- Waitrose is expanding its Breaded Chicken range with 12 new and improved products
- Customer demand for breaded chicken is on the rise with sales up 7% versus last year
- Waitrose.com has seen a surge in searches for ‘Southern Fried Chicken’ and ‘Nashville Chicken’ both up 32% and 30% month-on-month.
Searches on Waitrose.com for ‘fried chicken’ are up 32% compared to last month as the dish continues to surge in popularity. In response to customer demand, Waitrose is launching 12 new and improved breaded chicken products. These new options build on emerging food trends that we know our customers love while maintaining our higher welfare standards.
No matter your preference, this broad new range caters for many and includes exciting, new flavours including Cajun Chicken Mini Fillets and Hot Honey Chicken Bites which accompany our stock-brined Classic Chicken Mini Fillets. Providing food lovers with delicious options every day, these new launches are convenient and versatile for cooking quick dinners and moreish midweek meals.
Greg Sehringer, Waitrose Meat, Fish and Poultry Buyer, said “Both fried and breaded chicken have been growing in popularity, where we are seeing an uptick of 52% in social discussions compared to last year. With so much focus on exciting ways to serve chicken, we still see ‘fried’ dominate social media discussion, almost nine times more than any other cooking method.”
“In terms of flavour trends, we are seeing that many American styles are proving popular and continuing to grow in social discussion in the UK. ‘Southern fried chicken’ and ‘Nashville chicken’ are proving popular with our food-loving customers, as searches on Waitrose.com are up 32% and 30% compared to last month, respectively.”
Our best-selling breaded chicken options include:
Rosie Corr, Waitrose Product Developer, said: “Our Breaded Chicken range focuses on providing our customers with quick and flavoursome meals that can be ready in minutes. With 12 options now in the range, we know our customers will find something they love. We have also introduced our Freefrom Breaded Chicken Mini Breast Fillets to cater for those with gluten intolerances.”
“Hot honey continues to be a very popular flavour with our customers this year - our Smokin' Hot Honey Pork Belly Slices was a bestseller in our summer barbecue range and have seen searches for ‘Hot Honey’ increase by 28% in the last month. Our new Hot Honey Chicken Bites are the perfect combination of sweet, sticky, and spicy and we know our customers will love them.”
From 4th September, selected lines will be part of a three for £12 mix-and-match offer.
Discover all the products, which are now available in our shops and online on Waitrose.com with select products also available on Deliveroo and UberEats.
The 13 new and improved Breaded Chicken products include:
Southern Fried Chicken Mini Fillets (£4.50) - Tender chicken breast mini fillets in a gently spiced, crispy southern fried coating.
Hot and Spicy Chicken Mini Fillets (£4.50) - Spice things up with our tender chicken breast mini fillets in a smoky breadcrumb coating.
Buttermilk Chicken Mini Fillets (£4.50) - Satisfyingly succulent, our tender buttermilk-marinated British chicken mini fillets are encased in crispy, seasoned breadcrumbs.
Classic Chicken Mini Fillets (£4.50) - Our classic tender chicken mini fillets are stock brined for maximum succulence, then coated in crunchy breadcrumbs.
FreeFrom Chicken Mini Breast Fillets (£4.50) - Succulent British chicken mini breast fillets in a gluten free coating.
Cajun Chicken Mini Fillets (£4.50) - Add a little heat with these succulent mini fillets, coated in a crunchy tortilla crumb that's vibrant and seasoned with chilli flakes, herbs, and spices.
Nashville Style Chicken Breast Fillets (£4.50) - Up the heat with our tender chicken breast fillets in a Nashville-style breadcrumb coating. Spicy, smoky and a little sweet.
Ham and Cheese Chicken Kyivs (£4.50) - Savoury, cheesy Kyivs made with whole chicken breast fillets. Filled with a tasty four-cheese and ham filling and coated in crunchy breadcrumbs. Perfect for an easy, crowd-pleasing dinner or a hearty lunch.
Garlic and Parsley Chicken Kyivs (£4.50) - Always a winner: herby garlic butter, tender chicken breast fillets and a crunchy breadcrumb coating.
Southern Fried Chicken Thighs & Drums (£4.50) - Gently spiced, super tasty chicken drumsticks and thighs in a crispy southern fried coating.
Hot Honey Chicken Bites (£4.50) - Sweet, sticky and oh-so succulent. Simply pour the hot honey sauce over and cook for a bowl of bite-sized bliss.
Classic Chicken Steaks (£4.50) - A true classic: tender chicken steaks, stock brined for maximum succulence, then coated in crunchy breadcrumbs.
