• Navigation icon for News

    News

    • US Food
    • UK Food
    • Drinks
    • Celebrity
    • Restaurants and bars
    • TV and Film
    • Social Media
  • Navigation icon for Cooking

    Cooking

    • Recipes
    • Air fryer
  • Navigation icon for Health

    Health

    • Diet
    • Vegan
  • Navigation icon for Fast Food

    Fast Food

    • McDonalds
    • Starbucks
    • Burger King
    • Subway
    • Dominos
  • Facebook
    Instagram
    YouTube
    TikTok
    X
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok
X
Submit Your Content
Portuguese woman disappointed after trying Nando's in UK but everyone's pointing out same flaw

Home> News> UK Food

Published 15:56 14 Oct 2025 GMT+1

Portuguese woman disappointed after trying Nando's in UK but everyone's pointing out same flaw

The woman sampled the popular chain, famous for its Portuguese-style Peri-Peri chicken

Kit Roberts

Kit Roberts

A Portuguese woman was left unimpressed when she visited Nando's in the UK, but many people pointed out one thing.

In a video posted to TikTok the woman, who uses the handle @milzzjo, can be seen popping out for a cheeky Nando's with a friend.

The pair say they are Portuguese people who are there to sample some 'Portuguese' food.

And from their faces in the video neither of them appears to be particularly impressed by what is on the plate in front of them, implying that - despite having the Portuguese rooster on its logo - Nando's is about as Portuguese as Germany.

Advert

Some people took to the comments to share one issue they had with the pair's reaction to Nando's.

Nando's is hugely popular in the UK (Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images)
Nando's is hugely popular in the UK (Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images)

This is that Nando's is a South African company, and not actually Portuguese.

One wrote: "It’s South African, that’s why. It’s Portuguese style grilled chicken, but it’s not specifically Portuguese food."

Another posted: "Maybe because it’s South African?", while a third said simply: "Nando's is South African."

While this is technically true, the full context behind this - as is often the case - is actually a bit more complicated than that.

To answer this we need to have a history lesson, so buckle up.

Nando's was founded in South Africa by Fernando Duarte, from Portugal, and Robert Brozin from South Africa.

While it's true that Nando's is a South African company, the main dish which it serves is Peri-Peri chicken, which is not a South African dish.

Nando's is famous for its peri peri chicken (Douglas Graham/Roll Call/Getty Images)
Nando's is famous for its peri peri chicken (Douglas Graham/Roll Call/Getty Images)

This is a dish which uses a specific kind of pepper which was first cultivated in former Portuguese colonies in southern Africa before it spread throughout the Portuguese Empire, which included territory from Brazil over to Goa in India.

Peri-Peri sauce saw these chillis combined with condiments, which could then be used as a dip or to marinade meat before cooking.

Nando's is famous for serving a variation of this, with the original recipe seeing a whole chicken spatchcocked and marinaded before being cooked over charcoal - delicious!

So with the question of whether Peri-Peri chicken is Portuguese food, the answer is that it's complicated, and also closely tied into Portugal's long colonial past.

It's Portuguese food not in the sense that it was invented in Portugal, but in that it could be said to be the result of Portuguese colonisation in Africa.

Then again, who are we in the UK to point fingers in those terms when our national dish is chicken tikka masala?

With such shared histories it's perhaps little surprise that Nando's Peri-Peri chicken is so popular in the UK.

Featured Image Credit: TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images

Topics: Nandos, News, UK Food, TikTok

Kit Roberts
Kit Roberts

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Wetherspoons fans point out major flaw to 'stupid' new drink rule
  • Surprising reason why so many pho restaurant names share one thing in common
  • Massive new McDonald's burger leaves fans disappointed by same thing
  • McDonald's Snack Wrap finally returns but US fans are disappointed by one major change

Choose your content:

an hour ago
4 hours ago
5 hours ago
  • Scott McNaughton/The Age via Getty Images
    an hour ago

    Why I’ve got mixed feelings about Nigella Lawson’s new Great British Bake off gig

    Even her number one fan has some doubts

    News
  • Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
    4 hours ago

    Discontinued Pepsi Max flavour makes surprise comeback after 30 years

    The drink has already sparked conversation on social media

    News
  • Paul Archuleta/Getty Images
    5 hours ago

    Guy Fieri leaves fans speechless with 'unrecognisable' new look for 58th birthday

    Sports fans are gearing to see a whole lot more of 'Justaguy'

    News
  • FOX via Getty Images
    5 hours ago

    Gordon Ramsay issues damning warning about hospitality businesses as 'lambs to slaughter'

    The celebrity chef has claimed the industry is 'suffocating'

    News