kfc game, laugh at the dancers/chefs in the videos and, "LOL" at the jokes about coupons (KFC reaching out to an internet based audience - say it ain't so!). But all this show and bluster fails to prevent this blogger from getting to the root of the problem -

Is it any good?

Rest assured, we here at KFBloggin' HQ will not rest until a proper taste test has been carried out. And on the off chance that the product IS sucessful - will we be seeing it soon in English stores? Our sources say - probably!

What do you think KFC fans? Delicious innovation or disgusting mistake that would make the Colonal roll over in his grave?

Yeehaaww! Tex Mex Wrapstar Review

The Wrapstar saw it's first appearance mid-2007, arriving on the menu as the Toasted Twister's bigger brother. Dubbed as the perfect solution for lunch on-the-go, the Wrapstar was aimed at young, busy adults and boasted a compact design fully enclosed in a soft tortilla wrap, thereby maximising portability and reducing the risk of contents spillage. Inside, the Wrapstar boasted two Crispy Strips, pepper mayo, a slice of cheese, a tostada, mild salsa, lettuce and tomatoes. It was well received, but as dg explains in his recent post Shifting Sanders, the Wrapstar was lost to the greasy graveyard of forgotten menu innovations, only to be reincarnated last year as part of the KFC AM suite, namely the AM Wrapstar. Was this the last variation we would see? Apparently not.

You can imagine my suprise (and that of fellow blogger Albad) as we arrived at Bethnal Green KFC branch for a Sunday meal. There, in the window, was a poster for the Tex Mex Wrapstar. This was the first time I had ever been made aware of new menu items by in-branch advertising - normally these new items are heavily advertisied in offline, online and television advertising. It seemed like the Tex Mex Wrapstar had appeared out of nowhere. The excitement took hold there and then, as we decided to immediately plump up the £2.99 for a meal deal.

In terms of review, there isn't a great deal to say here. The twist given to the Tex Mex is the addition of a pepperjack cheese slice and mexican salsa, supposedly giving more flavour and a fiery kick. It tasted just as I expected - good - but possibly too similar to the original Wrapstar. Sometimes I think it's not quite enough to add a single ingredient (here, salsa/cheese) and call it a new product... but at the end of the day, you can't go wrong with Crispy Strip chicken and mexican zing, a proven winning combination.

One thing I should note here, is construction. The chicken technicians at Bethnal Green KFC have never been noted for a high level of experience and craftmanship, but this was taking the piss. My Wrapstar arrived not as expected or as demonstrated in advertising material, but as a loose, floppy pouch, barely holding the contents and leaking salsa from all sides. After a couple of bites, handling it became nigh on impossible, feeling much like a bar of soap coated in grease. I resorted to picking it apart by hand and ended up in quite a mess. Thank god for the clean-up wipe is all I can say.

One month down the line, and as quickly as it arrived, it's gone. Another casualty, but one which most customers probably won't miss due to the strange lack of advertising behind it. This leaves me to wonder, was this a rare item? Possibly a smaller branch roll-out, or a market test/research for future products...we can only speculate at this stage. If you managed to experience the Tex Mex Wrapstar during it's 1 month shelf life, leave us your thoughts in the comments.

Shifting Sand(er)s

In recent months and years we have seen the introduction and sadly the withdrawal of numerous delicious KFC products. Whilst I am all for innovation what irks me is the lack of information the customer is given. If these things were trialled under the banner of 'for a limited time only' or 'trial period' I should be slightly appeased. Though I hate to admit it, the McDonalds model is a good one the introduction of seasonal menus allows diners to assimilate the fact that this product will not be around for longer than 3 months, if particularly popular McDonalds will know for a possible reintroduction.

The casualty list is high, all the below have fallen in battle and though some (with*) have attempted a return they again have fallen by the wayside MIA presumed dead but leaving their grieving fans with nothing tangible, and that slight bit of hope they cling onto can be a cruel master.

Wrapstar*
Kickin' Cajun Burger
The Complete Treat Meal
Hot Rods
Boneless Bites Flavour Station
Smoky Blue Tower Burger
The Zinger Twister
The Big Daddy Burger*

The above I'm sure is not an exhaustive list and please feel free to mention any products I've left out.

The one product that appears to have been a mainstay has in my opinion been one of the Colonel's worst innovations. . . . Popcorn chicken, surely the blandest product available. So come on Colonel a bit more info please.

Blazin' Boxmaster

The Blazin' Boxmaster, KFC's newest main item offering. If memory serves; we have seen a version of the Boxmaster previously, but not, in this revised format. Zinger lovers are often left out in the cold by the inclusion of only standard original recipe fillets in new product launches, but the Blazin' Boxmaster does not disappoint.

It was trialled by Rob Fentem and myself on February 10th at Manchester's Regent Road branch at 9pm along with a large side serving of gravy which revealed itself to be of hallowed 3 step variety.

I'm always slightly wary when entering a KFC that has security glass as this one did but the food however was of a high standard, hot , fresh and juicy as Harland hentended.

The Ingredients

Zinger Fillet
Hash Brown
Cheese
Hot Salsa
Crispy Bacon
Jalapeno Mayo
Lettuce
Wrap

Since the original launch of the Big Baddy burger in October 04 I am not sure if I have personally been able to reconcile KFC preparing, selling and serving bacon. Their name is very clear on their product and often constrains them, but chicken and bacon have been proved time and time again to be good culinary partners.

Moving on,

The product was served in an innovative paper wrapper with a cardboard belt with simple fastening device. Included in this was an integral identifying device to differentiate between the Blazin' or BBQ versions. Whilst the packaging was good, when put into context with the product. it was weak. One expects a product such as the Boxmaster to be in an actual box and that the product in some way masters the box either by being so large as to be it sole occupant or some other unthought of device for portraying its imperious pretensions over said box.

Once removed from the packet, the product itself was very dense thus giving it a very weighty feel. The Bacon in fact looked absent upon a cursory visual inspection but was in fact within. many of the ingredients are known to us due to their positions in other products but what is new here particularly is the Jalapeno Mayo (and Harland said it shall be good) and it was good. It was hot and added a significant new dimension to the menu.

Essentially though this is a ZT with some added extra hot sauce but suffering from wrap syndrome, a phenomenon whereby one eats to the end of the product and instead of being left with some amazing final bites, ends on 3 mouthfulls of what is virtually all wrap to contend with, thus ensuring the final mouthful is a disappointment.

All that said. . . . I would entertain another but as so often is the case it's no Zinger Tower.
6.5 out of 10

My KFC dream...a vision of the future?

Last night, I had a dream about KFC. I don't know why (maybe because I had been out the night before and planned to visit the Colonel in the morning) but as soon as I awoke from said dream, I grabbed a pen and jotted down as much as I could remember. I knew that what had come to me in the night was quite possibly the most important insight into the future. In many ways, I feel like I was touched by the Colonel, like he was trying to transmit his plans to me. The following is an outline of the dream and the vision that I had.

The dream revolved around a new menu, which included a variety of new products. After receiving a tip off from an old friend at Uni (not sure why) I immediately went to the KFC website to check it out. There I was confronted with a redesigned menu featuring not only the classic favourites but at least 50% new products.

It wasn't until I awoke that I realised the importance of what I had seen on this "dream menu" and I will now share with you my vision of the future:

1) The centre piece of the new menu was a double-decker burger, from what I can remember looked like a double stacked fillet burger with an extra layer of bun in the middle.

2) A muffin chicken roll/burger. This seemed to be about the same size as a mini fillet burger, but in a soft muffin style roll and with a warm cheese sauce.

3) A new side option was what I can only describe as a "ball of beans". Basically this was box of small bite-size balls containing baked beans and chicken pieces, coated in the secret recipe coating. There was also an optional upgraded to cheese coated variety (mozzarella i believe).

4) Another side option instead of the usual beans/gravy/corn was a small pot of savoury rice.

5) An interesting addition to the dessert range was a giant "pancake burger". This appeared to be a layered like a burger but with pancakes for the bun layers and some kind of filling. I can't fully remember whether or not there was chicken involved (it seems unlikely with pancakes, and this is why i assume it would be part of the dessert menu...but who knows!)

I'm sure there was more to the menu but unfortunately this is all I can recall. I believe I've caught a glimpse of the future here, and although items such as the pancake style burger and "ball'o'beans" seem a little unlikely, I believe they would be a delicious addition. I would certainly like to try the chicken muffin roll, and the savoury rice side option is probably the most realistic menu upgrade (I imagine this would be quite similar to the Nando's style savoury rice side, which works very well with chicken). Let's hopes this is a dream come true.

Snack Boxes are go!

Times are tight you know. Credit crunch this, recession that. And guess what, the Colonel's been listening. May we present to you the Snack Box range with a choice of mini breast fillet, popcorn chicken, two hot wings or a piece of original recipe chicken to accompany your large fries. We would write an extensive review were it not for the fact that you pretty much know what you're getting here. Delicious? Yes. Good value? Certainly. A rival to the Zinger Tower meal? Of course not.

Now when will the price of the mini fillet be dropped back down to 99p?

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.

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!