Pecking order: the UK’s fried chicken market explained

Back in 1965 as The Beatles released their album Help​! a fried chicken revolution was hatched when KFC opened its first UK site in Preston. Today, with more than 1,000 sites (more than 10 times that of its closest rival, the London-centric Morley’s) the Colonel Sanders-fronted brand won’t be calling for assistance anytime soon. 

KFC continues to dominate the UK market in terms of sales – its turnover was £284m in 2022 - and is always part of the fried chicken conversation.

Yet while it’s difficult to argue the case that the Colonel’s cravat might be slipping, the US fast food giant is facing higher levels of competition than ever before, and from all directions.

These include more premium US-born players that are successfully tapping into a more aspirational bit of the market that is willing to pay a premium. They are most notably Wingstop, Slim Chickens and Popeyes, all of which arrived in the UK within a few years of each other and have expanded aggressively across the country with around 50 locations apiece when delivery kitchens are factored in.

They will soon be joined by Dave’s Hot Chicken, which is being rolled out in the UK by ASK Italian and Zizzi owner Azzuri group. 

The early success of these brands have overshadowed the efforts of homegrown premium fried chicken brands which, without exception, have struggled to achieve significant scale or venture far beyond the places in which they were founded.

A number of brands that were conceived with expansion in mind have disappeared completely in recent years too, including Bird and Absurd Bird, which both had five restaurants at their peak. 

So how does the fried chicken market look today? Here’s our print-off-and-keep run down of the category, from its highfliers to empty nesters.

KFC​
Founded: 1952 (arrived in the UK in 1965)​
UK sites: 1,040​

KFC dwarfs other chicken operators and continues to enjoy cult status. It was one of the first US fast food brands to cross the pond - well ahead of McDonald’s, Burger King and Subway - gaining a toehold in the UK just 13 years after Colonel Harland Sanders opened his first franchise in Salt Lake City, Utah. Since 2018, KFC has opened around 200 new restaurants in the UK and Ireland and says it plans to open a further 500 restaurants by 2030. The UK arm of the Yum! Brands-owned business reported a 3% drop in turnover in its most recent results saying its performance was impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.    

Morley’s​
Founded: 1985​
UK sites: 98​

The family-run fried chicken shop was founded by his Sri-Lankan born Kannaling  Selvendran on Sydenham High Street and has been run by his son Shan since 2009. Though run along very similar lines to other London-founded chicken shops, the chain has gained cult status with one of its restaurants appearing in Croydon-born musician Stormzy’s Big for your Boots music video. Last year the brand joined forces with Heinz to create a limited-edition Fred Chicken sauce that was served at a pop-up at Double Standard in London.

Favorite Fried Chicken​

Founded: 1986​
Number of sites: 89​

Launched in London, Favorite Fried Chicken is largely based in the capital and the South but has a handful of locations in the Midlands and the North and a growing number of sites in Wales. The menu is classic chicken shop fare but some stores also offer BBQ ribs (the business was launched as Favorite Chicken & Ribs). Favorite Fried Chicken says it is currently looking to grow its brand through larger key partnerships, as well as its traditional franchise base.  

Chicken Cottage ​
Founded: 1994​
UK sites: 57​

Chicken Cottage’s sites are predominantly based in London and the southeast but the brand does have a presence in the north and The Midlands as well as one site in Scotland, in Glasgow. The company offers both UK and international franchise opportunities and has sites in Africa and South Asia and the Middle East.

Slim Chickens​
Founded: 2003 (arrived in the UK in 2020)​
UK sites: 49 ​

Like Popeyes and Wingstop, Slim Chickens was born in the US but doesn’t have nearly as big a footprint across the pond, where it has just over 200 locations. It is being rolled out in the UK by Ed’s Easy Diner and Gourmet Burger Kitchen owner Boparan which - not uncoincidentally - is from the same stable as 2 Sisters Food Group, one of the largest producers of poultry products in Europe. The menu is tight with just two types of chicken on offer (tenders and wings). It arguably has a bigger presence than Popeyes and Wingstop because all its sites are open to the public rather than being delivery kitchens, although nine of its sites are located within Boparan’s recently launched The Restaurant Hub, a Sainsbury’s-based mini food court concept that features other Boparan-owned brands. 

Popeyes​
Founded: 1972 (arrived in the UK in 2021) ​
UK sites: 41 (53 including delivery kitchens)​

Popeyes recently celebrated its 50-site milestone, but this includes its circa 13 dark kitchen sites. The Louisiana-founded fried chicken brand has been one of the most successful fast food US imports in recent years establishing a truly nationwide presence in just a few years. Founded in Louisiana, Popeyes has more than 1,500 locations in the US and is growing rapidly internationally with sites as far flung as New Zealand, Indonesia, Romania, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Battered chicken marinated in a blend of Louisianan herbs and spices is the brand’s signature item, but other products that have made it across the pond include its chicken tenders; hot wings; mac ‘n’ cheese; and Southern biscuits with Cajun gravy. Earlier this year, it made a play for a slice of the breakfast market with the rollout of its Rise and Shine! menu. Led by Tom Crowley in the UK, Popeyes is well on its way to doubling the size of its UK estate this year having started 2024 with around 30 sites. Earlier this year TDR Capital increased its shareholding in Popeyes UK in a move that saw it take effective control from dual investor Ring International Holdings, which remains invested on a minority basis.

Wingstop​
Founded: 1994 (arrived in the UK in 2018​
UK sites: 52 (36 restaurants and 16 delivery kitchens)​

Founded in Texas, Wingstop has 2,200 sites in the US. Like Popeyes, it also recently celebrated its 50-site milestone on these shores although it has a higher proportion of delivery-only locations. The bulk of this expansion has come in the past two years with Wingstop having been named the fastest growing restaurant group in the UK by The Sunday Times 100 in both 2023 and 2024. The UK arm of Wingstop hopes to have 57 sites open before the year out and says there is scope to nearly quadruple that number over the next five years with up to 200 sites planned within that timeframe. The reason for this major expansion push and bullish assessment of its prospects on these shores? UK master franchisee Lemon Pepper Holdings has hired Goldman Sachs to explore a sale of the business ‘in response to unsolicited expressions of interest from potential buyers’. As the name suggests Wingstop is focused on wings - although it does offer burgers and tenders - with customers able to choose from various dry and wet coatings as well as sauces to dip the wings in.  

Sam’s Chicken​
Founded: 1990​
UK sites: 43​

Founded by the Sri Lankan-born Sam Chandrasinghe in Wealdstone, Harrow, north west London, Sam’s serves a tight chicken-focused menu that comprises four boxed meals, loaded fries, beans and rice. The brand is located predominantly in the south east and The Midlands but also has a handful of south coast locations, including Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight, and Southampton.

Miss Millie’s​
Founded: 1988 ​
UK sites: 15​

Miss Millie’s is the creation of former KFC managing director Harry Latham and is named after Colonel Sanders’ daughter Mildred. Latham’s family owned and ran the Southwest-centric group until 2019 when it was bought out by new management. The last few years has seen Miss Millie’s return to the expansion trail having entered into a partnership with forecourt operator Motor Fuel Group.

Jollibee​
Founded: 1978 (arrived in the UK in 2018)​
UK sites: 12​

The Philippines-founded Jollibee operates more than 1,500 stores worldwide and has been making steady progress since making its UK debut in Ealing in 2018. Only one more London site has followed with the brand focusing on establishing a comprehensive regional presence with sites as far flung as Cardiff, Glasgow, Newcastle and Reading. Jollibee’s core product is its ‘crispylicious and juicylicious’ Chickenjoy chicken but it offers a far more wide-ranging menu than its competitors in the fried chicken space with options including Jolly Spaghetti, a box of spaghetti topped with chopped up hotdogs, sweet tomato sauce and a sprinkling of cheese. 

Wingers​
Founded: 2020​
UK sites: 12​

The idea for Wingers was hatched during the pandemic by Bill Sunner and sons Amran and Dylan, working out of a dark kitchen in Birmingham. The company operates as a franchise model and has built on its first site, which opened in Lichfield in 2020. The brand has already opened five sites this year in places including Derby and Watford and by the end of the year the goal is to operate in 20 locations, with 50 store openings planned within the next four years. The brand says its key areas of growth include the north east and north west, on the M1 and M6 corridors and in cities like Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield. Wingers is also looking to expand in Scotland in Edinburgh and Glasgow. 

Butchies ​
Founded: 2013​
UK sites: 7​

Butchies started life operating at street food markets, music festivals and residencies before moving into bricks and mortar with a site in Shoreditch that launched in 2017. The group now appears to be focusing on its own locations having closed its two Market Halls sites as well as a pub residency. Earlier this year, founders Garrett and Emer FitzGerald said they were looking to ‘restart’ their expansion.

Thunderbird​
Founded: 2017​
UK sites: 6 (12 including seasonal holiday park concessions)​

Having attracted backing from private equity group TriSpan very early on its journey Thunderbird initially looked likely to become a key player in the space but has struggled to get off the ground. The group would only be London based were it not for a 2021 deal struck with Parkdean Resorts that has seen the launch of six holiday park concessions. Its menu comprises wings of various heat – BBQ, chipuffalo, and habanero – as well as boneless fried chicken pieces available by the box or bucket and short selection of buns. 

Chicken Shop​
Founded: 2017 ​
UK sites: 6  ​

Originally named CHIK’N, Chicken Shop was created by Chick ‘n’ Sours founders Carl Clarke and David Wolanski in a bid to ‘redefine the chicken shop’ (the former is no longer involved) with its original Baker Street site promising ‘guilt-free’ fried chicken in a fast casual setting. The business rebranded in 2022 under a new partnership with Soho House Group and announced plans to ramp up expansion but just three bricks and mortar restaurants have been launched since then. 

Coqfighter​
Founded: 2014​
UK sites: 5​

Founded by a trio of Aussies, Coqfighter blends US and Korean influences on its tight but eclectic menu that includes baos as well as burgers. The group also operates a dark kitchen site in Battersea and a vegan spin-off at Boxpark Shoreditch called Mercy Burger. 

Eat The Bird​
Founded: 2017 ​
UK​ sites: 5​

Founded in Taunton by Dan Aldridge and Chris Kenny, Eat The Bird has stayed within the South West offering a burger-led menu that includes the Cluck Me Sideways (hot chicken in Texas toast with dill pickles and slaw); and The Chicktator (friend chicken, Korean barbecue, kimchi, ssamjang and iceberg). Earlier this year, the pair announced plans to move their Exeter restaurant to a larger site within the city’s Princesshay Shopping Centre 

Dave’s Hot Chicken​
Founded: 2017 (arriving in the UK in 2024)​​
UK sites: 0 ​

Launched by a trio of high school dropouts in LA, Dave’s Hot Chicken is being brought to the UK by the business behind ASK Italian, Zizzi and Coco di Mama. Azzurri Group CEO Steve Holmes hopes to open 60 sites beginning in London next year. Dave’s Hot Chicken has a little over 200 locations in the US but is growing fast having now sold the rights to over 700 franchise locations in the US, Canada and the Middle East. Dave’s Hot Chicken’s menu features jumbo hot chicken sliders, tenders and bites, along with sides of house-made kale slaw, mac and cheese, and seasoned French fries.