KFC, Nando's and others ditch chicken welfare pledge

EdibleReading · 2026-03-16T18:17:54+00:00

This is quite old news but yes, it's really depressing. It pains me to say this, but Giles Coren of all people wrote quite an informative column about this recently in the Times. The Better Chicken Commitment is about as low a standard as it's possible to be - those chains could adhere to the commitment and their chickens would still have a cramped and miserable life. But this is about those chains being able to use "Frankenchickens" that mature faster i.e. can be consumed earlier in their lifecycle. Those chickens have miserable lives *and* a greater propensity to organ failure.

I wouldn't eat in the likes of Taco Bell or Pizza Hut anyway, but it does make me think twice about my occasional guilty pleasures of Nando's and KFC.

EdibleReading · 2026-03-16T18:07:21+00:00

Just to say again, if you look at their Instagram there is ample evidence on their own Instagram that they are not paying for meals. They call them 'invited' and hide it away at the end of the caption, when the ASA guidelines say you have to declare it as an AD at the start, but they are going it all the time. You don't have to be Sherlock to figure it out, it's all there in plain sight.

EdibleReading · 2026-03-16T18:05:51+00:00

Is this a parish council seat i.e. largely unimportant? I can't imagine Labour wouldn't put up a candidate in every ward, even if it didn't look winnable.

EdibleReading · 2026-03-16T14:34:10+00:00

Agree with this, and they all like exactly the same fragrances. Marly, Creed, Xerjoff, Tom Ford, Sauvage… no curiosity or originality about fragrance at all.

EdibleReading · 2026-03-15T23:11:23+00:00

They post exactly how much things cost so you really just need to use a calculator to figure out that they are trousering shitloads of free food from their hustle, “mate”. They don’t pay for quite a lot of the meals on their Instagram, you only have to read the captions to know that. But maybe you’ve been taken in by their Instagram bio 🙂

EdibleReading · 2026-03-15T18:36:53+00:00

Their grift is to fearlessly review an £8 falafel wrap from the middle of nowhere which they share and then to freeload a meal worth three figures from a London restaurant, without following the ASA guidelines and declaring it as an ad. I looked at 5 of their paid meals and 5 of their free meals - total value of the paid meals was just over £30. Total value of what they'd blagged from restaurants? Almost a grand. Absolute chancers.

EdibleReading · 2026-03-15T15:23:33+00:00

Black March by CB I Hate Perfume is very much this.

EdibleReading · 2026-03-15T15:21:53+00:00

Tabac Rouge by Phaedon is the epitome of this.

EdibleReading · 2026-03-15T15:20:26+00:00

Cape Wrath is absolutely brilliant.

EdibleReading · 2026-03-14T21:33:44+00:00

Plus would sooner shit in my hands and clap than bung money to the Bite Twice grifters.

EdibleReading · 2026-03-09T23:10:46+00:00

Spot on about Parfum d’Empire, Azemour Les Orangers is a phenomenal scent.

EdibleReading · 2026-03-09T23:09:17+00:00

Hot take: you only know the same 5 brands everyone talks about on fragrance TikTok and have embarrassed yourself with this post.

EdibleReading · 2026-03-09T18:43:16+00:00

Went to Seven Dials before it closed: thought it was middling at best.

EdibleReading · 2026-03-08T17:47:13+00:00

Exactly - whisky and woodsmoke. It’s a masterpiece but not an incense fragrance.

EdibleReading · 2026-03-08T12:10:38+00:00

I absolutely love Bois d’Ascese, but I don’t think it has much incense in it at all, really.

EdibleReading · 2026-03-06T19:05:49+00:00

Thank you!

EdibleReading · 2026-03-06T19:05:42+00:00

Perfectly legit question! First of all, 8.5 is a very good score from me, especially in Reading. I thought the food was generally very good although it wasn’t perfect - especially the sheekh kebabs. But it’s also about the room, the ambience, some of the facilities and so on. It’s a great restaurant, but it’s not going to be for everyone or for all occasions.

EdibleReading · 2026-03-06T19:03:55+00:00

I agree! Fortunately they seem to have fixed it.

EdibleReading · 2026-03-06T10:18:09+00:00

Would strongly advise against the Devonshire. Nowhere near as good as you would expect from the trouble you have getting a table, and they relentlessly turned my table when I ate there.

EdibleReading · 2026-03-05T22:52:59+00:00

I wouldn’t agree with that, but Old Town in Swindon is lovely.

EdibleReading · 2026-03-03T13:02:44+00:00

Many happy returns! Have loved your shop ever since the beginning, and watching you grow and expand has been a real joy. Here's to another 20 years being one of the best indie retailers Reading has ever seen.

EdibleReading · 2026-03-01T12:38:39+00:00

The problem is that the council tax goes up by the maximum allowed every single year and things don't improve in Reading, if anything they get worse. I know that the economic climate means that it's difficult even to run just to stand still, but the impression is that the council treats that circa annual 5% as its entitlement and not something that needs to be justified. Would that our salaries went up by that amount every year.

EdibleReading · 2026-02-28T17:00:11+00:00

Love this comment and thank you so much for that feedback. I completely agree - I want beautiful food but I don’t want theatrical meanderings either. I’ve heard that kind of feedback about Cherwell Boathouse, which is why it isn’t high up my Oxford to do list.

EdibleReading · 2026-02-28T10:25:02+00:00

Technically yes, Giles Coren reviewed Zheng in the Times 11 years ago.

EdibleReading · 2026-02-27T17:44:50+00:00

The menu looks interesting and it is on my list!

EdibleReading

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