Londoner's Nando's Taste Test in South Africa Reveals Shocking Price Gap
A London woman embarked on a culinary journey to compare Nando's between the United Kingdom and South Africa, uncovering surprising price disparities and exclusive menu offerings that left her astonished. Eloise Fouladgar, a resident of London, conducted this unique taste test during her recent trip to Cape Town, aiming to determine which country serves the superior version of the popular flame-grilled chicken chain.
The Origins and Global Reach of Nando's
While Nando's is a beloved fixture in British dining culture, many may not realize it originated as a South African brand. Founded in Johannesburg in 1987 by Portuguese-born Fernando Duarte and South African-born Robert Brozin, the restaurant chain has expanded globally to over 1,200 outlets across 30 countries, including the United Kingdom. Specializing in Portuguese-style peri-peri chicken, the chain's name derives from a nickname for Fernando, honoring one of its founders. This international presence set the stage for Eloise's comparative exploration.
Menu Differences and Ordering Experience
Upon entering the South African Nando's, Eloise immediately noticed significant menu variations compared to the UK version. The South African outlet featured exclusive items such as bowls and salads, broadening the dining options beyond the standard British fare. In her TikTok video documenting the experience, she placed an order that included festa fries, a chicken wrap, garlic bread, chips, mac and cheese, spicy rice, a strawberries and cream milkshake, a Fanta, and churros with chocolate sauce for dessert.
The total bill amounted to 397 South African Rand, which translates to approximately £18—a price point that highlights the substantial cost difference between the two countries. Eloise also observed a wider array of sauces available, including white vinegar, tomato sauce, wild herb, mild, garlic, hot, extra hot, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil, enhancing the flavor possibilities.
Taste Test Results and Ratings
In a follow-up video, Eloise meticulously rated each dish she sampled. She began with the strawberries and cream milkshake, awarding it a perfect ten out of ten and declaring it potentially the best milkshake she had ever tasted. The festa fries, described as loaded fries with pulled chicken, earned a nine out of ten, with Eloise exclaiming she was in heaven after her first bite.
However, not all items met her expectations. The mac and cheese received a disappointing one out of ten, leading her to push the plate aside quickly. The spicy rice, a dish also available in the UK, scored only three out of ten, with Eloise asserting that the UK version is superior. The garlic bread fared even worse, earning a two out of ten after she expressed dismay upon tasting it.
The peri-peri fries garnered a three out of ten, but the chicken wrap provided a pleasant surprise. Despite not typically eating chicken, Eloise was taken aback by the quality of the chicken strip inside, awarding the wrap an eight out of ten. For dessert, the churros—unavailable in the UK—were noted as spicy yet really good, receiving an eight out of ten. Finally, she tried the Malva Pudding, a traditional South African dessert of sponge cake with apricot sauce and custard, which she rated nine out of ten.
Implications and Cultural Insights
This taste test underscores the cultural and economic variations in global food chains. The price gap between South Africa and the UK for a similar meal highlights differences in living costs and market strategies. Additionally, the exclusive menu items in South Africa, such as churros and Malva Pudding, reflect local adaptations that cater to regional tastes, offering a unique dining experience compared to the standardized UK menu.
Eloise's journey not only provided entertainment for her followers but also sparked conversations about food authenticity, pricing, and the globalization of restaurant brands. Her ratings reveal subjective preferences while emphasizing how location can influence both the cost and quality of familiar dishes.
