Takeaway Truth is an occasional Lifehacker feature where we compare marketing images against what you actually get served. Today: KFC’s Zinger Pie.
Fast food restaurants have been known to gild the lily when it comes to accurate depictions of their menu items. Far too often, the mouth-watering feast on the poster turns out to be a limp and oily morsel. In a bid to keep the fry-jockey overlords honest, we’ve decided to document the reality of fast food — it was either that, or go postal like Michael Douglas in Falling Down.
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The KFC Zinger Pie is a limited-edition chicken pie marinated in Zinger spices and gravy. Currently, the pie is only being offered at select KFC outlets as part of a trial run, with plans for a wider release later in the year.
In fact, the trial run is so small that no marketing images have been released online in Australia (the above advert is actually the New Zealand version — note the stars on the flag).
We contacted KFC and asked them if they could send over some Australian press assets. Amusingly, the representative we spoke to immediately asked us whether the image was for a Takeaway Truth article — Australia’s fast food juggernauts appear to be taking notice of this series.
After a few back-and-forth phone calls, we were told that no press images for the KFC Zinger Pie exist:
“The Zinger Pie is currently being trialed in a small number of stores in New South Wales. We don’t have any advertising scheduled for the product as it is still in trial, so we don’t have any advertisement images to share with you.”
Undeterred, we headed into our local store and took a photo of the official poster. (It was a good excuse to buy another Zinger Pie which are actually quite spicy and delicious).
Below is the Zinger Pie as it appears on KFC’s poster:
And here’s what we got served:
And here’s a side-by-side comparison:
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As you can see, the KFC Zinger Pie looks pretty good on the outside — the pastry is a close match to the poster with the same puffed lid and crispy, golden appearance. Admittedly, it’s pretty difficult to stuff up a pie shell but the baker did a good job nonetheless.
The innards aren’t nearly as impressive however. The poster led us to believe that we would be getting thick chunks of white meat interspersed with sinfully dark gravy. Instead, we got a watery concoction of sauce and chicken that almost looked minced. In the words of Gizmodo editor Luke Hopewell: “It looks like someone hollowed out the pie and sicked up in it — all that’s missing are the bits of corn.”
While it’s not the worst Takeaway Truth we’ve encountered, the KFC Zinger Pie isn’t particularly accurate — especially on the inside. And isn’t that what really counts?
Truth Rating: 6/10
Which fast food franchise or menu item would you like us to tackle next? Let us know in the comments section below.
Comments
26 responses to “Takeaway Truth: KFC Zinger Pie”
*Vomit*
Go home pie, you’re drunk!
No way this is awesome
looks awesome do want!
The Checkout (ABC TV) could use this in their ‘product packaging comparison segment’ http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2013/03/the-checkout-lifehacker-talks-consumer-rights-with-the-chasers-julian-morrow/
Where is this magical store! Must sink my teeth into one of these!
They seem to be mostly located in the west of NSW. All Sydney CBD stores apparently don’t have them. (They pack a hefty bite btw — when judged on taste alone I’d give it a solid 8 or 9.)
I just had a new Long Roll sub-like thing from Oporto and was was actually amazed when it looked almost exactly like the advertising behind the counter. Maybe it was a fluke, or maybe the next article?
wtf is Oporto?
Portuguese chucked takeaway that started in bondi http://www.oporto.com.au/
Much nicer than KFC.
I agree I had the jalapeño kicker awesome but they don’t have it now sad face
Holy crap we need this in WA now!
Are you people friggin’ serious? Do you not have taste buds…or eyes?. It looks like sh!t in a pie. I mean actual feces – and I’m talking about the promo shot.
though, to be fair, the insides of pies never look that great
Really? You should go see a Dr or gastroenterologist if you think your faeces should look like that.
It took me a few rereads to realise you weren’t saying gynecologist. Confused was I.
hahahh
How much are they being sold for?
$3.95
That’s pretty damn cheap, to me they’d be better off making it more like $5 and use the better/pictured chicken. This project was probably some KFC employee’s next big idea that they poured hours into, then some exec type somewhere said “we have to slash prices, just get it done”.
Business is a war, and this time the victim was [probably] the tasty chickensz :”((3
anyone got a list of what stores have them?
To me it looks a bit burned on the outside, which if it was watery inside probably means that the stores are not following the correct procedures for making them – it happens very often with brand new products, since training is usually inadequate.
It’s a pie. I doubt they are making them in-store.
.. Making/cooking.. I doubt they make very much of ANYTHING in store, it’s an assembly/heating plant heh!
I just.. Can’t bite (pun intended) into the fact that a fast food franchise is doing pies.
I’m of mixed Aussie/Kiwi blood. It’s in my racial nature to adore awesome pies.
That and, if you have ever heard of ‘Ridgey Didge Pies’, admittedly a franchise, we ran a bunch….. but by god love and soul went into those. Not this mass-produced nonsense.
Pies, mainly the contents, need time to stew (literally) to be what you want. That’s why pie-face sucks, and why this endeavor from KFC will fail.
Haha, this article gives KFC’s zinger pie a less than glowing review, and for the most part it seems to have only fuelled people’s interest these pies. I guess it’s true…….any publicity is good publicity.
Whilst I don’t agree with being served something that looks entirely different from the advertising images, people are well aware that the fast food industry is notorious for doing exactly that.
“It looks like someone hollowed out the pie and sicked up in it — all that’s missing are the bits of corn.”
Carrots seem de rigueur in vomit, the corn always seems to emanate from the other end of the gastrointestinal tract.
what you got served looks far better then the advertising thing
domino’s pizza some stores are very bad
Will be interesting when this comes into stores.
Please come back and put your reviews forward
There’s chuck everywhere, and the seats are the worst.