Bosses of a popular burger bar are branching out and opening a new wing joint at a Maidstone food hall.

We Are Chicken is one of two businesses to have opened at Lockmeadow Entertainment Centre's Love Food.

It is owned by Notorious BRG, whose restaurants in Canterbury and in the same complex in Maidstone are among the highest-rated in their respective areas on TripAdvisor.

A KentOnline reviewer agreed, calling their fare "sensational" and saying they'd set the bar for burgers.

We Are Chicken is in collaboration with the unit's previous owner, Kent Drinks Company, who decided to close less than a year after opening.

Jonny Wall, owner of Notorious BRG, said: “We have mastered burgers and hit the number one spot for restaurants in Maidstone on TripAdvisor and are excited to look at a different business model based around chicken wings, wraps and things.

“We’ll still promise the level of quality you'd expect but in a more casual format – imagine a traditional chicken wing joint but done really well.”

The next unit to open is Madras Street Food, which is run by chef Arul Kumar.

He decided to start his own business, called Madras Takeaway, from his home kitchen during lockdown.

"It will be the first restaurant to offer the traditional Indian breakfast called Idly Dosa, which in my opinion is the best breakfast in the world," Arul explained.

“The dish is made from a steamed rice cake and lentils – it was very popular during lockdown – and I built up a loyal customer base. I hope that they will follow me to Lockmeadow.

"I would love to treat visitors with our delicious dishes that I believe won’t be available in any Indian outlets in the town centre.”

Lockmeadow is home to Hollywood Bowl, Odeon cinema and Gravity trampoline park.

In November 2021, Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) launched the £467,000 food hall, which sells a variety of global street cuisine from independent businesses.

Cllr Claudine Russell, lead member for leisure and arts at MBC, said: “It's good to see that new start-up businesses can use Love Food as their first outlet and that the street food units at the leisure complex remain full and with five-star scores on the doors.

"They all have their own innovative ideas to keep growing, along with a great culture of collaboration with their local community in mind.

"Lockmeadow has hosted a number of cultural events across this past year and the tenants are keen to get involved to keep the centre relevant for Maidstone residents and visitors.”