Taunton has the title of being home to the world’s longest serving KFC worker. Pauline Richards, now 74, has been working at the restaurants in Taunton’s town centre for almost 50 years.
She first started out as a cleaner for the fast food chain in 1978, working at the East Reach branch before moving to the current site on East Street, the Somerset County Gazette reports, and has also had roles in the business as cashier, supervisor, manager, and team leader. Before Pauline, the crown for longest serving KFC staff member was held by American Lorena Neely, who worked at for the fast food chain between 1976 and 2023.
Back in 2019 Pauline, the ‘cult hero’ who is now also a grandmother, revealed that her favourite KFC menu item is between popcorn chicken and a chicken zinger burger. She also said that children, regulars, residents and even cricketers would often refer to her as ‘Miss KFC’.
And now, in an interview with The Sun, Pauline confirmed that she has served and sold more than six million drumsticks and several million worth of chicken wings at the KFC she has worked at since she was 27 years old.
What’s more, her daughter and grandson have also worked at the same KFC branch, and the 74-year-old’s long career with the brand has made her a local celebrity. She says she hasn’t had to buy a drink in the pub for two years, and she has no plans to quit her job any time soon.
“It all depends on what my body says,” said Pauline. “I have been lucky I keep well. I haven’t had much illness in my life.”
Pauline says she began working for KFC in the 1970s to support her friend at the former branch on East Reach. Pauline went on to say: “I started with a friend of mine called Roz – who worked at East Reach in the old KFC.
“She was a bit nervous about going into the old building because it was creepy. Roz asked the then-general manager, Mr Walker, if it was OK for me to come into the store and work with her. He agreed.
“I worked for a few months with Roz and when she decided to work on the front serving customers with her sister, Rose, I did the cleaning temporarily.”