Winging it: Chicken supplies set to remain tight while KFC warns of shortages
Chicken supplies are set to remain tight across the country, a report has cautioned, amid reports of KFC preparing to run out of stock of certain chicken items.
High street staple KFC warned staff in a memo last week that supplies of chicken on the bone were among items running low, The Sun reported.
KFC paused its £5.99 WOW Tuesday offer and said it would return “once we have confirmed supply.”
A KFC spokesperson said: “Recent supply chain challenges have meant some of our restaurants are facing a few shortages. We don’t want our fans to miss out, so to ensure we can continue to serve around the clock, we’ve had to temporarily pause our Tuesday deal.
“Despite that, it’s service as usual – all thanks to our incredible team members. They’re doing a brilliant job keeping the fryers going, so please be kind to them.”
Supplies of beans and Pepsi Max cans were also running low at sites across the country, it was reported at the weekend.
Demand for certain poultry categories was “outstripping supply at times”, according to a report from catering butchers Birtwistles.
Chicken thigh meat, inner fillets and wings were “still proving to be difficult,” the market report added.
Feed and energy prices are “higher than they have been in several years” while the industry is facing “one of the highest pressure avian flu seasons in history.”
Supply chains have also faced difficulties arising from the conflict in Ukraine, which “directly affects global feed commodity, energy, and fertiliser prices, further challenging industry operations this year.”
“In this challenging market there will be a significant gap between winners and losers,” the report stated, signally slight price rises in the UK.
“Companies with strong market power, strong biosecurity, and strong operations – with high efficiency and solid procurement – will likely outpace the market.”
At pubs and restaurants, chefs have been forced to swap menu items for cheaper alternatives due to increasing ingredient costs, with pub chain Young’s switching salmon for trout in recent months.
Speaking to CityA.M. in May, Young’s CEO Patrick Dardis said the pub chain had also opted to switch chicken dishes to pork owing to price.
“We have the ability to flex menus on a daily basis,” he added.
While many other businesses have followed suit, other chains have been insistent that they will stick to the same dishes.
Fuller’s boss Simon Emeny previously said it was “very important to give customers what they want and not, for example, take chicken off the menu because it’s a little bit more expensive than you used to see it.