As part of its strategy to enhance local sourcing, the fast food chain aims to procure up to 35% of the items on its menus in the UK and Ireland from local suppliers.
This renewed commitment to supporting British poultry farmers is set to result in an annual sourcing of 82,700 metric tonnes of domestic chicken.
KFC’s initiative also emphasizes animal welfare, as all British chicken served will have 20% more space to roam than the industry benchmark.
Marc Hayes, Yum! chief supply chain officer for Europe, commented: “At KFC we want to back British farmers and are always looking for opportunities to increase our British sourcing in a balanced sustainable way. I’m delighted that the nation’s favourite Hot Wings will now be British sourced thanks to our expansion with our key supplier 2 Sisters Food Group.”
“This is a tough time for the poultry sector across Europe, with avian flu outbreaks pressuring supply, at a time of higher demand. The work that our British partners 2 Sisters Food Group and Pilgrim’s Europe have been doing to drive up chicken welfare against this backdrop is significant. We are proud that we have been able to work with them for all our British chicken to now be reared with 20% more space than the industry average, at 30kg stocking density.”
Chicken wings remain among KFC’s best-selling products, with over 164 million units sold in the UK last year, which translates to more than five wings sold every second.
The decision to add chicken wings to the locally-sourced lineup is part of an expanded partnership with poultry experts 2 Sisters Food Group, which involves an additional annual investment of £10 million for UK sourcing.
KFC asserts that all its British chicken comes from farms adhering to independently verified standards and higher welfare criteria, including a stocking density of 30kg.
Consequently, KFC UK and Ireland has announced that only boneless chicken will be imported from foreign markets due to the insufficient supply of British chicken breasts to satisfy domestic consumer demand.
“Our long-standing partnership with KFC is founded on close collaboration and a shared dedication to high welfare standards and this increased commitment to British farming represents a positive and important investment in the future of UK agriculture,” stated Ranjit Singh, President of 2 Sisters Food Group.
“The move ensures British farmers are supported to produce high-quality poultry that meets the expectations of both consumers and robust welfare standards.”
