The craving for fried chicken has a long history in the UK.
Serious London chain Morley’s may have gone viral thanks to its sweet and spicy sauce. collaboration with Heinzbut his first location opened in 1985. web series “Date at the Chicken Shop” dominates the conversation; however, her eponymous network, where she hosts her unique celebrity interviews, began as a music festival in 2010.
Foreign companies have noticed this opportunity. Miami Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Inc. launched in the UK in November 2021: its first site in Stratford quickly became the most profitable chain store in the world. Philippine chicken cult Jollibee Foods Corp.. opened in Leicester Square the same year. Meanwhile, KFC Corporation. was roasting birds in the UK since 1965..
Now savvy operators in London are taking the country’s love affair with fried chicken and giving it an unexpected accompaniment: champagne.
The trend exploded in New York earlier this year with the opening of KokodakKorean fried chicken restaurant that reportedly boasts the country’s largest collection of champagne, nearly 400 listings curated by sommelier Victoria James. The David Rockwell-designed space was a hit, with long queues every night.
London establishments, new and not so new, Now they are tearing out the flutes. There’s a reason for this, says Sandia Chang, co-founder of Bubbledogs, a place where Londoners drank champagne with hearty hot dogs before closing due to the pandemic. “I definitely see more people drinking champagne away from the event and… just drinking it as a daily aperitif or as a wine with meals.” She also notes an increase in the availability of affordable, unlabeled bottles.
Chang also believes the appeal of pairing high and low helps make champagne and fried chicken inevitable this year. Plus it goes well with fatty and crunchy dishes. “Its lovely fresh acidity pairs so well with salty and fatty foods,” she says.
Chang is reborn Bubbledogs for a pop-up this summer at the 45 Park Lane hotel, and there’s a brisk business selling fried chicken wings in addition to a list of nearly 50 bubbly-only options.
One of the new city options comes from Bebe Bobwhose older brother Bob Bob Rickard famous for its “Press for Champagne” buttons on every stand. At Bebe Bob, you can order especially juicy nuggets with a crispy crust for lunch, as well as the opportunity to drink a dozen champagne. They became an instant bestseller, but founder Leonid Shutov says they couldn’t meet demand at the dinner because they only supply a limited quantity of Landes chicken. “We just can’t get enough of this special bird to offer these nuggets throughout the day,” he says.
About the new menu of the restaurant that has just opened for the season Claridge’s Terrace At the famous hotel, champagne is the center of attention. Ruinart Blanc de Blanc and Rose is available by the glass and bottle (£30 ($38) and £220 respectively). The recommended pairing is the new spicy fried chicken marinated in jalapeño buttermilk, crispy on the outside and seasoned with plenty of paprika and mushroom powder.
IN Dove, Tom Seller’s beautiful restaurant at 1 Mayfair Hotel, brand new Saturday brunch menu; front and center is fried chicken and waffles with a spicy butter sauce. The drink for the dish, inspired by the uber-crispy American brand KFC, is champagne, says wine director Matt Espersen: “Sparkling wine is a brunch must.”
The options for pairing sparkling wine with fried chicken at a wine pub are almost unbelievably vast. White horse in Mayfair. Golden chicken dusted with smoked paprika can be paired with any of Hedonism Wines’ 500-proof sparkling wines. who runs the pub. The store is a half mile away, so bottles are delivered to the restaurant in about 10 minutes.
And North London has a dynamic team PapiChef Matthew Scott and wine director Charlie Carr use the pairing to serve specials on Tuesdays as part of the month-long stay. The theme is pet (sparkling wine, naturally) and fried koji chicken, with a couple of champagne options thrown in.
In fact, Brits are good at drinking champagne, with or without fried chicken, says James Simpson, managing director of Pol Roger Ltd. and Chairman of the British Champagne Shippers Association. Last year, 25.5 million bottles of champagne were sold. were imported to the UK, out of a total export of 172 million bottles from France. In fact, the UK is only slightly behind the US in French sparkling wine consumption – just over 26.9 million bottles were sold in America – despite only having about a fifth of the population. “Given the population difference, the UK is a pretty damn good champagne drinker,” says Simpson.