What is it like to work at KFC – including the "seven-seventeen" chicken technique?

Powerful bucket and bone-free dipping dish are some of the delicacies that chicken connoisseurs appreciate at KFC.

But would working, rather than eating, at one of the Colonel's good restaurants, be a one-day zinger or a net with surprises?

Somerset Live reporter Michael Taylor – wearing the KFC apron and cap – spent a day behind the scenes at a Taunton branch in Somerset to find out. Here is what he learned:

1) You wash your hands at almost every point

The first thing you do in the kitchen is to wash your hands thoroughly.

This is a necessary procedure before touching a food and avoiding any contamination.

Employees can then prepare food with their hands or wear gloves.

2) Each piece of chicken is fresh

If you are curious about the condition of the chicken before it's ready for cooking, know that it's fresh.

With regular deliveries, the branch does not use frozen chicken.

Thighs, wings, chest and legs are all bagged and ready for preparation.

3) There is a very specific "seven to seventeen" technique for breading chicken

One of the crew members showed the careful process of preparing the chicken pieces.

Straight out of a refrigerator, he poured the meat into a basket where it was washed in the water before being shaken seven times to help dry it.

With regular deliveries, the branch does not use frozen chicken.

The chicken, consisting of fillets, breasts and thighs, is then poured into a bowl of flour mixed with salt, spices and the secret KFC recipe.

The flour is folded 10 times on the meat before the pieces are picked up and sponged seven times. Any excess flour is dusted and then placed on a grill.

The restaurant manager, Alice Yarde, said the chicken was cooked evenly so that the oil flows through the meat.

4) … but there is a different way to prepare the chopsticks

Although it's simple to cook most chicken pieces, it's slightly different for the drumsticks.

The drumsticks are doubled before being placed in the fryer.

An employee stated that it was to make sure the meat cooked properly and that his skin did not crack.

5) Each batch goes through the same cooking process

The meat is fried in oil at 178C.

Each batch goes into the fryer for 15 minutes and is drained for five minutes before it can be served.

Once cooked, the chicken must reach the customer within one and a half hours.

6) The kitchen smells like chicken paradise

This is a very obvious point but the kitchen exudes a good smell of chicken, spices and herbs.

The delicious smell made my stomach vibrate several times.

7) Build a burger fillet is nice

Compared to breading chicken pieces, it was simpler and less stressful.

I was taken from the other side of the kitchen to the sandwich section to prepare my own classic filet burger. Yum.

You can choose from different sauces or add bacon, lettuce, cheese or hash browns to your burger.

I was able to go at my own pace and add my lettuce, salsa and cheese to a delicious toast.

Accompanied by a Max Pepsi and fries, it was a hearty and satisfying meal.

8) The leftover food is left inside a heated cupboard

If the day is slow or there is an excess of chicken, the meat will not cool just to the side.

Once the chicken has been drained of oil, the employees stick the grill tray in a heated cabinet.

If, for example, a fillet is needed for a hamburger, a team member takes a hot piece and places it in a bun.

9) The food was impeccable

The kitchen was tidy, with no leaks or spills, and employees clearly followed a strict code of hygiene.

There was no way to grab the chicken pieces with our fingers or handle the other food items. We had to use metal tabs for all fried items.

The East Street branch currently has a food safety index of five and has been rated as "very good" in terms of handling, cleanliness and food safety management.

10) My last thoughts

What's going on behind the scenes at KFC has always interested me and it was a pleasant experience.

I did not think the process of cooking chicken would be as complete and technical as it was.

It was difficult to understand (although, to be fair, I was never done for manual work), which made me understand but also understand what KFC employees do at each job.

The staff was helpful and knew a lot about the restaurant and its extensive menu.

This has given me a new respect for its employees and a greater understanding of the commercial baskets and the chicken that I have eaten over the years.