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Eat My Words: We review candy floss chicken burger at Feathers in Lockmeadow, Maidstone

05:00, 20 October 2022

updated: 16:13, 20 October 2022

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Now here's two things I thought I would never see together on a menu: chicken and candy floss.

But Feathers in Lockmeadow, Maidstone, has decided to do the impossible and maybe...the unspeakable.

Feathers in Lockmeadow, Maidstone
Feathers in Lockmeadow, Maidstone

The Greene King pub chain has introduced a new item to their menu this week, and being both a curious person and a diehard foodie – I couldn't say no.

Named ‘All the Flamin fun of the Fair’, the sharer platter includes two signature smoked chicken burgers skewered with candy floss, four boneless chicken wings coated in sour cherry cola sauce, popcorn and onion rings, two cream-filled doughnuts topped with chocolate flavour sauce, fries, a Dip Dab sherbet dip and a sour cherry cola sauce.

Yes, you heard that right.

The platter is said to be 'inspired by the nostalgic flavours of the funfair' and comes to £16.49.

I roped my mum into coming and we headed down to the Lockmeadow Entertainment Centre to give it a try.

Inside Feathers in Lockmeadow Entertainment Centre
Inside Feathers in Lockmeadow Entertainment Centre
It had a dart board, fruit machine and live football streaming on a large screen
It had a dart board, fruit machine and live football streaming on a large screen

Feathers had an American and slightly western-style frontage, however once you went inside, it revealed itself to be typical British pub – sticky tables, dart boards and live football streaming on a massive screen.

As we walked in, we assumed it was like any other Greene King establishment, an order on the app or at the bar scenario, which a staff member quickly confirmed.

Because we were both driving, we decided to have mocktails to drink which were priced at a very reasonable £2.99.

I chose the Passion Fruit Cooler and my mum went for the Elderflower Mojito, but sadly they were out of the latter so we both went for a Passion Fruit Cooler. C'est la vie.

Heading up to order I had a very strange conversation with the bar staff – saying you want 'all the flamin fun of the fair' to a grown man made me want the ground to swallow me whole.

The pub is part of the Greene King group and specialises in grilled food
The pub is part of the Greene King group and specialises in grilled food

He stared at me blankly, and I ended up pointing to my menu awkwardly, paying and hurrying away quickly.

As we were waiting for our food, I took in the atmosphere. Despite the uplifting pop music they were playing, most of it was drowned out by crying children nearby.

The lights above our table and in the surrounding areas kept flickering – I know it's October and nearly Halloween, but I don't think this was part of the decorations.

Just under 45 minutes later and the meal arrived, laid out on a large metal canteen tray.

I may have been naive, but I expected this to be a Heston Blumenthal style master piece, with the candy-floss infused into the chicken or something equally wacky.

Feathers had four different 'sharers' to choose from, all under £25
Feathers had four different 'sharers' to choose from, all under £25

I love an unexpected wacky combo – bacon with maple syrup, honey with cheese and watermelon with feta being some of my favourites - but this wasn't quite it.

I decided to put my candy floss in the burger and see what it would taste like. Maybe my 'sweet and savoury' theory would work?

Most of the candy floss dissolved instantly when I took my first bite, but I have to say it was a very strange taste.

It was slightly sweet and strawberry flavoured, mixed with the crispy chicken, cheese, lettuce and mayo already in the burger.

Our plan was then sabotaged when then the melted sticky candy floss began to drip down our hands onto the table.

‘All the Flamin fun of the Fair’ sharing platter
‘All the Flamin fun of the Fair’ sharing platter
The sharer also included a Dip Dab and two cream-filled doughnuts
The sharer also included a Dip Dab and two cream-filled doughnuts

Other than that, the chips were perfectly seasoned, along with the onion rings.

The chicken wings were cooked just right, but they were not coated in the sour cherry cola sauce as advertised, neither were they 'boneless'.

Nonetheless the sauce was certainly sour – more BBQ favoured than cola – but I'm not complaining as it was very moreish.

After eating as much as we could manage, it was time to move onto dessert.

By this point we both either wanted to run five laps around the restaurant, or be rolled out of the building to our cars.

Reporter Cara tried the new funfair themed sharer platter
Reporter Cara tried the new funfair themed sharer platter

The two cream-filled doughnuts with a chocolate flavour sauce were okay, nothing special – they felt like something you could easily get out of Gregs or Morrisons.

Having such a carb-heavy meal, I didn't eat that much of it as I was literally fit to burst.

The platter, along with Flaming Grill’s brand new menu ‘Feast your eyes on this’, was rolled out to 145 pubs nationwide on Tuesday (October 11).

Out of five:

Food: A great idea theoretically, but a bit of a gimmick. Perfect for a candy-obsessed child, not a 22-year-old adult such as myself. ***

Drink: They have a wide selection of alcoholic beverages and fizzy drinks, but sadly didn't have one of the mocktails we asked for. ****

Decor: Your typical sticky-tabled, colourful carpet, football-streaming pub – it could do with a bit of an update. ***

Staff: Apart from an awkward interaction between myself and a bar worker, not a peep was said from staff. **

Price: Typically one burger with chips alone nowadays sets you back around £13. To have two burgers as well as sides, a dessert and drinks for £22.47 is such good value for money. *****

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