KFC's recipe for success

Freshly prepared chicken. Image: Wiki Images

There appears to be little question about the brand's taste proposition. However, there are varying perceptions about the quality of food produced in popular franchises such as KFC.

Are these perceptions completely unfounded? In an unprecedented act of good faith, KFC invited the Financial Mail to take a tour of one of its kitchens to see exactly what takes place behind the scenes.

When one enters a KFC kitchen, the very first thing one sees is a hand wash station right next to the entrance. Even those who are simply there to observe are required to wash and sanitise their hands, remove any accessories and fit hair nets before proceeding. KFC chief operating officer Jason Kerr says kitchen staff wash and sanitise their hands at least every 30 minutes.

Naturally in an environment where both cooked and uncooked food are handled, stringent health and safety procedures have to be imposed. In line with this, red and blue buckets and cloths can be spotted in corners around the kitchen. Kerr says the colour distinction is to ensure that different cloths are used after the preparation of uncooked chicken and that of the other food.

Stringent rules

These same rules apply to the way in which products are stored. Some fridges store uncooked chicken, while different ones store vegetables, dairy products and meats.

Significantly, on looking around the kitchen's fridges and dry storage spaces it is evident that only high-quality products are used. Brands such as Clover, McCain, Heinz and Ace line the shelves - products that are no different from those found in many home kitchens around the country.

Nothing is allowed into the kitchen without a label containing the product's details so the KFC team can make sure that no product remains on their shelves beyond its expiration date.

When it comes to the part we are all most interested in - the chicken itself - we find that KFC sources all of its chickens from reputable local suppliers, with Rainbow Chicken serving as the restaurant's major supplier. The brand's quality assurance team ensures that all of the franchise's suppliers meet its strict global requirements and only A-grade chickens are bought.

Cooking chicken

Secret blend of herbs and spices. Image: Wiki Images

One of KFC's experienced staff members demonstrates how, on removing each piece of chicken from its pack, he checks it to ensure that there is no unwanted fat or feathers on the bird. The pieces are placed into a large strainer rinsed with water and shaken seven times.

It is then coated in bread flour (a combination of flour, egg mix and KFC's secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices) and scooped and folded 10 times, then pressed seven times. Any additional flour is removed by a cook who taps the chicken piece before frying it. cooked. This preparation is the same in all KFC's kitchens across the world, ensuring consistency of the final product.

Finally, the oil used to fry the chicken is stirred to ensure there are no cold spots before the chicken piece it is placed in an electronically controlled fryer, which monitors the time and temperature at which the chicken is cooked.

Kerr points out that the quality of the oil is also checked regularly as there are at least seven different "enemies" of oil, two of which are salt and heat, that degrade its quality. This checks are done using a visibility tester.

Getting meals served

He says cooks have about 120 seconds to finish this process: on a busy day in-store the kitchen staff may prepare as many as 7,000 pieces of chicken so speed, efficiency and accuracy are non-negotiable.

Just 60 seconds to serve. Image: Wiki Images

From the time the chicken is cooked, the kitchen staff have about 60 seconds to prepare and present a KFC meal. The kitchen has strict standards about how long its pre-prepared products are allowed to be kept before they must be discarded. This is product dependent and monitored by a number of innovative time clocks on the back wall - each is set back according to its product's particular holding time.

However, Kerr notes that the team is careful to cook the right amount of food in line with the anticipated demand as KFC tries to eliminate wastage.

Preparation processes aside, the kitchen has strict "wash-up" procedures, using a three sink process: wash, rinse and sanitise. Utensils are left to air dry as tea towels contribute towards the spread of germs.

To achieve this level of accuracy and quality, staff members are put through KFC's training programmes, which begins with a strict focus on safety and sanitation. Once this initial phase is completed, employees go on to specialise, depending on their areas of interest.

"We focus on training our team to do the best possible job because we know that it's our people who make the biggest difference in how our restaurants runs," says Kerr.

Though Kerr maintains that it's the brand's taste that sets it apart from competing products, he is confident that the franchise is further distinguished by its considerable commitment to quality and consistency.

There are already more than 700 KFC stores across SA, but Kerr says the demand for the brand continues to grow and adds that another 28 stores will open by the end of this year.

Source: Financial Mail via I-Net Bridge