There’s only one Marstons chicken shop – or is there?
Fried chicken fans will already be familiar with Marstons Chicken Shop on Leeds Road, which has been going for nearly 32 years.
But now feathers have been ruffled with the opening last week of Mary Marston American Fried Chicken on Old Bank Road, Mirfield.
The Leeds Road business has posted a note in its window to tell customers that they have no connection to any other chicken shops.
The note says: “Just a little notice to deny some of the rumours floating around ... the one and only Marstons Chicken Shop has been in the Marston family for coming up to 32 years and at no point have we been associated with any other shop past or present! Thank you to our much valued loyal customers.”
The Marston family say the Mirfield shop is not a second branch of the Huddersfield institution .
Hazel Dransfield said: “I’ve no idea who is behind it. We are a family business and we’ve never had another shop and we’re happy with the one shop we’ve got.”
The Mary Marston shop opened last week in what was Hennie Penny’s at Old Bank Road and say they’re using an 85-year-old family recipe.
The controversy comes after the Ritz hotel in London has written to the Ritz in Brighouse – which now trades as www.liveattheritz – saying it must drop or it will take legal action.
In a blind taste test, who will win the battle of the similarly-named fried chicken shops - the Examiner investigates.
On one side there’s Marstons Chicken Shop on Leeds Road, Bradley, a Huddersfield intitution.
About two miles down the road, there’s Mary Marston American Fried Chicken, Mirfield.
Mary Marston say they are using an 85-year-old family recipe passed down by Great Grandma Mary Eliza Marston, so it’s hardly the new kid on the block.
The all-important question is - which shop serves the tastiest fried chicken?
Examiner reporter Andrew Robinson purchased two pieces of chicken and chips from both outlets, paying £4.55 at the Leeds Road shop and £4.30 at the Mirfield outlet. On cost, the Mirfield shop narrowly wins.
But what about taste?
One of Andrew’s colleagues served the food on two separate plates, hiding menus from each takeaway beneath the plates to ensure it was a ‘blind’ test.
Andrew said: “The chicken from both shops was tender and tasty. In the end I preferred the chicken with the tastiest seasoning and the crispiest skin - which turned out to be from Marstons, Bradley.”
