KFC outlets, excluding those in the Northern Territory and South Australia, currently uses a 60/40 blend of lettuce and cabbage – but this will soon no longer be necessary, O'Malley said.
UPDATE — Tuesday 28 June, 2022.
If you're a Pepsi freeze half full kinda person, the marvellous news is that lettuce will be back on the KFC menu by spring. Per The Age, parent company Collins Foods chief executive Drew O'Malley confirmed the news.
Fast food giant KFC has been forced to put cabbage in its burgers and wraps in Australia as the country is struggling with a shortage of lettuce. The firm told customers it is using a mixture of lettuce and cabbage after floods destroyed lettuce crops.
KFC says change is due to a lettuce shortage after floods destroyed crops in New South Wales and Queensland. The fried chicken chain KFC has been forced to make menu changes in its burgers and wraps in Australia as the country faces the consequences of floods that destroyed lettuce crops.
KFC outlets are being forced to use a cabbage mix instead of lettuce on some of their items. A lettuce shortage has caused its price to spike by as... more. Major flooding along the east coast earlier this year has been cited as the cause for the fast-food outlet's issue.
Cabbage is a great all-around vegetable that has many culinary uses. Finely sliced cabbage is a deliciously fresh and crunchy substitute for lettuce. A little bit of Cabbage goes a long way so it is a very economical vegetable.
The fast food chain was forced to stop selling its coleslaw tubs when a supply issue meant the slaw would have to be served up without the dressing. “We are currently experiencing a supply issue with our KFC coleslaw dressing,” a KFC spokesperson said.
KFC outlets, excluding those in the Northern Territory and South Australia, currently uses a 60/40 blend of lettuce and cabbage – but this will soon no longer be necessary, O'Malley said. “The crop got decimated. We do think it's short term in nature,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
The soil on many farms is oversaturated and can't dry out in cold, wet conditions. It's not just lettuce, either. Some retailers have reported shortages of other leafy greens, including fresh herbs and baby spinach. Beans, cauliflower, zucchini and more are also being affected in some areas.
Lettuce is grown all over Australia however the main lettuce production regions in Australia are the Lockyer Valley and Eastern Darling Downs (SE Qld); Hay and Central West (NSW); Lindenow and Robinvale (Vic); Manjimup and Gingin (WA); Virginia (SA) and Cambridge, Richmond and Devonport (Tas).
During summer, most of our lettuce is grown at the Darling Downs property and winter, in the Lockyer Valley. The Bathurst property provides a valuable climatic variation – its cooler there and, also closer to the Sydney market.
“Being a fresh food company means riding the ups and downs of fresh produce,” Subway wrote. “We're currently facing a shortage of lettuce from our local lettuce farmers. “So, in the short-term, we'll be mixing lettuce with cabbage ... while more lettuce is on the way.”
Lettuce shortage forces KFC to offer cabbage in Australia.
Iceberg lettuce - the main variety used in fast food - takes up to three months to grow.
KFC rationalizes our menu from time to time to ensure customers have a wide variety to choose from. As most of our meals are already bundled with Whipped Potato and/or Coleslaw, we see a lower demand for large Coleslaw and Whipped Potato. Therefore, we have removed it from our menu. We hope this clarifies.
A lettuce virus caused the lettuce shortage.
We can blame weather woes, labor shortages, transportation costs, and market demand. But the number one reason for this shortage? Lettuce crops here in the U.S. are facing their own pandemic.
However, fortunately for our farmers, there's no longer a lettuce shortage in Australia. It has gone back being a regular household item that costs less than $50 at a supermarket.
Mason Brothers Vegetable Farms is one of the largest producers of quality fennel, lettuce and broccoli in Australia.
At Macca's, we're as invested in the future of Aussie farming as we are in the present. Meet Brad Egan, this year's Young Farmer of the Year. We love the unique flavour and crisp texture of Iceberg and Cos lettuce. Grown by farmers in NSW, QLD, SA and VIC*.
KFC notified customers that due to the shortage, it would use a “blend of lettuce and cabbage” in its outlets until supplies returned to normal. The cabbage blend substitute will be used in restaurants across Australia, except in Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Collins Foods sources the freshest, quality products from all across Australia to guarantee KFC and Taco Bell customers receive only the best.
Kentucky Fried Chicken Wings
KFC announced that its Kentucky Fried Chicken Wings were being phased out in early 2023 along with other menu items. As of March, a la carte wings remained listed on KFC's online menu, but they weren't available in all locations, much like the Popcorn Chicken.