Brits have turned away from our traditional takeaway treat in favour of American export fried chicken.
Once considered a UK dinner-time staple, fish and chips has gone down in popularity, with fried chicken being crowned as the favourite in a new poll.
One in five Brits eat Southern fried chicken every week, while one in 10 do so every month, according to a survey of 1,500 adults across the country.
One in five also said they would request fried chicken as their hypothetical ‘death row meal’ with one in 10 considering it a catering option for their wedding or funeral.
On the other side, just one in 10 Brits enjoy a traditional British meal – such as fish and chips, bangers and mash or steak and kidney pie – each week.
Richard Piggot, Operations Director at Slim Chickens UK, who conducted the survey, points to social media for the rise in popularity of the American speciality, saying it plays ‘a crucial role in shaping food trends and influencing people’s culinary preferences.’
However many on X (formerly Twitter) were quick to point out that the change is due to practical reasons: mainly the difference in how much it costs to feed a family at the chicken shop compared to the chippy.
User @ProEvils wrote: ‘It’s half the price of fish and chips as well. Them chippys be charging crazy prices, double or triple of what the fish cost in a typical supermarket.’
The sentiment was also echoed by @dezza2542 who said, ‘It’s the ridiculous price of fish and chips these days,’ and @TAquajim who added: ‘You can get decent fried chicken, chips and a drink for less than a tenner. Try getting decent fish and chips for that.’
Stats back this up, too. Prices of fish and chips rose by 19% from March 2022 to March 2023, the Office for National Statistics found. The average increase was around £1.44, with a portion costing £9 on average – though this goes up to as much as £14 in Somerset.
The National Federation of Fish Friers put the rise down to the Cost of Living Crisis which has seen food and energy prices skyrocket.
Stuart Devine, area director for the NFFF told BBC News: ‘Costs are soaring. You either put your prices up or you risk going out of business.’
There was also a bad potato crop in recent years due to extreme weather changes, which contributed to the price of potatoes going up. The ONS found that potato prices increased by 24.8% last year
Meanwhile, chicken and chips only increased by 89p, up to £6.18 at the highest.
Some people however, claim the change in preference is simply down to the fact chicken and chips are just better than fish and chips, with one Twitter user putting it perfectly: ‘Fried chicken feeds my soul!’
There’s a lot of love for both fish and chips and fried chicken, but which do you prefer?
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
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