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.

The KFC Halal Trial: mouths-on report

Earlier this year we caught wind of a halal trial occurring at several KFC branches across London. Now as all our loyal readers are no doubt aware, the only religion for us here at KFB HQ is the Church of Harland. However, we're not the type to shy away from new experiences, especially when they're chicken related. And so it was that we made the long and arduous trip down the road to our closest KFC, the Bethnal Green branch.

Picture the scene if you will: Pbad and myself are suffering the effects of a heavy night on the hooch and have decided the curing properties of the Colonel's chicken are the only logical option for brunch. We promenade our way down Bethnal Green high street until the Harland's smiling face peaks over the top of the chain of newsagent and pound shop signs. A smile crosses both our faces as we give each other a knowing look. Drawing closer to the branch we notice the above poster proudly displayed in the window. I turn towards Pbad as I exclaim

"Let's get halal!"

Before we get into the product itself though there are a few considerations to take into account. First and perhaps most importantly, in order for the food to be declared halal, KFC have had to pass numerous inspections by the Halal Food Authority. This means the way the chicken is slaughtered and prepared is of great importance. Though we'd previously chosen to believe that Harland himself whispered a prayer into the ear of every chicken just before it was to make the ultimate sacrifice, it has come to light that at the time of slaughter a blessing is recited by an 'appropriate person' as part of halal accreditation. As wel all know, Harland himself was deeply Christian, therefore lessenning his appropriateness for this task somewhat. To read more about the details of the trial, click here.

"Enough with the details!" I hear you decry. "How does it taste?" Well let us tell you now, it tastes...exactly the same. There is however one crucial element missing. An element so crucial in fact that its absence has caused an ENTIRE BURGER to be removed from the menu. And the name of this absent item?

Bacon.

Yes, bacon. Sadly, the laws of halal explicitly state that all pork products are banned. And sadly for us KFC lovers, this neccessitates the exclusion of the Big Daddy Burger - sure favourite of the manliest of men (have you ever tried to eat an entire Big Daddy box meal and lived to tell the tale?). In some regards removing a non-chicken based meat could be seen as a good thing. A purification of sorts. And yet in another way, bacon is plain delicious. So onto the bottom line: While halal opens up KFC to a vast and untapped new audience, it also casts aside a delicious burger. A mixed bag then ladies and gentlemen, a mixed bag indeed.