Yahoo News KFC is in chaos: try these restaurants instead for a superior fried-chicken fix
Fried chicken fast food chain KFC has closed more than half of its 900 UK outlets, after delivery problems led to a shortage of chicken.
It's unclear when the delivery problems will be rectified, but the chain has set up a webpage so hungry customers can check which of its restaurants are open.
Disgruntled fans of the infamous 'finger lickin' good' sharing buckets have taken to Twitter to complain, while vegan campaigners have also used social media to express delight.
It's not just London that's upped its fried chicken game
But fear not: gone are the days when fried chicken restaurants served merely as the final - and often regrettable - pit stop on the way home after one too many.
These days, fried chicken is celebrated by some of the UK's best local dining spots, served on wooden boards at brunch at Shoreditch hangout Red Rooster (the brainchild of NYC chef Marcus Samuelsson), on clay ceramic plates at Breddos Tacos, and even in Taiwanese steamed milk buns at BAO London.
Some might even say that the dish, a staple of the American south said to have been introduced to the United States by Scottish immigrants, has been gentri-fried.
These days, it's often served alongside craft beer and cocktails, or paired with Belgian waffles à la Duck and Waffle. Zoe Adjonyoh of Zoe's Ghana Kitchen serves hers with a West African-style jollof twist. You'll even find fried chicken 'with a vegan makeover' for so-called 'dirty vegans' at cult contemporary fast food takeaway joint Temple of Hackney (formerly Temple of Seitan), which has just opened a new site in Camden. Instead of chicken, it uses seitan - wheat protein, or wheat gluten - which bears a striking resemblance to meat when cooked.
Meanwhile, south London Youtube vlogger Elijah Quashie has carved out a career for himself as a fried chicken journalist known as 'The Chicken Connoisseur'.
But it's not just London that's upped its fried chicken game. Popular chicken restaurant Yard & Coop in Manchester serves buttermilk fried chicken, sides and cocktails in a 'barnyard-chic' setting, and in Cardiff, the Korean-style fried chicken with Belgian waffles, Asian slaw, pickled daikon, sriracha mayo and fries at the Blue Honey Night Café is the stuff of legend.
In the 2016 British Takeaway Awards, Chicken George in Luton, Bedfordshire was crowned the UK's best takeaway, competing with fish and chip shops and pizzerias for the title.
Here, we round up the best fried chicken restaurants to feast on in the UK in 2018...
Absurd Bird, London, Exeter and Bath
Absurd Bird specialises in Deep South-style crispy fried buttermilk chicken, chicken wings, waffles and cocktails, with four restaurants in total in Spitalfields, Soho, Exeter and Bath. Recent additions to the menu include the fried chicken, Absurd gravy and maple syrup waffles. They also serve a choice of vegan 'birdless' burgers.
Blue Honey Night Café, Cardiff
Blue Honey Night Café takes over Sully's Café on Quay Street after dark and is renowned for its retro diner-style atmosphere. Order its Korean-style fried chicken served with a side of whole roasted cauliflower, or opt for cauli fritters.
Buck's Bar, Glasgow
Buck's Bar in Glasgow use rapeseed oil for 'guilt-free' fried chicken, which is lower in saturated fat. The classic buttermilk fried chicken is marinated for 24 hours in buttermilk before it's coated in crust. There's addictive hot Nashville-style chicken dipped in chilli oil, chicken and waffles, salad platters and fried chicken burgers (a favourite is the Kim Jong Bun with Korean Gojuchang mayo and street slaw).
The complimentary hot rack offers hot sauce fans a choice of over 50 free sauces to choose from. Just make sure you save some room for the Lemon Mallow Pie or the Alabama Fudge Cake.
Red Rooster, Shoreditch
Red Rooster is famed for fried chicken. The second outpost of Harlem soul food and jazz hangout Red Rooster, it's also a restaurant, bar, and music venue. Chef Marcus Samuelsson is also renowned for his 'Chicken Shake'. Read the full Telegraph review here.
Beer and Bird, St Ives
Beer and Bird on Fore Street in St Ives serves a winning combination of coffee, craft beer and fried chicken. As well as buckets of Cornish free-range fried chicken cooked in a Henny Penny pressure fryer, there are eight different chicken burgers to choose from, as well as five vegetarian and vegan dishes for herbivores. The 'Big Bird' is not for the fainthearted, and contains double helpings of bacon, cheddar, onion rings, fried chicken breast and BBQ sauce.
Happy Bird, Bristol
Go for a fried chicken or wrap, and you'll be spoilt for choice when it comes to sauce. There's 'Caribbee' with thyme, a masala 'Tikka Me Home' sauce, and 'Tarragoner' sauce, said to be "nature's perfect gift to chicken, deep and distinct, warm and cool."
Yard & Coop, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds
Yard & Coop in Manchester's buzzing Northern Quarter and Hanover Street in Liverpool is soon to come to Leeds. The buttermilk chicken is best shared around with sides and slathered in Smokin' Aces Scotch Bonnet and horseradish hot sauce.
Chick 'N' Sours, Haggerston
Chick 'N' Sours describes itself as a restaurant 'masquerading as a chicken shop.' On the menu you'll find herb-fed fried chicken, seasonal sides, sour cocktails, local beers and soft serve ice cream creations.
CrackBIRD, Dublin
CrackBIRD is the younger sister to Jo'Burger, a laid-back Dublin burger joint with wines, cocktails and music. The “Feila Bia” barn-reared chicken breasts are trimmed of fat, fried in buttermilk and served with chipotle and bacon baked beans.
BAO, Soho
Bao is famed for bringing Taiwanese street eats with a twist to London, and its fried chicken steamed milk buns don't disappoint.
