I first tried Chick-fil-A’s British menu – the iconic main course is better than McDonald’s

CHICK-FIL-A will open its first branch in the UK in early 2025, giving fried chicken lovers an iconic alternative to KFC.

Ahead of the high street launch, The Sun visited the company’s headquarters in Atlanta to find out what all the fuss is about.

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Here we got a first bite of what’s expected to be on the menu when the first store opens next year, followed by four more in the following two years.

From the chain’s most popular menu item, the original Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich, to nuggets and waffle fries, several signature items will cross the pond.

The brand’s expansion into Britain will also bring tasty but little-known options not widely available in Britain, including savory biscuits and ranch-flavored dips.

Sun Money’s James Flanders loves fast food and can quickly list his go-to orders from McDonald’s to KFC.

So Chick-fil-A had big boots to fill to convince its taste buds.

Here he takes a detailed look at what’s coming to shake up the UK fast food scene.

Main menu

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Chick-fil-A’s fan favorite – the Original Chicken Sandwich – reinvents what I would normally expect when opting for a fast food main – and it’s coming to UK menus.

The original Chicken Chick-fil-A sandwich features a freshly breaded chicken breast, pressure-cooked in 100% refined peanut oil and served on a toasted bun with dill pickle chips.

In fact, all products prepared in the chain’s fryers are prepared in refined peanut oil – but don’t panic if you’re allergic to nuts.

The peanut oil is refined, bleached and deodorized, which means that the proteins that could cause a reaction are removed during processing.

Returning to the original sandwich – well, it’s a very simple composition of items.

Still, everything about this sandwich is delicious, and the taste is, I think, unmatched when compared to similar items available at McDonald’s or KFC.

What I loved about taking a bite was realizing how fresh and unprocessed the chicken breast meat was.

Unlike chicken patties from other fast food chains, the meat at Chick-fil-A seemed to break loose, just like if you were cooking your own chicken breast at home.

Knowing that it’s not ultra-processed makes the whole sandwich taste even better.

During our whirlwind tour of the chain’s headquarters, I watched a chef prepare the chicken breasts by hand.

What I found most interesting was the fact that the chain refuses to cook large quantities of meat in advance.

This ensures that no hot object remains under the heat lamps for longer than 20 minutes.

For those looking for a bigger burger, the deluxe sandwich adds cheese, lettuce and sliced ​​tomatoes to the mix.

Other staple items on the main menu include the breaded nuggets and grilled nuggets – without the breadcrumbs, which are perfect for those who cannot eat gluten.

I have to say that while I love fried nuggets, the grilled nuggets are a healthier addition without losing any great flavor.

The spicy luxury sandwich will also appear on British menus in 2025.

It consists of a chicken fillet that is seasoned to the brim with a spicy mix of peppers.

In my opinion, this burger will compete well with McDonald’s McSpicy alternative, but with a cooler and more subtle kick.

Breakfast menu

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On the breakfast menu, Chick-fil-A’s options differ slightly from what we are normally used to here.

Muffins are available, but “cookies” are a fan favorite for breakfast.

This is actually where the chicken biscuit comes into play.

It features a seasoned chicken breast served on a buttermilk biscuit, freshly baked in the restaurant.

I wasn’t too keen on the look of these as I’m used to biscuits being something you eat with a cup of tea, rather than as a savory breakfast item.

But American cookies are reminiscent of the delicious British scone, albeit less dense and crumbly.

I’m not a big fan of savory scones and prefer mine with clotted cream and jam, but something about this breakfast item just made it taste delicious – it was probably the boneless chicken breast in the middle.

If you’re looking for a protein kick but don’t want a whole sandwich, Chick-fil-A’s chick-n-minis might be a better option.

These consist of deep-fried nuggets nestled in warm mini yeast rolls, lightly brushed with a honey butter spread.

The breakfast item that blew me away, however, was the fast food chain’s hash browns.

I love bite-sized hash browns, and at the moment only Burger King is making good on this promise in the UK.

McDonald’s hash browns are tasty, but not bite-sized and I honestly believe they are tastier when served in smaller individual portions.

Salads and side dishes

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You may be thinking, why would I go to a fast food chain for their salads?

Before visiting Chick-fil-A headquarters, I wouldn’t have done that.

It is common to see videos of chopped, pre-washed bagged salads being dumped into barrels to be prepared for customers at other fast food chains.

But I was shocked to learn that every salad is hand-prepared in the store and can be customized at Chick-fil-A.

I watched a chef take a whole romaine lettuce, peel it by hand, wash it and chop it to prepare the chain’s signature Cobb salad.

The salad features mixed greens topped with roasted corn kernels, a blend of shredded Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses, crumbled bacon, sliced ​​hard-boiled egg and grape tomatoes, and customers have the option of adding chicken nuggets or grilled chicken.

It was tasty and great that you could customize it so freely.

And if you like dressings, Chick-fil-A offers so many combinations, from herb ranch to honey mustard, but I especially loved the avocado ranch dressing.

Other popular sides include the kale crunch salad and macaroni and cheese.

But the absolute main ingredient has to be the chain’s waffle fries.

I have to admit, I’m a huge McDonald’s fry fan, but the one thing that lets down conventional fries is their ability to hold dips.

But because Chick-fil-A’s fries are waffle-shaped, any dunk of that dip stays on the chip.

Like McDonald’s, the fast-food chain offers a variety of great dips, from barbecue to honey mustard and herb sriracha.

But Chick-fil-A’s original sauce is a winner for me: It’s creamy, smoky, and spicy, and is said to have hints of ranch, mustard, and barbecue casserole.

Drinks and snacks

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Chick-fil-A is famous for its lemonades which are offered in regular, diet and strawberry varieties.

The original drink recipe contains just three ingredients: freshly squeezed lemon juice (with the pulp), pure cane sugar and water, and it will make its way across the pond next year.

Unlike the lemonade we’re used to, Chick-fil-A’s version is simple and old-fashioned, because the drink is completely carbonated.

Those who need a caffeine boost can get it from the chain’s “Sunjoy” iced tea, which contains a half serving of lemonade and iced tea — not my favorite combination, but I’m sure some will love it.

The chain also sells milkshakes with a large pump of Icedream (Chick-fil-A’s take on creamy vanilla ice cream), strawberry syrup, whipped cream and topped with a candied cherry.

I got to try making my own strawberry milkshake the Chick-fil-A way at the company’s headquarters — and while it wasn’t my best work, it was tasty.

For those with a sweet tooth, freshly baked cookies and brownies are also on the menu.

Can we expect something unique?

Chick-fil-A’s new British bosses remained tight-lipped when we asked for a full breakdown of all the items expected to appear in the pond.

But they did hint that certain items not available in the US could be introduced to better suit the tastes of the UK market.

This could include new vegetarian sandwiches to ensure the company can compete effectively with McDonald’s, KFC and Burger King, all of which offer vegetarian and vegan options.

The fast food giant told The Sun that all meat served here will be locally sourced from Britain and Ireland.

The same goes for eggs, which the company has committed to purchasing cage-free.

For now, avid fans of the chain will have to hold on tight to find out exactly what’s being served in the British restaurants.

See what we learned from our exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Chick-fil-A’s top-secret U.S. headquarters.