Congleton Quick review

Congleton

Barn Road

CONGLETON

Cheshire

CW12 1LJ

I hadn't even set out to do a review when I spotted this 82 seater reastaurant that sits on the edge of town with stiff competition from nearby McDonalds and a large branch of Tesco boasting its own cafe. It was a split second decision about which way to turn, I made the right choice. This restaurant includes drive thru functionality with a covered serving window. This restaurant is of sturdy construction featuring the 'tower design'. In this quick review, I just managed to trial a ZT.

I visited at about 2.10 pm on the 28th January 2010 following the lunch time rush

Decor wise , this branch is still awaiting a re-vamp, but here is a restaurant that has been loved by both staff and clientèle. It does not look tired anywhere but could do with a banquet table. There is a large clear space in front of of the counter from which you can peruse the menu. Unusually this restaurant features an airlock (ie two front door separated by a small vestibule) this meant the ambient temperature of the restaurant remained pleasantly constant. Another nice feature was the 'Trophy cabinet' also in the vestibule this glass fronted cabinet about foot by 3 foot showcased the range of box meals on offer.

I did visit out of peak hours, so maybe they'd had a chance to tidy up after the lunch rush but this place was spotless, utterly impeccable standards of hygiene were being adhered to. The staff seemed all to be young males and served me promptly in a courteous manner.

Zinger tower:

For once the construction was perfect and no changes were required, portions of both mayo and salsa were spot on. The lettuce was crisp and green as always. However the bread was a tad dry and as was the chicken on the last few bites. I would give this a 6/10

The Anciliary Items Island was this well stocked with, Sporks, freshen ups, napkins salt sachets & straws. Pepper it seems has become an increasingly rare commodity in KFC restaurants......is it being phased out?

Overall 6.5/10

Something VERY big is coming soon

My fowl friends. Do keep a careful eye on KFB over the next couple of weeks for the team is about to embark on a huge adventure. Confused? The image should give you a clue...

KFParis

France, a somewhat hostile environment for fast food vendors. Subway, ubiquitous upon the British high street is seen here only seldom. The Burger King was usurped by lack of custom. Here only the strong survive, yet KFC has only a precarious foothold in the market with not even 70 stores nationwide, compared to the UK's 761 branches.

The French are, funnily enough, not very successful at resisting invaders in the traditional sense, however when it comes to imported business models they are. I determined to visit some of Paris' branches to see what was on offer. There is no organised cabal operating against KFC in France, just a handful independent vendors. In sharp contrast to the UK's independents they choose more familiar monikers under which to ply their poultry than the UK's faux American eateries.

With so few KFC's about it was quite a trek to actually locate one, but when we did that familiar feeling of excitement and anticipation welled up inside of me!

The first thing I noticed is that they call themselves restaurants, perhaps to fit in with the french proclivity for enjoying good food rather than rushing their meals. I dashed inside eager to see what the menu had to offer.

I entered what from the outside appeared to be a chic Paris bistro with its maroon awnings, and found the interior to be redolent of a Spanish villa, with whitewashed plaster stucco walls with teracotta tiles and features. I had also stepped into a thong of customers all eager to get their hands on that gallic finger lickin' chicken.

The menu didn't dissapoint providing our usual benchmark, the Zinger tower, my favourite lost product, or at least an approximation of the Blazin' Boxmaster, the Chick' fillet 2HOT4U, a large selection of puddings and of course the usual pieces and buckets. Topping off the menu was a grilled chicken burger of which there are plans to trial in the UK. This really was to prove a bonanza. I ordered.

We also picked up some S'auce Yummy' which, with a honey mustard flavour was exactly what it said it was. What made me most happy was buying a 300ml pot of sauce 2HOT4U akin to the Jalapeno mayo on our Blazin' Boxmaster so I could enjoy that KFC hot, at home.

Greedily I dived in, the Boxmaster 2HOT4U was wonderful with much more fresh tomato than in the UK but not toasted. The Zinger Tower however left a little to be desired, the lettuce, which a collaborator often praises for being without fail fresh and crispy in the UK was wilted, soggy and browning whilst the chicken was a tad dry. The Chick' Fillet was a much more substatial mini fillet smothered in spicy sauce and was a real treat. One other thing I noticed was that even the chicken pieces are offered in a choice of original recipe or spicy, adding an interesting dynamic to the menu. My dessert, a mini chocolate gataux with chocolate fondant centre was of an excellent high quality.

The meal overall was good to very good, and came with napkins featuring environmental advice telling us not to use too many, and a freshen up wipe though in rather staid unimaginative wrapping.

I left and was extremely happy to see the McDonalds exactly opposite was derelict seemingly run out of town by the competition.

Having spent some time trying to find that first branch, I was both dismayed (for my stomach was now distended from overindulgence) and excited to stumble upon another store, which seemed to be the flagship only half an hour later. There was a throng of tourists milling around and who was I to resist the Colonel's plan for me. I walked into a clean and modern branch with plasma screens extolling the virtues of freshly prepared KFC chicken, and that all important product I had yet to try. . . . the Brazer, the grilled chicken burgers rumoured to be beginning trials here in the UK.

Sadly, compared to roast chicken options I had tried in the USA this was dry with too much bread, and packing no real punch of flavour like one gets from original recipe. Nevertheless the flavour was pleasant and the lettuce situation much improved. I am sure however that Chris Fells and the product excellence team back in the UK can, and will make this a product to be reckoned with.

KFC France with its strange anglofrench menu portmanteaus (All In Ze Box meal & Boxmaster 2HOT4U) was good but it was no KFC UK.

One last event left a sour taste in my mouth too. Remember the pot of sauce I purchased? Due to my only having hand luggage on the return flight it was confiscated by airport security. Sitting near the cockpit on the flight home I could swear I heard the captain telling the tower:

"Flight 11 over: Save some of that hot sauce for me over."

"Tower over: No, it's the most delicious thing we've ever eaten over."

And so we came back down to earth with a bump, happy at least that I was back in the land of chicken that I love.

Whitechapel/Aldgate branch review

Fried chicken fans are not left wanting in the Whitechapel area of London. A short stroll up Whitechapel road and the evidence is clear, with both sides of the street awash with the kind of eateries that could have quite easily featured in Dave's Rogues Gallery post - Perfect Fried Chicken (PFC), Perfect Fried Chicken 2 (PFC2), and Trio Fried Chicken to name but a few. I have had the misfortune of visiting PFC2 late one night (under the influence I should add) and it was not a pleasant experience, neither in terms of service nor food.

Alas, there is hope. Like a shining beacon, Whitechapel KFC stands out as a refuge for any hungry passer-by who demands the kind of quality that only the colonel can provide.


View Larger Map

On first inspection, Whitechapel KFC seems somewhat of a mixed bag. Externally, the signage is modern and uses the 08/09 branding. Internally the fittings are also up-to-date, but as is so often the case in these areas of central London, space is at a premium. This was especially noticeable during the lunchtime rush when it's not unusual to enter the front door and immediately join the back of the queue for a till. My recommendation here would be to take away rather than eat in - you're unlikely to find a seat anyway on the small 2 seater tables or limited bar seating.

Things took a turn for the up though when I arrived at the front of the queue to place my order. Front of house staff were pleasant and helpful, working efficiently to get my order to me as quickly as possible (and within the official 5 minute service deadline). This is a busy location with lots of offices close by, so I'm sure they are well trained and used to dealing with a quick customer turn-around and large quantity orders. I opted for a Wicked Zinger Box Meal (towered up) and picked up a Boneless Banquet for a colleague.

This brings me to one of the most interesting features of the Whitehchapel branch. Standing at the right-hand till, I soon noticed that the burger construction station was not out back in what would normally be the kitchen area, but just a few feet from the service counter (I can only assume that this unusual layout is due to the limited floor space). In the picture I managed to snap, you can clearly see a bag of Kaiser buns, a bun toasting machine, containers of lettuce and other essential ingredients such as salsa, ketchup bottle and a mayonnaise gun, and the preparation area. Watching the chicken technician construct a Zinger Tower so closely gives an insight into the step-by-step process which is employed. Interestingly, this particular technician used what I am now calling the Reverse Stack© technique, whereby the burger is constructed from top down: top bun -> mayo -> lettuce -> hash brown -> cheese -> chicken -> salsa - >bottom bun, then flipped. Clearly he had this down to a fine art, as my burger was neatly constructed and well presented.

Overall, I'd recommend the Whitechapel branch for it's speedy service and attention to detail, but get ready for some queueing if you're visiting at peak times and be prepared to take away.

Doveridge Retail Park Branch Review 24/02/09

Uttoxeter, nestled on the Eastern fringe of Staffordshire has been resisting the colonel's advances since 2003 when plans were first submitted to bring the town into the Chicken age. This rural town of 12,000 people seems to have thought itself above a ride on the gravy train. Councillors repeatedly refused to grant permission for Harland to set up shop claiming:

"It would adversely affect proposals to regenerate the town centre, as well as existing businesses"

No dispute there from me, yes it would have affected the town. . . . . . for the better!

Uttoxeter's truculent councillors could not be kowtowed to the will of the Sanders, until, thankfully recession struck. Whilst other businesses shudder to a halt the Fried Chicken juggernaut has moved into overdrive. It has clucked the trend to announce 9000 new jobs. It would have been political suicide to oppose the creation of 40 new jobs in your town during recession, as a result, the Doveridge Retail Park KFC was born on 24th November 2008. No longer would the faithful of Uttoxeter, forced to wait patiently for 5 years, have to complete the humiliating 30 mile round trip for Finger Licking Chicken.

Entering Uttoxeter at around mid day I felt like I was in enemy territory, I was in the town whose leaders did not want Chicken and they had not been afraid to show their true colours for over 5 years. Much like mediaeval times I was looking forward to entering the Chicken Church to claim sanctuary. I entered the branch dead on noon just before the lunch time rush. It was immediately plain that space was at a premium here and the planners axe had been wielded to cut away the deadwood. Thus we saw a unisex toilet, no banqueting table and a Drive Thru lane that passes perilously close to the main pedestrian access point. This places pedestrians drunk on chicken when, leaving and blinded by lust when entering at risk.

Inside, the place was spotless. I was greeted and served courteously throughout my entire transaction during which time I plumped for that bar setting staple the Zinger Tower meal with a side order of gravy.

During the wait for my meal I quickly surveyed my surroundings seeing a laminated sheet of A4 hanging below the menu gantry offering Hot Rods. Something I would love to see making a nationwide return. On the wall to my left was another laminated A4 sheet proudly displaying 5 stars awarded by an East Staffordshire restaurant inspection team.










Presently my meal arrived:

Fries: Poor

Gravy: Hot and 3 step

Zinger tower: plenty of salsa, crisp lettuce, not too much mayo, kaiser bun was dry, Zinger fillet was acceptable. What was faultless, was the construction. The hash brown sat squarely atop the fillet fused there with cheese. The symmetry was flawless, had a set square been brought into play during construction?

My burger 6/10
Overall experience 8/10

Obituary

It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I write this. Stafford's Greyfriars KFC closed its doors for the last time after a short illness in mid February. This magnificent edifice, a shining example of early post Colonesque architecture now stands forlornly at Stafford's Northern fringe. The Restaurant was one of the 38% of company owned venues and had been a stalwart of the the Staffordshire fast food scene since the 80s.

The restaurant had been bypassed by the recent refurbishment programme that has breathed new life into many branches and initial reports upon the closure suggested Greyfriars branch was being remodelled in line with the parent company's 2006 diktat. There was palpable excitement indeed at the prospect of a refurb. The sign on the door however for those that bothered to read it exclaimed otherwise 'This Branch is now closed'.


Stafford witnessed an outpouring of grief unprecedented in its 1000 year history, local flower shops were inundated with orders and many shut their doors early with nothing left to sell. Patricia Boynes, proprietor of one town centre flower vendor said

"Of course I was shocked like everybody else, I sold out in hours but saved a £150 bouquet and laid it myself, One guy came in here and spent over £1000, it's a tragedy for Stafford and a tragedy for the country as a whole."

The Greyfriars branch closure was also surprising due to its rumoured status as a regional hub. It's unusual two floor design held substantial office space which was presumably used by the firm. What will happen to the building remains to be seen, but local firm Tushingham Moore are handling the transition period. It was this unusual two story design which attracted Unesco, who are now considering making it a world heritage site as one of the finest examples of early post colonelesque architechture in the country its transmogrification into another business therefore could be slow.

The story of its demise was recounted to me by a worker moved from the Greyfriars branch to Stafford's young pretender the Hough Retail Park Branch(HRPB). Apparently the lack of a drive through facility at Greyfriars was the death knell and was enough the spur customers on a further 1.7 miles so as not to have to leave their car. There is a worry that the move may be premature. With the HRPB only trading since November, has it been long enough to accurately formulate a business model based on the seasons critics of the closure are asking. The Greyfriars branch came into it's element during the summer months when families would flock to its patio seating area to watch enthralled as the traffic roared past them on the busy A34, a fond memory that many Staffordians will hold dearly on to.

Other fond memories are of the winter wonderland that the staff went out of their way to prepare at the the Greyfriars branch. Each year a fake Christmas tree was festooned with all manner of product wrappers lovingly fashioned into Colonel themed decorations. From freshen up wipes to Popcorn Chicken boxes, nothing was left out in the pursuit of a perfect Chickeny Christmas and the neighbourhood children loved it as one elderly local resident recalls.

"If you lived round here you always just knew when KFC had decorated their tree, there was a feeling in the air, people suddenly seemed happier it lifted everyones mood and to see the children so happy, It was as if the Colonel himself had been here"

Another wonderful feature (for me at least) of this branch which was my local was the lack of disabled parking. I was able to park right by the door thus speeding up my overall journey time from home to branch. Stafford was also noted for the extremely high quality of its gravy, some of the best 3 step I have ever encountered was served to me at this branch. This would have been a prime candidate for a gravy centre of excellence. The Colonel himself was very particular with regard to the gravy,noting in his book:

"with me gravy is a mighty important thing. Most of it I see in restaurants today ain't fit for my dogs"

As Chaucher pointed out to us though

"all good things must come to an end"

but i didn't think the same proverb applied to great things too.

Rest In Poultry
1980s - 2009

Hough Retail Park branch review 24/12/08

After nearly a month of operation, I decided it was time to visit the newest addition to Staffordshire's arsenal of KFC's. I assumed that by now the new team would have had plenty of time to assimilate protocol and most importantly have learned to build a good quality Zinger Tower Burger.

The Hough retail park branch (Stafford's first drive through) was heralded by an article in the local publication the Express & Star. The paper has a circulation of roughly 130,000 so giving the restaurant nestled in the county town's Eastern enclaves a good publicity boost. For months there had been palpable excitement amongst Staffordians who had clearly been whipped up into a frenzy of euphoria by this rousing comment from a KFC spokesman, “We look forward to opening this new restaurant which will offer the convenience of a drive-through facility.” Indeed!

I braved the Christmas eve crowds and arrived at the restaurant shortly after one in the afternoon and took up my place in the queue. I was seventh or eighth from the front and resolved to spend what I assumed would be a short time queuing to visually appraising my surroundings.

The restaurant was beautifully appointed with warm red and orange colours and some seldom seen soft furnishings as well as areas of more traditional seating layouts. However it was around this time that I began to become aware of what would become a litany of errors and failures so large that to be properly managed they would need catalogueing and indexing.

Firstly, the restaurant had made utterly no avowal to the festive period with neither decorations nor any attemp to find a CD of christmas music. This was in sharp contrast to the Loughborough branch I visited on New Years Day, the entire interior of which shimmered with gold and silver decorations.

By this time I became aware of the sluggishness of the queue which had hardly advanced since I took my place in it. I began my second visual sweep of the premesis and saw a sea of litter strewn tables as is so often the case. Slowly I advanced to the head of the line and placed my order of a hot rods box meal with gravy upgraded of course to a zinger tower.

I had calculated the price to be £5.09 upsetting as it breaks the psychological five pound barrier but in fact I was charged only £4.99. This mistake appears to have been head offices who've printed all their Hot Rod box promotional literature with a tower up option at 40p extra and not the 30p which it actually is. I have subsequently noted this has been stickered over.

I left the counter, meal in hand towards the anciliarry items area to furnish myself with napkins, freshen ups, a spork, pepper and a straw. There were however no straws to be found and I was forced to sip from a flimsy cup which of course has lost a lot of its structural integrity when the lid which acts as somewhat of a brace is removed.

I managed to find a clean table and set about unpacking my feast to be greeted not by the gravy I had requested but a pot of coleslaw and neither was there any sign of my cool herb dip. There was one error that worked in my favour but it was an error nevertheless and should not be excused. They had included not one but two hot rods with my meal which I suppose went some small way to compensating me for my suffering.

And the burger? A 5 at best.

In short, a restaurant best avoided

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)

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

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.

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.