Michelin chef Whyte Rushen collaborates with Jollibee UK

MANILA, Philippines — It looks like Filipino restaurant chain Jollibee has gained a new celebrity fan in the United Kingdom, and it is someone of good stature in the international restaurant industry— Chef Whyte Rushen. He is known for his refined takes on street food and his background as a former chef of Michelin-starred Brat, Scully St. James, and Kerridge’s.

After visiting Jollibee UK and trying the restaurant chain’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Chef Whyte loved it so much that he decided to do a collaboration with Jollibee. So he approached the restaurant chain and told management that he wanted to create a side dish to the chicken sandwich, and that paved the way for a unique collaboration between the two. The result: A limited menu item called The Jolly Rushen Tater Tots, which was launched recently.

“We are extremely excited about this collaboration. It’s been in the works ever since Chef Whyte came down to try our food and let us know how much he loved the Spicy Chicken Sandwich. It’s great to work with someone as talented and creative in the kitchen as him. He genuinely loves Jollibee. We can’t wait for Jollibee fans to try the Jolly Rushen,” said Rodel Alcantara, business head of Jollibee Europe.

The Jolly Rushen Tater Tots is actually Chef Whyte’s largest collaboration to date and the first exclusive partnership with a quick service restaurant brand. It features hot honey and caramel drizzled tater tots accompanied by smoked chili burger sauce with crispy fried onions and a spring onion salad. In creating this side dish, Chef Whyte wanted to celebrate the Spicy Chicken Sandwich for actually being spicy by combining complementary ingredients to balance the fiery flavor. He drew from his professional experience and genuine appreciation of Jollibee’s food to perfect the taste of the Jolly Rushen Tater Tots.

Chef Whyte expounded on why he likes Jollibee and its food, particularly the chicken: “I like the cult status of it all, the buzz, the vibe, the brightness, how unapologetically ‘fast food’ it is yet of such a high, high standard. The chicken is ultra crispy, juicy, and so perfectly spicy.”

Chef Whyte Rushen’s “love affair” with Jollibee began when Chef Whyte heard rumors about queues forming around the block for Jollibee’s store openings in London. He was intrigued to see what the hype was about. So, when the opportunity came for him to try Jollibee’s fried chicken, he did, and it easily earned a spot on his list of ‘bests.’ The Spicy Chicken Sandwich, an acclaimed centerpiece on Jollibee’s menu in the UK, particularly stood out for being, as Chef Whyte puts it, “ultra crispy, juicy, so perfectly spicy.”

"Getting a Michelin-background chef's seal of approval shows that Jollibee is indeed world-class. This is definitely a proud moment for us in Jollibee and is something we share with all our customers worldwide,” said Nico Reyes, head of marketing of Jollibee Europe.

In the global market, where Jollibee has established its presence, its customer base continues to grow as it continues to attract local consumers within each market, expanding it from Filipinos living abroad to a broader, more mainstream market.

The Jolly Rushen Tater Tots is exclusively available at Jollibee UK’s flagship store in West End, London.

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