Chick-fil-A Celebrates New Year with FREE Chicken Biscuits

/PRNewswire/ -- Chick-fil-A(R) restaurants nationwide are ringing in the New Year by offering customers a free taste of the chain's signature Chick-fil-A(R) Chicken Biscuit, the menu item that first introduced quick-service customers to the concept of eating chicken for breakfast.

On Jan. 1, 2009, Chick-fil-A customers will receive an invitation for a free, made-from-scratch Chick-fil-A(R) Chicken Biscuit with any purchase. The promotion is both a celebration of the chain's signature breakfast entree and a response to competitors' recent attempts to enter the segment with their imitation chicken biscuit offerings.

"While some of our competitors are touting a trend of 'change' toward chicken as the new meat choice for breakfast, it's something our customers have known all along," said Woody Faulk, the chain's vice president of brand development and director of Chick-fil-A's menu strategy. "We pride ourselves on making our biscuits from scratch every day, not the 'homemade tasting' biscuits being advertised elsewhere. The fact is, our pioneer products will likely continue to be imitated, but they will never be duplicated. We encourage everyone to sample the original breakfast chicken biscuit as a satisfying way to start 2009!"

The Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit giveaway will be advertised during the Chick-fil-A Bowl broadcast, which airs nationally on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. (EST) on Dec. 31. The invitations will be distributed at participating Chick-fil-A restaurants beginning Jan. 1 (while supplies last), and can be redeemed through March 28, 2009.

With the homemade chicken biscuit that Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy developed as the chain's flagship breakfast offering, Chick-fil-A introduced its full breakfast menu in 1986 as the chain began expanding outside shopping malls and started opening stand-alone restaurants, which catered better to breakfast business. Today, breakfast accounts for approximately 17 percent of the chain's overall sales, but Chick-fil-A continues to see the morning day part as a promising opportunity to further grow the business. The original Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit remains the best-selling breakfast item.

"Breakfast has become our fastest growing day part in terms of sales-percentage increase," Faulk added. "It is an extremely habitual day part, especially during the work week. People typically travel to and from work the same way each day and they also tend to have a list of stops, such as gas stations, ATMs and other stops which they frequent during the week. We continue to see huge opportunities where Chick-fil-A can be established as part of these morning routines, but in order to do that, we have to continue to seek new and innovative menu items that will appeal to our customers. And, while others are asking their customers to 'change' their breakfast habits to include chicken, we're pleased we can say 'stay with the original' through our free chicken biscuit offer."

Over the last several years, Chick-fil-A has steadily focused on maximizing the breakfast day part with a variety of menu enhancements and promotions. In 2004, the chain began a two-phased breakfast menu expansion that included four new entrees and a premium coffee line. Looking forward to 2009, the chicken biscuit giveaway will kick off a three-month promotional campaign Chick-fil-A will leverage to heighten awareness of its breakfast offerings.

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Interfood Shareholding Company Issues a Nationwide recall of Wonderfarm Brand Biscuits Because of Possible Health Risk

Interfood Shareholding Company is recalling all lot codes of multiple varieties of the Wonderfarm brand of biscuits because they may be contaminated with Melamine.

The Wonderfarm biscuits are sold in 800g red metal tins. The four varieties being recalled are:

1. Wonderfarm "Successful" Assorted Biscuits (UPC:8935001262091)
2. Wonderfarm "Royal Flavour" Assorted Biscuits (UPC:8935001263098)
3. Wonderfarm "Lovely Melody" Assorted Biscuits (UPC: 8935001263296)
4. Wonderfarm "Daily Life" Assorted Biscuits (UPC: 8935001264200)

The manufacturer identified on the product is Interfood Shareholding Company in Vietnam.

The recall was initiated after the firm was advised that samples collected by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture of the Wonderfarm "Successful" Assorted biscuits, tested positive for melamine. Interfood Shareholding Company was identified as the manufacturer of the product. After being advised that "Royal Flavour", "Lovely Melody", and "Daily Life" also tested positive for melamine, the firm agreed to expand their recall to include those products as well.

No illnesses associated with this product have been reported to date.

Product was distributed to multiple states and sold to wholesale distributors, which sold to retail stores.

Consumers who purchased the product are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at (Anthony.ma@jaimporters.com) or call 323-780-3998.

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Judy's Mama's Sweet Potato Biscuits

It's cold outside and so my mind turns toward one of my favorite cold-weather foods, my Mama's Sweet Potato Biscuits. This is a great recipe to keep in mind if you have leftover sweet potatoes.

Mama's Sweet Potato Biscuits

2 cups self-rising flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1/3 cup margarine or shortening
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes*
1/3 cup PLUS 2 Tbsp. buttermilk**

Preheat over to 450 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with PAM or grease it the old-fashioned way.

Sprinkle the salt on the mashed sweet potatoes. Sift flour and cut in the shortening or margarine. Add sweet potatoes. Add buttermilk gradually until it's stiff enough to roll out but not too dry! If you add too much milk, make drop biscuits (which is what I always do, lazy me). Roll out on pastry sheet lightly dusted with flour. Cut with lightly floured biscuit cutter and pop them on the cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.

*toss a large sweet potato into the microwave to cook if you're in a hurry. Clean it, then poke it a few times with a fork to break the skin. Wrap it in a damp paper towel and cook it until soft. You can also buy sweet potatoes in a can if you really want to. I don't care for them personally, but when used for cooking they are OK.

**If you don't have buttermilk you can add a little bit of lemon juice or vinegar to the milk and it'll work fine. If you don't have lemon juice or plain vinegar then try substituting plain yogurt or sour cream as either will work fine.

Some variations I've tried include mixing some sausage into the mix (or you can serve them with sausage). I've also added some sugar and made them a morning treat! Another great way to eat these is to cut them open after cooking, slather them with butter, sugar and cinnamon. Sweet potato cinnamon biscuits are the best!

Judy