Crunch Time: How Fried Chicken Took Over Britain’s High Streets

When Sumayyah Zara Sillah lifts the lid of her takeaway box in Leicester, the smell hits first – spicy, buttery, unmistakably indulgent. Inside are Nashville-style hot chicken tenders, glistening with sauce and fried to a deep golden crunch.

“I try to eat healthy,” laughs the 19-year-old nursing student, pausing only briefly before digging in. “But this? I really love it.”

Sumayyah is part of a generation that has watched fried chicken evolve from a late-night guilty pleasure into a full-blown cultural obsession. What once lived quietly in neighbourhood takeaways has exploded across British high streets, fuelled by TikTok, American food culture, and a growing appetite for bold flavours and visual drama.

Scroll through social media and you’ll find endless slow-motion shots of crispy chicken being dunked into sauces, stacked into towering burgers, or dusted with fiery seasoning under neon lights. For years, these scenes played out mostly in the US. Now, Britain is living them in real time.

And the numbers show it.

Chicken shops are opening faster than any other fast-food outlet in the UK, with growth far outpacing pizza, kebabs, and traditional takeaways. Analysts say the rise is being driven largely by younger consumers, particularly Gen Z and millennials, who are far more likely to choose fried chicken than the average fast-food customer.

For Till, a 33-year-old food creator from Bristol, fried chicken isn’t just food — it’s content.

“It’s the crunch, the sauces, the colours,” she says. “It looks good on camera. It’s instantly satisfying, even before you taste it.”

She points out that chicken has become so dominant it now appears everywhere, even where it doesn’t traditionally belong. “Pizza places are selling fried chicken. The Italian restaurant near me does it as a side. You really can’t escape it.”

The boom hasn’t happened in isolation. A wave of US chicken brands has landed in Britain in recent years, bringing slick branding, aggressive expansion, and American-style menus. From Louisiana-inspired spice rubs to Nashville heat levels, the influence is unmistakable.

Chicken’s rise is also practical. It’s cheaper than many other proteins, easier to adapt to different cuisines, and highly customisable – a dream combination for operators navigating rising costs and cautious consumers.

But for some of Britain’s most traditional takeaways, the shift has been unsettling.

Fish and chip shops, once the backbone of British fast food, have been steadily disappearing. Decades ago, there were tens of thousands across the country. Today, fewer than half that number remain.

Andrew Crook, a fish and chip shop owner in Lancashire, says the pressure is relentless. “Fish prices are high, energy costs are high, and chicken offers more flexibility,” he explains. “There’s simply more profit in chicken right now.”

More worrying, he says, is the generational gap. “We’re concerned about losing young customers altogether.”

Some businesses are fighting back by adapting rather than resisting. In Haxby, near York, a long-established fish and chip shop has expanded into fried chicken to stay relevant. Its owners say the move has drawn in younger customers who might never have walked through the door before.

Viral menu items — including spice-heavy chicken-and-chips combinations popularised online — have helped bridge the gap between tradition and trend. The result has been increased footfall without alienating loyal customers.

But not every pivot pays off. Industry analysts warn that the chicken market is becoming crowded, with independent operators facing fierce competition from multinational chains with deeper pockets and stronger marketing power.

“The hype can only carry you so far,” says Till. “A new place opens and everyone rushes in – but if the quality isn’t there, people move on.”

In Leicester, Wasim Hussain believes independents still have an edge. He launched Ragin’ Bird in 2019 as a side project while studying medicine, experimenting with recipes in a family kitchen before Nashville-style chicken was widely known in the UK.

Today, his shop thrives — and he says the arrival of major chains has only helped. “They bring attention to the food,” he says. “Then people go looking for independent spots, and that’s where we come in.”

Customers like Sumayyah agree. “It feels more homemade here,” she says, comparing it to some big-name chains. “I want it crispy, full of flavour — not soggy.”

Food trends are notoriously fickle, but many believe fried chicken has moved beyond novelty. For fans like Till, the appeal is timeless.

“I’ve always loved fried chicken,” she says. “This isn’t a phase for me. It just finally feels like the rest of the country caught up.”

And judging by Britain’s increasingly chicken-scented high streets, that crunch isn’t fading anytime soon.