How Britain became a fried chicken nation

Sumayyah Zara Sillah's eyes light up as she takes hold of a takeaway box filled to the brim with strips of golden-coated Nashville-style hot tenders, dripping with sauce.

"I try to be healthy," says the 19-year-old nursing student, smiling with her order from Leicester takeaway Ragin' Bird. "But I like it so much."

US-style fried chicken is a TikTok phenomenon Sumayyah's been watching unfold for years in glossy online videos filmed in neon-lit American restaurants.

And this youth-driven craze is now transforming the British High Street, with chicken shops opening at a faster rate than all other fast food outlets.

But what does this trend mean for traditional British takeaways?

Till, a 33-year-old digital creator from Bristol, regularly posts food reviews on her TikTok feed covering most cuisines, but fried chicken is her speciality.

"It's the crunch, it's the visuals, it's the sauce, it's the different ways you can have it," Till says. "It's instantly satisfying content."

"How can you escape fried chicken when there's literally a pizza place selling fried chicken? The Italian up the road from me, they sell fried chicken as a side."

The number of chicken shops rose 7.2% year‑on‑year, the fastest growth across the fast food sector, compared to 1.7% for other takeaways, according to data from analytics firm Meaningful Vision, which tracks the UK food industry.

And the customers tend to be young. In 2025, 52% of Gen Z fast food consumers and 47% of Millennial fast food consumers reported having eaten from a chicken shop in the past year, compared with 39% of all fast food consumers, according to data from market research firm Mintel.

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.

"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."

Millers Fish & Chips in Haxby, near York, is one takeaway which is choosing to evolve.

The takeaway, which has six decades of history, started sister brand Millers Chicken two years ago in a bid to "future-proof" the business, owner David Miller says.

"It's not a dying trade, but you can get left behind quickly."

His 36-year-old son, Nick Miller, who came up with the idea of diversifying into the chicken market, says the move has driven a 10% rise in footfall from younger customers who previously would not have entered the shop.

Its success was drawn in part by keeping up with the latest trends including an offering of the Irish Spice Bag - a viral import from Ireland of crispy fried chicken and chips, shaken in a paper bag with seasoning.

"It's great for us because it's a hard climate to work within at the moment," says Nick. "It was a bit of a worry when we introduced that into the menu.

"But what we did see is a completely new clientele that are coming to us, which is great because it means we're not missing out on our regular customers, we're attracting new people in as well."

However, not every business pivoting to fried chicken is a guaranteed winner. Meaningful Vision's Vanifatova says the market is "very crowded because so many brands are trying to enter".

She cautions that the advertising muscle and buying power of the large chains makes it harder for smaller outfits to succeed "because the market is not growing".

Till says there is always excitement when a new chain opens "although the initial buzz can fade over time".

One person who is competing with the big brands is Wasim Hussain, the owner of Ragin' Bird in Leicester.

He started it in 2019 as a "passion project" while a medical student, experimenting with Nashville-style chicken recipes in his cousin's kitchen, long before the giants came to the British market.

He says, if anything, the rise of large fried chicken chains in the UK has "helped me".

"It's actually doing me a favour because it's bringing the hype here," he says. "People then look for independent Nashville spots and they find us."

Among the fans is Sumayya who is firmly hooked on the takeaway's flavours, variety, and affordability.

"I like this place, it feels like it's more homemade," she says. "I've been to Wingstop in the past and the chicken was wet, it wasn't crispy - same as Popeyes."

Food trends come and go, but fans like Till are confident fried chicken is here to stay.

"I'm always going to eat fried chicken. I've always loved it," Till says.

"It was never just a trend for me."