Consumers have more choice than ever before. New restaurant concepts continue to arrive in the UK, established brands are expanding their estates, digital ordering and home delivery have transformed how people purchase food, and competition for every customer visit is intense.
Against that backdrop, one category is standing out: Chicken.
New research reported by QSR Media UK, using foodservice market intelligence from Meaningful Vision, shows just how strongly chicken restaurants are currently performing compared with the wider UK fast-food market. The headline figure is striking:
Visits to chicken restaurants increased by 10.5% year-on-year during the second quarter of 2026.
That compares with an overall UK fast-food market in which traffic declined by 0.9% over the same period.
And perhaps even more importantly, chicken's growth appears to be accelerating.
Chicken Isn't Just Growing - Growth Is Accelerating
According to the research, visits to chicken restaurants had already increased by 7.3% year-on-year during the first quarter of 2026.
By Q2, that growth had accelerated to 10.5%.
This performance becomes even more significant when compared with some of the UK's other established fast-food categories.
Burger restaurant traffic declined by 2.6% during Q1 before falling by 4.0% during Q2.
Coffee visits were also down, declining by 2.3% in Q2, while bakery and sandwich traffic was broadly flat at -0.4%.
Other areas of the market are performing well, but chicken remains the standout performer.
For an industry in which overall customer traffic remains under pressure, double-digit growth in visits represents a significant shift.
More Chicken Restaurants... and Even More Customer Visits
There is another statistic within the research which we think is particularly interesting.
The number of chicken outlets increased by 6.3% year-on-year during the first half of 2026.
By comparison, the total number of fast-food outlets increased by just 1.0%.
On its own, that tells us there is considerable confidence in the chicken category. Operators are investing, brands are expanding and more chicken restaurants are opening.
But compare that 6.3% growth in outlets with the 10.5% increase in customer visits during Q2 and the picture becomes even more interesting.
Growth isn't simply being generated because there are more chicken restaurants.
Consumer visits are growing even faster than the chicken restaurant estate.
That distinction matters.
Opening more restaurants can naturally increase the total number of transactions within a category. But when customer traffic is increasing at a faster rate than the number of outlets, it provides a much stronger indication of underlying consumer demand.
That is particularly noteworthy when other categories have experienced the opposite effect.
Burger outlet numbers, for example, increased by 2.1%, while burger traffic declined by 4.0% during Q2. Coffee shop numbers increased by 0.8%, while visits fell by 2.3%.
More restaurants do not automatically create more demand.
Chicken currently appears to be achieving both.
Why Are British Consumers Choosing More Chicken?
There is unlikely to be one single explanation.
Chicken occupies a particularly versatile position within the quick-service restaurant market.
It can work across numerous eating occasions, different price points and an enormous range of flavours and formats.
A Menu That Works Across Different Occasions
Our chicken menu can include traditional fried chicken pieces, fillet burgers, wings, wraps, strips, boneless chicken, snack products like our Poppas and sharing meals, alongside new selection of sauces, seasonings and flavour profiles.
It can provide a quick lunch for one person, an evening meal, a snack or a family order.
That versatility gives chicken brands considerable scope to innovate while retaining a product that consumers already know and understand.
It also lends itself particularly well to modern ordering habits.
Chicken travels well for delivery and collection. It works for individual orders and larger group occasions. Products can be bundled into meals and sharing boxes, while menus can provide both entry-level value and more premium choices.
Today's consumer increasingly expects that flexibility.
Chicken Has Become One of the Most Dynamic Areas of UK Fast Food
Research previously reported by QSR Media UK has suggested that there are now around 2,100 chained chicken restaurants in the UK, with growth spread across established businesses, local operators, international brands and newer challengers.
That breadth is important.
This isn't simply the story of one rapidly expanding brand distorting the figures.
It points towards a wider consumer movement towards chicken.
And the latest Q2 figures suggest that momentum is continuing.
Favorite Has Been Part of Britain's Chicken Story Since 1986
For us, there is something particularly significant about seeing the category enjoying this level of growth in 2026.
Favorite Chicken celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
Favorite was established in Britain in 1986, long before the current generation of chicken concepts arrived in the UK market.
During those four decades, consumer habits have changed enormously.
We have seen the arrival of online ordering, home delivery platforms, mobile apps, self-service kiosks and digital menu technology.
Menus have evolved. Restaurant designs have changed. New flavours and food trends have emerged.
But Britain's appetite for great-tasting chicken has remained.
Favorite has continued to evolve alongside those changing expectations while remaining focused on the products and principles upon which the brand was built.
Today, our menu stretches well beyond traditional pieces of chicken.
The formats may evolve, but chicken remains at the heart of what we do.
Chicken is our category. It has been since 1986.
The Next 40 Years of Favorite
For Favorite, this comes at an exciting moment in our own development.
As we celebrate 40 years since the brand was established in 1986, we are looking towards the next phase of Favorite's growth in the UK.
That includes continuing to support and develop our existing franchise network while exploring opportunities for new restaurants, new locations and new partnerships.
We believe there remains considerable opportunity for Favorite to reach more customers across Britain.
The latest independent industry research reinforces why we are confident about that future.
Consumer tastes will continue to evolve. Technology will continue to change the restaurant experience. New competitors will enter the market and established brands will continue to innovate.
But one thing appears increasingly clear.
Britain really does love chicken.
And after 40 years serving it, we're looking forward to what comes next.