JOLLY RUSHEN TATER TOTS. Jollibee UK’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich inspired the creation of the Jolly Rushen Tater Tots—conceptualized by Michelin-background Chef Whyte Rushen.

LONDON, UK. 22 March 2023 – Homegrown restaurant chain Jollibee gains a new fan in the UK, after it won over the taste of Chef Whyte Rushen, 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. The restaurant powerhouse is collaborating with the pop-up connoisseur to launch a limited-time menu item: The Jolly Rushen Tater Tots.

Reminiscing on his meal at Jollibee, Rushen was left with the desire to approach the restaurant chain to create a side dish to the Spicy Chicken Sandwich, paving the way for a unique collaboration between the two.

“We are extremely excited about this collaboration. It’s been in the works ever since 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 Whyte, who genuinely loves Jollibee. We can’t wait for Jollibee fans to try the Jolly Rushen!,” said Rodel Alcantara, Business Head of Jollibee Europe.

In Chef Rushen’s largest collaboration to date and first exclusive partnership with a quick service restaurant brand, his vision was to celebrate the Spicy Chicken Sandwich for ‘actually being spicy’ by combining complementary ingredients to balance the fiery flavor. Drawing on influences from his professional experience and nostalgic inspirations, the Jolly Rushen Tater Tots is a product of Rushen’s genuine appreciation of Jollibee’s food.

“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,” said Chef Whyte Rushen.

The Rushen-made side dish features hot honey and caramel drizzled tater tots, accompanied by smoked chili burger sauce with crispy fried onions and a spring onion salad. After teasing the collaboration on Jollibee and Rushen’s social media channels, fans rushed to be the first to try the much-awaited product, with launch event tickets selling out a mere hour after release.

The collaboration started when Rushen heard rumors of the queues around the block for Jollibee’s store openings in London. He was intrigued to see what the hype was about. A few months ago, he took the opportunity to get his fill of fried chicken, and the restaurant instantly secured a spot at the top of his list. The Spicy Chicken Sandwich, an acclaimed centerpiece on Jollibee’s menu in the UK, particularly stood out from the crowd for being ‘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. Globally, Jollibee’s 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.

Fans rushed to have first dibs of the Jolly Rushen Tater Tots, with launch event tickets selling out a mere hour after release.

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