KFC to boost British poultry purchases by £10m a year

Fast food giant KFC has said it will boost its contribution to the British poultry sector by £10m a year, upping its intake of chicken from British farms from 30% to 35%.

This includes sourcing wings for the first time, bringing KFC’s annual spend on British chicken to almost £100m, with an annual poultrymeat intake of about 82,700t.

All British chicken served in KFC is now also reared with 20% more space than the old industry standard, with a maximum stocking density of 30kg/sq m.

See also: KFC faces backlash for abandoning Better Chicken Commitment

Marc Hayes, Yum! chief supply chain officer Europe, said: “At KFC we want to back British farmers and are always looking for opportunities to increase our British sourcing in a balanced, sustainable way.”

Mr Hayes added that outbreaks of avian influenza have put pressure on the supply chain at a time of higher demand, creating a “tough time for the poultry sector” across Europe.  

“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,” he added.

Growing market

In 2025, KFC sold more than 164 million wings in the UK, with the market expected to grow even further as the UK’s appetite for fried chicken intensifies.

Working with 2 Sisters Food Group the move will increase the supply of British chicken wings on offer to meet this growing demand, it said.

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 has been welcomed by the industry, with both the British Poultry Council and NFU, stating the importance of long-term investment and commitment to British poultry production.

Procurement policies

Not everyone is so happy, however.

Industry pressure group Farmers Take Action said that, while this is a significant step forward, there is still a wider problem when it comes to public procurement.

A recent Countryside Alliance Freedom of Information request into Welsh public procurement showed that most chicken served in Welsh schools was sourced from outside the EU, predominantly from Thailand, China and Brazil.

Ed Beckett,  co-founder of Farmers Take Action, said: “We recognise this important commitment KFC have made to use more British chicken.

“But it does highlight that imported chicken is the norm in most catering, hospitality, ready meal and even public sector procurement, which is produced to vastly different environmental and welfare standards than those of British producers.”

Mr Beckett added that even if KFC meets its new targets, it will still be using 65% imported meat in its boned meals.

Falling short 

Meanwhile, Compassion In World farming (CIWF) pointed out that the move by KFC still falls short of the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) in that it will still be supplied with faster growing breeds of bird, that CIWF says are predisposed to health problems.

“We would expect KFC to build on this progress by implementing the full set of welfare criteria set out in the BCC,” said a spokesman.

“If any of the criteria need to be extended beyond the original 2026 deadline, it is essential for KFC to communicate this clearly and transparently to stakeholders.”