While cheap chicken shops have become a staple of the UK, some foodies have found an upmarket – yet affordable – was to get their poultry fix.
The latest chicken restaurant to go viral isn’t a chicken restaurant at all – but Harrods.
Food lovers are going wild for the upmarket retailer’s rotisserie chicken box where you choose a meat, side and sauce for just £10.
TikTokers have been flocking to the luxury department stores food hall to tryout the tasty buffet meal, with one influencer saying they waited in a half an hour queue for the grub.
Singer and content creator Laura Khoshaba, from London, rushed to the luxury department store to try out the famous dish, opting for buttermilk chicken, coleslaw and truffle mac and cheese, which was an additional £2.
Taking to her TikTok Laura shared a clip, which raked up over 1.9 million views, of her trying the meal for the first time.
She said: ‘This was £12, it’s only an additional £2 to add the truffle mac and cheese, it’s a massive portion.’
Foodies, including Laura Khoshaba, (pictured) from London are going crazy for Harrods rotisserie chicken box where you choose a meat, side and sauce for just £10
Taking the first bite she said: ‘Mmmmm… the flavour, wow, this is insane, guys the chicken with the mac and cheese, insane. You have to try this combination, definitely my favorite thing so far. ‘
The content creator liked the combination so much she went back to try it in a wrap- which also didn’t disappoint.
In a clip, which racked up over 600,000 views, she said: ‘Wow, it works, this is the best combination by far.’
Elsewhere London blogger Libb Bites also tried the viral food hall dish and shared her experience on her TikTok.
She said: ‘Guys who has seen this viral £10 mac and cheese box from Harrods? I tried it and it’s just too good!
‘Whenever I have been in that food hall I have got quite a few things, the sandwiches I have never really enjoyed but this box was too good! There was a massive queue because I know it is going viral on TikTok at the moment.
‘Basically the deal is you get one meat, I choose the buttermilk chicken but you can also get rotisserie chicken and I think they have a beef option and then you pick two main sides, potatoes or truffle mac and cheese.
‘Then you can pick either cowlsaw or broccoli, I went for the broccoli, you also get two condiments I went for chilli jam. Guys I can’t fault it and for a £10 in Harrods its perfect if you need a quick lunch. Mac and cheese is a £2 surplus so this was £12.’
Libb got buttermilk chicken, truffle mac and cheese, broccoli and sweet chilli sauce in her box which cost £12
However the only caveat to the meal is that is a take away box, therefore the restaurant don’t let you sit in to eat it
However the only caveat to the meal is that is a take away box, therefore the restaurant don’t let you sit in to eat it.
People flocked to the comments to leave their thoughts on the viral food, with people praising the generous portions.
One person said: ‘Have eaten this on several occasions. It’s very filling, and for £12 it’s a bargain.’
Another said: ‘I’m running here! I’ve heard the Mac and cheese is amazing!’
Someone else wrote: ‘Yeah and then you have to sit outside n eat it cus the restaurant don’t let you.’ Libb replied: ‘I literally got told off for that 3 second clip of me eating.’
Meanwhile Harrods rotisserie chicken box isn’t the only food going viral on TikTok as a cookie-croissant that sent dessert lovers wild online is now available to buy in London.
The ‘crookie’ is a plain butter croissant filled with cookie dough and chocolate chips that was first invented by pâtissier Stéphane Louvard in October 2022.
The content creator liked the combination so much she went back to try it in a wrap- which also didn’t disappoint
The pastry went viral on TikTok and videos showing users purchasing the original or making their own at home have amassed millions of views on the platform.
Earlier this year, baker Phillipe Concini announced that ‘crookies’ have been added to the menu of his London bakeries.
Taking to Instagram, the chef shared a picture of the crookie and described it as ‘a crispy croissant filled with cookie dough with crushed hazelnuts and chocolate chips.’
‘And to be even more greedy, there’s also a crispy cookie dough on top’ he added.
Fans were thrilled to see the viral treat available locally, with one follower commenting: ‘Don’t have to get the Eurostar to Paris just for this anymore’
Another wrote: ‘This is a masterpiece of a pastry I am still yet to try!’ A third gushed: ‘Let’s go to London just for this!’
Crookies can be bought from any of Philippe Conticini’s three London bakeries, including venues in Camden, Islington and South Kensington.
Writing in an Instagram, Conticini advised that customers do the final stage of preparation at home. ‘We suggest you warm them a little before tasting!’
Though it has only just landed in the UK, the acclaimed crookie has been around since 2022 after the Parisian chef French pâtissier, Stéphane Louvard, had the idea to combine French flaky pastry with gooey American style cookies.
The tasty invention is made by embedding cookie dough within the croissant, laminating it between layers of pastry before cutting into scrolls and baking.
Prior to the sudden viral success, the Louvard had described his invention as a ‘modest success’ and has been selling around 100-150 pastries a day at his artisanal bakery, Maison Louvard.
The venue, which is owned by Louvard and his wife, also doubles as a restaurant.
Fast forward to February 2024, the bakery has become an overnight success and now sells 1500 crookies daily including 2000 on Saturdays, which is over ten times his original sales.
Crookies at Louvard sell for £4.65, which is triple the amount for a standard croissant.
The croissant and cookie hybrid, which went viral on social media after a number of people showcased the delectable pastry bake, has made its way from Paris to London
The baker, Phillipe Concini, announced he was to start selling crookies after being inspired by the success of the viral treats, originally from Maison Louvard in Paris
A food blogger is pictured dipping the viral crookie into a thick hot chocolate
The viral Parisian bakery has become so popular that it’s even brought in international customers with one woman having travelled all the way from Germany to join the long queues.
The fusion of sweet treats has also been spotted in New York City, as well as popping up in bakeries in Sydney and Melbourne bakeries in Australia.
Now having made its way to London, the viral crookie will add to chef Concini’s already extravagant creations including an XXL croissant and XXL pain au chocolat, sold for £25 and £28 respectively.
Concini’s bakery is also known for drawing in crowds to sample his mugs of thick chocolate dipping sauce, designed to accompany the enormous pastries.
While crookie is a relatively new invention, it’s not the first to experiment with combining pastries.
The Parisian-American hybrid will join an ever expanding family of croissant delights including cruffins, cronuts, and crones.
In 2014, the cronut made its debut and became so popular that it was sold in Dunkin Donuts. Its creator, Dominique Ansel, unveiled her creation the year before at his eponymous New York bakery.
She combined layers of flakey croissant and donut pastry and packed it between oodles of sugary donut icing, later winning the James Beard award for outstanding pastry chef for the creation.
Next was the crone which was then invented in 2016 and combined the crunchy texture of an ice cream cone with the crispy pastry of a croissant.
The new design, pioneered by London’s Dum Dum donuts in Camden and Shoreditch, served huge croissant cones with dollops of ice cream and at the time were said to ‘revolutionise the ice cream cone world’.