Words from Joshua Simons, Co-Founder. “Wow… 12 years. On one hand it feels like it’s flown by in the blink of an eye, but in hospitality, 12 years is a lifetime. A lot of chicken has crossed the pass since we first fired up the grills in Boscombe back in 2013.”
Back then, we were just a bunch of mates with an idea (and not much of a budget), determined to introduce our version of a neighbourhood chicken shop to the UK, taking inspiration from the flavours, music, and culture of the southern states of America. So we scraped together a few quid and opened up an eight-seater takeaway on Boscombe High Street.
The truth? It was a tough start – we were only open in the evenings in those days, and we closed all day on Sundays (now one of our most popular days), our 3rd-hand equipment broke down daily, we didn’t offer delivery, and our famous wraps were not on the menu yet! What we did know was that we had to get our product into the hands of the public – we were confident that once they had tried Mama’s Home Cookin’, they’d become fans! and so one of us (me) volunteered to parade up and down the high street dressed as a chicken, handing out vouchers to anyone who’d listen. Not exactly glamorous, but it worked. That little shop quickly turned into a very busy little shop.
We eventually outgrew the space in Boscombe, moving operations over to a larger shop in Bournemouth’s Winton, after having opened in Poole, and most recently in Christchurch. Along the way we added a shiny C&B food truck to the lineup too, which now attends festivals and private events across the South Coast and beyond throughout the year.
Has it all been plain sailing? Absolutely not. The pandemic, for one, was brutal. Like every other restaurant group in the country, we had to make some tough decisions and dig deeper than we thought possible. But out of it came something special: the C&B Neighbourhood Fund, through which we’ve been able to support local charities and community projects ever since. It’s something we’re proud of.
There have been some fantastic highlights too. Picking up various regional and national awards (always a buzz for the team), joining forces with brilliant partners like AFC Bournemouth, world champion boxer Chris Billam-Smith, Candy Kittens and Drip Water, and building a crew of over 100 colleagues who bring Chicken & Blues to life every day.
What matters most, above everything else, is the people. From the original Boscombe crew – some of whom are still with us 12 years on – to the hundreds who’ve joined along the way, our team are the heartbeat of C&B. It makes me incredibly proud that so many of our friends’ kids have taken their first steps into the world of work with us, a responsibility we don’t take lightly. And now, even my own son – who’s spent virtually his whole life listening to me talk about C&B – has joined the team part-time alongside his studies. The next generation are already proving themselves to be a force to be reckoned with.
And then there’s you – our guests, or “patrons” as we like to call you. Nearly 50,000 of you are now part of the C&B Rewards Program, and together you help us serve more than 7,000 meals a week. Without your support, none of this would have been possible. We mean it when we say: THANK YOU!
So here we are, 12 years in, with big plans for what’s next.
And because no birthday is complete without a bit of cake, we’re giving away thousands of limited-edition Birthday Cake Shakes to C&B Members this week (15th-22nd September). If you’re not a member yet, you can join HERE. We’re also offering a limited number of giveaways on Deliveroo – so if you fancy a delivery, click HERE.
Here’s to the next chapter of Chicken & Blues, and thanks for being part of the journey.
Josh 🐔
Co-Founder, Chicken & Blues
