Editorial: Mourning the loss of my fast food fix

Stratford Press journalist, Alyssa Smith says she will be shopping locally for her fast food fix.

For those who know me well, you know I enjoy feasting on a KFC two-piece quarter pack. At least I did enjoy it, before I suddenly couldn't.

I've gone completely cold-turkey, well cold-chicken, for the past month and a half. Not because I'm trying to be healthy, but because Covid-19 turned those friers off across the country.

While admittedly I only lost chicken, and I realise chicken isn't the biggest loss to the world, even when it is coated with 11 perfectly blended herbs and spices, I still went through the six stages of grief.

Denial. I couldn't believe the building had been closed. I thought they would come up with a work around and open up. But they didn't. The more I hoped, the closer I got to the second stage.

Anger. As my cravings got worse, so did my moods. The loss of KFC had me thinking of all the 'what ifs'. What if things were different, how would the meal taste? How could something I accessed so easily turn into something I can't have at all?

Bargaining. My longing for potato and gravy and a piece of succulent chicken grew with each passing day. I found myself snacking on unhealthy foods just to try and satisfy my hunger.

Sadness. While getting my finger lickin' good chicken fix, I would often bring my friends on a trip. We would sit at the beach and talk as we feasted. I began to grow sad that as well as being deprived of my chicken, I couldn't spend time with my friends. Maybe it wasn't just about the chicken after all.

Acceptance. Halfway through the third week, I began to accept that I would not be able to satisfy my cravings for quite some time so there was no point working up an appetite.

All jokes aside, it did take a while to get used to.

However, now I've entered the final stage, moving on. Part of this was realising I didn't need to go out of town to get my fix, especially when there are so many options here in Stratford.

Stratford is home to many great food places and what better way to support my town then to put my money where my mouth is and shop local.

All the owners of our local businesses have their own mouths to feed so while I'm filling my own, I'll help to feed them.

While I still can't see my friends, by shopping local I'm supporting them, and that's the next best thing.

Since the alert levels are lowered, I can guarantee I'll be in line at Sahara (at a safe distance) to get my meat on chips. Or, I'll be visiting the local takeaway shop for some fish 'n' chips. You can't beat the classic after all.

While I say this, I can't guarantee that I won't be going to get a quarter pack ever again. My longing for the crispy coated chicken can't be denied for ever.

However, my trips will be less regular and I'll be spending my money here in Stratford.