Why British KFC Fans Are Jealous Of Americans Right Now
They may have the same logos and the same name — but we have proof that KFC locations in different countries offer pretty different experiences when it comes to food. Consider a recent TikTok that went viral when Kentucky-based user @watchkittyshrink shared her American KFC takeout experience with fast food lovers across the pond, which triggered responses that ranged from slightly surprised to totally envious. "To all my friends across the pond, I would love to see what your KFC looks like, because you've told me KFC is pretty popular over there in the U.K. as well," she says in the video. After admitting that she's not a huge fan of the chain, she pans across her meal to show off items including soda in a bag, chicken pot pie, chocolate chip cookies, and, "the most important part" of any KFC meal, biscuits.
While a number of American TikTok users likely shrugged and moved on, it appeared this was not the case with international viewers. The TikTok, shared with hashtags including #americanvsbritish, was viewed more than 800,000 times and garnered thousands of likes and comments, many of which sounded amazed about just how much KFC's food differs across the Atlantic.
American and British KFC are actually pretty different
One non-American TikTok user was apparently struck by the KFC fried chicken shown in @watchkittyshrink's video, commenting, "The coating looks so nice and crunchy our KFC is always soggy. ... I usually put mine in the air fryer to crisp." Another confirmed that chicken pot pie and "IV bags" of soda are not found in U.K.-based KFC restaurants. And then, of course, came a comment displaying language differences: "That's not a biscuit, it's a scone surely?" in reference to @watchkittyshrink's American version of a biscuit.
This isn't the first time someone has thought to compare KFC's similar-yet-not-identical offers across the pond, discovering American KFC items that make some Brits green with envy. Insider reports that British KFC is without mashed potatoes and gravy, as well as American-style biscuits. Instead, they get chicken filet burgers, spicier chicken "Zinger" burgers, and the Tower Burger, which is a chicken sandwich with cheese and a hash brown. The U.K. also serves up sides like baked beans and corn on the cob. Nevertheless, one British TikTok user is unimpressed by their home country's offerings, commenting, "You'll be very disappointed to see our KFC compared to what you've just shown us," on @watchkittyshrink's video.
U.S. KFC locations have way bigger portions
Aside from having varying food offers, one stunning difference between American and British KFC involves portion sizes: To put it simply, American servings are much bigger. Insider points out that unlike the U.S., the U.K. doesn't offer a family-size chicken wing pack of 48 pieces. Meanwhile, a large serving of KFC fries in the U.K. clocks in at 150 grams, while the same order in the U.S. weighs twice that amount. The publication even posted a Twitter poll asking American and British users what they'd most like to sample from KFC across the pond between the U.K. Zinger Burger and the U.S. Famous Bowl.
Of course, differences don't only exist between KFC stores in these two countries; customization means that each country's fried chicken restaurant will have something extra that you won't be able to find anywhere else. That's one way to ensure that some KFC fans will add the chain to their must-visit list when traveling overseas.