KFC opened its first SA store in 1971 and since then they have changed and adapted their menu, but also kept the meals we all love.
Hopes of learning the 11 secret herbs and spices were dashed on arrival as no staff member, not even the local management is privy to that.
I did learn that the chicken is locally sourced from reputable South African suppliers and is delivered three times a week in a cold truck to the restaurants.
The chicken is quality and safety checked 34 times before it even leaves the farm and delivered.
KFC allows journalists into their kitchen. Picture by Crispin Sparg.
Each batch of fresh chicken starts with highly trained cooks inspecting each individual piece to make sure it is only the best.
The individual pieces are then hand breaded and rolled into KFC’s secret combination of 11 herbs and spices recipe
Chicken is cooked in high temperatures (180 degrees Fahrenheit) eradicating any germs.
Each KFC restaurant is audited five times a year by an independent auditor to ascertain that team members adhere to and maintain strict health and safety standards and procedures and are scored accordingly.
Each KFC cook goes through the company’s nationally accredited training system which involves on the ground and theoretical training for a 3-month period for all team members.
So next time I’m licking my fingers, I can better appreciate the logistics and processes that produces that distinctive taste and fried chicken.