American fried chicken restaurant Popeyes opens first Manchester store - we taste test the menu and make our own chicken sandwich

A brand new American fried chicken restaurant is opening its first store in Manchester this week.

Popeyes will officially open its doors at 11am on Thursday October 26, and queues are expected around the block for this popular chain.

The store is located in Piccadilly Gardens and is the 33rd of the franchise to open since Popeyes arrived in the UK in 2021.

The restaurant will be pulling out all the stops on opening day including giveaways to the first few people in the queue.

We were invited down before the launch to sample Popeyes unique menu and take a look at how they prepare their iconic shatter-crunch chicken.

We sampled a variety of items from the menu - including the classic chicken sandwich and the deluxe spicy chicken sandwich, a variety of the shatter-crunch chicken, hot wings, biscuits and gravy, mac and cheese and more - all with a selection of dipping sauces.

And we got a sneak peek inside the kitchen to watch the chicken being prepared, as well as a chance to make our very own classic chicken sandwich.

To find out more about the new restaurant launch - including the giveaways - check out the website here.