KFC UK & Ireland has announced that 35% of its chicken will be sourced from British farms by the end of 2026, as the company said it would add chicken wings to the list of products it sources from British farms.
KFC said it would make the changes through an expansion of its partnership with 2 Sisters Food Group, boosting its annual spend on British chicken by approximately £10 million and bringing the yearly total spend to almost £100 million.
Sourcing British chicken wings will reportedly increase the amount of British chicken on KFC’s menu to 35%, the equivalent of 82,700 metric tonnes of chicken annually, with only boneless chicken now sourced from other markets. KFC said this was due to “insufficient availability” of British farmed chicken breasts to meet the demand of UK consumers.
KFC’s on-the-bone Original Recipe chicken has been sourced from British farms for more than 20 years, with the company stating that the chickens are reared at a minimum stocking density of 30kg per square metre.
Through its partnerships with 2 Sisters Food Group and other British supplier Pilgrim’s Europe, KFC said it will continue collaborating to “drive up welfare standards across the chicken industry”, at the same time as balancing the reduction of the environmental impact of chicken farming.
“This is a tough time for the poultry sector across Europe, with avian flu outbreaks pressuring supply, at a time of higher demand.”
Marc Hayes, Yum!
Marc Hayes, chief supply chain officer of Europe for Yum!, which owns KFC, 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.”
Ranjit Singh, president of 2 Sisters Food Group, said: “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.
“The move ensures British farmers are supported to produce high-quality poultry that meets the expectations of both consumers and robust welfare standards.”
