As a journalist, you often sign up for a variety of weird and wonderful jobs.
But today was a first as I ventured down to Inverness KFC at Millburn Road to try their famous fried chicken, just two days after it was forced to close following a health inspection.
Highland Council environmental health officials visited the fast-food restaurant on August 26 and identified “several matters requiring attention”.
Quick-moving KFC bosses took the decision to voluntarily close while the matters were addressed, and the council confirmed no further issues were flagged.
I thought the whole ordeal might put customers off – but as I stopped by the popular spot, dozens of customers were enjoying their lunch.
Darren was there with his mate Owen, who “likes” KFC.
Owen explained he was not worried about the closure.
“What the eyes don’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve,” he said.
Meanwhile, an Italian family on a holiday in the Highlands said they stopped off because their kids were eager to try it for the very first time.
13-year-old Francesco “really liked” his meal.
After cycling all the way from town to Millburn Road, I was quite hungry myself and the aroma coming from the kitchen was appealing.
So I decided to give the food a shot.
Initially, I was going to grab a couple of small items, but then I remembered the company would pay (or at least that is what they told me) so I decided to go crazy.
I ordered sweet chilli deep chicken bits (£2.99), one mini fillet (£1.79), a small popcorn chicken (£1.99) and, of course, one piece of the original recipe chicken (£2.29).
My experience at Inverness KFC after health inspection closure
My order was ready in less than three minutes (I guess that is why they call it fast food) so I found a table next to one of the windows.
I started with the original recipe chicken, which I found quite tasty and crispy, maybe a little too crispy, as the breading was too thick and greasy for me.
Hailing from Spain, I usually only cook with extra virgin olive oil, so my cholesterol levels were definitely higher after today.
But to quote Liz Truss – “I am not a quitter” – so I proceeded to gobble up the mini fillet.
This was maybe my favourite, as I thought it had a lovely texture and the seasoning of the breading was spot on.
On the other hand, I found the chicken popcorn rather bland, but they got better once dipped into the sweet chilli sauce.
It was really flavoury and the sauce was quite rich.
I also thought the portion size was pretty generous for the price.
Thoughts on Inverness KFC
Although the Inverness KFC is not usually my first-choice restaurant, it’s a decent place to grab a quick lunch without spending a lot of money.
The staff were very friendly and the food tasty (despite being a bit too greasy for my liking).
And kudos to KFC bosses for acting on health concerns so quickly.
I probably won’t be back – but it has nothing to do with the news this week. I just don’t think my arteries can handle it.
Information:
Address: Millburn Rd, Inverness IV2 3TR
T: : 01463 382855
W:KFC Inverness – The Home of Fried Chicken
Price: £10.85 for four starters and a 500ml water bottle.
Scores:
Food: 3/5
Service: 5/5
Surrounding: 2/5
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