Maria Vanifatova, chief executive of Meaningful Vision, says the number of chicken shops has been growing in the UK with a long list US chains have entered the market in recent years – including Raising Cane’s, Chick‑fil‑A, Slim’s Chicken, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Popeyes, and Wingstop.
And of course US fried chicken giant KFC has been around in Britain for six decades, long before newer chicken shops arrived on the block.
“Chicken is really booming and we believe that this year this trend will continue,” she says.
Part of chicken’s appeal is that it’s a cheaper protein than other meats, analysts say.
Andrew Crook, a fish and chip owner in Lancashire and president of the National Federation of Fish Fryers (NFFF), has also noticed the shift in Britain’s takeaway culture.
High fish prices, rising energy costs, and the appeal of multi-flavoured chicken meals are forcing many chippies to diversify.
“There’s certainly more profit in chicken than there is in fish that’s for sure,” he says.
Meanwhile, many other fish and chip shops are shutting their doors. There were roughly 25,000 UK fish and chip shops in the 1920s and 30s, but that number has now dropped to about 9,000, according to the NFFF.
“In fish and chips, certainly, we’re worried about losing a generation.”