Morley's: The family-run chicken shop with cult status

The frontage of the first Morley's in Sydenham has not been changed since it opened in 1985

In 1985, a small family-run fried chicken shop opened its doors on Sydenham High Street, going by the name of Morley's.

Since then, the brand has acquired cult status, counting celebrities including Stormzy and Krept as customers and spreading beyond its south London stronghold, with its 100th store opening in Brighton this year.

The firm is run by Shan Selvendran, but it was founded by his father, Kannalingham "Indran" Selvendran, who was born in Sri Lanka and moved to London from his native Colombo in the 1970s.

Similar to other immigrant success stories, Shan puts his father's achievements down to grit and determination, which he balanced with being a committed family man.

"He was larger than life, the most generous, sweetest guy, but equally super smart," he explains.

Kannalingham "Indran" Selvendran, pictured with his two eldest sons (and a mascot), grew up in Sri Lanka

Even so, Shan says his father, who died in 2002, also "knew how to handle himself as he came from a really rough part of Colombo - it's what made him".

"It's not always an easy opportunity for people from overseas to open their own businesses and build a legacy for themselves," he adds.

"My dad was considered someone who opened a lot of doors for others and to this day I'll meet the children of the franchise owners and hear nice words about how he gave them opportunities."

• How a Sydenham chicken shop became a cult brand

Over the decades the number of Morley's shops has multiplied, first south of the Thames then beyond with many Londoners now seeing it as an institution in its own right.

In 2017 Croydon-born musician Stormzy filmed the video for his chart-topping single Big for your Boots in the chain's (now closed) Thornton Heath branch. Local rapper Krept featured the same branch for his music video Morley's Freestyle a few years later.

The firm also worked with south London writer and performer Corey Bovell for his one-man theatre show Chicken Burger N Chips.

"It started in a local theatre in Brockley but he's now been commissioned by BBC Radio 4 for a radio play. We ensured he had access to our naming rights and supported him in anyway we could," Shan explains.

Morley's opened its 100th branch in Brighton this year

Morley's has even appeared in unexpected places such as at the swanky Standard Hotel in Kings Cross where a pop-up shop has been in place this summer as part of a collaboration with Heinz.

Yet for Shan, the key to the brand's success has remained the same from when his father opened his first Sydenham store - providing "really delicious food at really good prices" in a place where "you can be comfortable and be yourself".

"You will see every walk of life in our shop. We'll always be a community brand - no matter how big we get," he says.

Stormzy has referenced Morley's in his lyrics and shot a music video at one of its branches

"A lot of the guys that grew up on Morley's would be a Krept and Konan or a Stormzy - now they just happen to be superstars but they're like family to us."

In a similar vein, there are some things that have never changed, such as the front of the 38-year-old store in Sydenham which remains the original.

"To this day the tiles and some of the décor inside is still from 1985… on a sentimental level it's nice to know that was the floor and counter that my father walked on and used," he says.

The firm has gained cult status among many south Londoners

Shan took over the business in 2009 and rarely gives interviews, preferring to keep an understated low key profile and seeing little appeal in self-promotion. Indeed, his sincerity is a refreshing change to the self-aggrandising businessmen of old.

"I've always taken a stance that had Morley's ever needed an image of an owner it would have been my dad - it's a larger than life brand now," he says.

"What's important is that Morley's remains a brand of the community and a brand of the people… It comes back to our humble mindset, we always want to ensure that's its broad enough so that everyone can feel a part of it."

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