Featured Image Credit: KFC
Topics: Fast Food
Ben Williams
KFC is leaning all the way into one of the most divisive food obsessions around, with a limited-edition range that puts pickles front and centre in just about every form imaginable.
For anyone who likes their fast food with an extra sharp, salty kick, the chain’s latest launch is not exactly playing it safe, but first reactions seem like the gamble’s absolutely paid off.
The new Pickle Mania menu is set to run for four weeks from 23 March and includes a Pickle Burger, Pickle Loaded Fries, frickles and a Pickle Pepsi Max. Prices start at £2.39 for the drink, while the burger is £6.99 and the full four-item bundle comes in at £12.99.
Since pickles are one of those love-them-or-hate-them ingredients, a menu built around them feels tailor-made for social media taste tests, especially when an included drink on offer is a pickle-flavoured Pepsi Max.
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As first impressions on Instagram and TikTok go, though, KFC may have seriously nailed it, with people trying the range calling it ‘banging’ and saying the chain has outdone itself.
One of the strongest responses came from an Instagram taste test focused on the Pickle Loaded Fries. After opening the box, the creator listed what was inside as ‘chips, popcorn chicken, what looks like dried pickles, pickle sauce, and pickle seasoning’, before giving a glowing verdict.
They said: “KFC, you've outdone yourselves with that.” The creator added: “Oh my God, no, they are so good.” The crispy pickle pieces clearly made an impression, and so did the sauce, which was described as ‘game-changing’. They then rated the fries ‘11 out of 10’ and told the brand: “Please sell bags of pickle crisps”.
Another reaction on TikTok was just as enthusiastic, with drag performer Danny Beard diving into the whole menu after admitting: “Now I am a pickle lover, so this speaks to my soul.”
While trying the Pickle Pepsi Max, they gave an instant thumbs-up, saying: “That's banging.”
From there, the praise kept coming. They called the loaded fries ‘genuinely the best thing KFC's ever released’ and said: “None of the flavours are overpowering, like the pickle and the Coke's quite subtle.”
Even the burger got a decent reception, although they did joke: “We don't got enough pickle sauce, m**********r.”
Still, that was about as negative as things got. The frickles were described as ‘all right’ and ‘not too greasy’, while the overall verdict could hardly have been more positive: “Run, don't walk to KFC for the pickle menu. I'm obsessed. I'm not even… this isn't even an ad. I'm just that obsessed with pickles.”
A separate Instagram photo post backed that up too, with another customer writing: “Tried the new @kfc Pickle Menu and LOVED it! The pickle Pepsi was sooooo good!”