Sam's Chicken
 A Sam's Chicken branch in Harrow & Wealdstone, London | |
| Company type | Restaurant franchise |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1990 |
| Headquarters | Harrow, Middlesex , England |
Number of locations | 40+ |
Key people | Sam Chandrasinghe (founder) |
| Products | Fried chicken, grilled peri peri chicken |
| Website | https://www.samschicken.com/ |
Sam's chicken is a British fast food chain with 44 outlets Nationwide, with the majority being situated in North West London.[1]
Sam's was founded in 1990 by Sam Chandrasinghe with the first Sam's outlet being opened in Harrow & Wealdstone.
Mr Chandrasinghe, who had previously worked for KFC UK as the Deputy Operations Director, saw a gap in the UK fried chicken market and wished to introduce his philosophy of fried chicken, a healthier catering commitment for London, using only fresh halal certified chicken, which would be marinated and breaded in store ensuring both quality and consistency.
His philosophy is what separated Sam's from the rest of London's chicken shops and it's a philosophy that is still being used to this very day.
The Beginning - 1990[edit]
As the Sam's brand expanded from 1990 to 1991, the brand suddenly exploded into the spotlight with the now famous "2 For 2" deal, with Sam's weaving themselves into the fabric of North West London culture.
The deal consisted of two strip burgers[2] and two portions of chips[3] for only £2!
When first introduced, hordes of hunger of North West londoners would queue for up to an hour to get their hands on this epic deal. Sadly, this deal was taken off the menu in 2007 due to rising costs.
Health and safety[edit]
In March 2014, The Guardian reported on how food hygiene inspectors found a small windowless bedroom behind the busy kitchen of a Sam's branch in east London, and that combined with imported chicken pieces enabled chicken shops to offer low prices to keep poor consumers happy, even if local councils were not.[4] In November 2013, Sam's Chicken were fined £1750 by Ealing Council for fly-tipping of 35 rubbish sacks over seven nights, the shop owner had previously been fined in 2011.[5]
Locations[edit]
Apart from its strongholds in west and north west London, there are other branches around London including: East Sheen, Tooting, Croydon, Mottingham, Woolwich, East Ham, Tottenham, Holloway, North Finchley, Colindale, as well as Borehamwood and Watford. Outside London's orbital M25 motorway, Sam's Chicken has branches in Luton, Birmingham, Wellingborough, Northampton, Southampton, Bournemouth and Isle of Wight.
References[edit]
- ^ "Sam's Chicken". Samschicken.com. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
- ^ "Sam's Chicken". Samschicken.com. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ "Sam's Chicken". Samschicken.com. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ "Cheap meat and tales of exploitation behind the chicken shop counter | Business". The Guardian. 13 March 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
- ^ "Fowl-play by chicken shop | Ealing Council". Ealing.gov.uk. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2016.