Morley’s is a legendary fried chicken spot from South London that has almost become a South London ritual in that if you’re ever in this part of London, you can’t leave without trying it. They have expanded since their humble beginnings and due to their evident success they have numerous branches now (63 as of 2020) and even though most of them are actually in South London, they’ve also ventured out to other parts of London like Brick Lane and even most recently outside of the capital, into Birmingham. In this post we’ll delve into their story a little as its local success stories like this that we can take most benefit from and take as role models and inspirations.
Their story
The man behind Morley’s is a Sri Lankan, his name is Kannalingam (Indran) Selvendran. The first ever Morley’s opened up in the heart of South London – Sydenham in 1985! That’s older than me! That means before other London fried chicken staples Dixy’s, Chicken Cottage and Sam’s. Even though it may be hard to believe as these guys have expanded beyond London well before they even went out of South London. He believed that fast food doesn’t have to be owned and led by big American chains, he felt local homegrown shops should be at the forefront. And boy was he right. A pioneer in the game as we see numerous homegrown fast food joints pop up every other month these days, he saw this vision and acted upon it back in 1985! A family run business, they’ve stuck true to their principles and beliefs. Long may their success continue!
What we tried
We popped into their Brick Lane branch on our recent visit to the area. Straight off the bat, I know Morley’s stans will tell us off and we really need to try this down south and it just isn’t the same elsewhere. So, this review has to come with this disclaimer. We were also on a bigger food tour this particular day, so we popped in for a quick bite. We ordered the wings meal, so we sampled fried wings and chips. The chips were fresh out the fryer and it tasted so. Good quality chips. The wings had a good amount of breading and so there was a nice crunch, just the way I like my wings. The chicken was succulent and juicy and so I left a satisfied man. My wife wasn’t too keen on the wings though, she felt the quality was lacking and it almost felt like the breading was too disconnected to the wing (if you know what I mean).
Overall, this South London icon a good spot for a quick bite, which is the original goal of Morley’s, so it delivers. I do need to return and try some of their other items though. In particular, I’m thinking of a chicken burger and the ribs, which they’re quite popular for and is quite unique for a fried chicken spot.
Getting there
Nearest station: Liverpool Street
Nearest mosque: East London Mosque
Parking: Most if not all the roads behind the East London Mosque are free evenings and weekends, but there is literally a competition for parking spaces. So, be prepared to drive around in circles and wait till you find something to pounce on.
