Putting the FUN back into Fast Food

The gang here at FFT09 were all exposed to the fruits of the American Dream during our formative years. To say this had whet our appetites would be an understatement (Re: That epic Mountain Dew post below). The problem/infuriating aspect of our special situation - living in Britain 98% of the time - is that we are extremely limited in our choice of fast food. The monotony of McDonald's, Burger King, KFC & Subway (In my opinion the only chains to really get a grip over here...) means now, at age 22, treating myself to junk food has more often than not become an act of desperation or drunken error. That is to say, the fun has been removed from the exercise.

Scottish Steve & English Glen post-bucket in Preston (Britain's 1st KFC)

Excitement about FF was a thing of the past for me. Though my first meal at the pleasure of the Colonel came late in life (See picture above, aged 20), 2 years on and even that experience has dried up, like the bottom of the bucket piece nobody really wants.

What we needed was a wake up call; a glimmer of what could be; and a return to innocent anticipation for the, colourful, sugar-coated (often literally), joy the best FF delivers.


What we got was equal parts luck and mystery (The strange ability of my dad to turn up a nugget of gold from even the most stagnant stream goes way beyond good fortune). On a trip to Wembely (Wembely na na!) we settled on staying in a cheap, and therefore poorly situated, Travelodge in Enfield, London (See picture right: typical scene from Enfield)

During a forray for some eats on our first night in the famous old borough we stumbled on something truly exciting. The sign caught our eye. Could it be? Really? No, surely not. It was.

Tucked away in this little corner of the worst kind of suburbia was a Krispy Kreme outlet. Hallelujah! Salvation in 15 varieties (think double this once we get stateside boys).

Krispy Kreme, Enfield.

The Krispy Kreme brand has been making exceptional donuts for over 70 years and now boasts an enviable selection of almost 30 varieties. The real key to their success though is down to fundamentals. They stick to the tried and tested. Chocolate, cinnamon and of coarse their famous original glaze dominate the menu. Where they differentiate themselves from the crowd is with their selection of creme filled donuts. Silky smooth and delightful.

Then there are my personal favourites. It is those little experimental donuts that really tick my boxes. The mighty 'Maple-glazed' is sensational (just close your eyes and think of England) while the Raspberry-filled takes one of my favourite flavours and stuffs it inside a yeast raised shell slathered in that unmatched glaze. Whooft!

The quality of the product would be worthy of mention (and consumption - oh you know it's gonna be a regular) alone, but KK is more than that to me. It represents the reignition of embers which were on the blink. The rediscovery of the youthful enthusiasm which would spark countless conversations about where our road trip would take us, what we would do and definitely where we would eat.

English Glen & Scottish Steve after flipping the lid on a dozen of KK's finest

The weeks to come will surely be filled with moments of magic to match that day in Enfield when the logo and the glaze brought a little Americana to north London. 14 days until tour. Bring it on.