Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has said that it plans to open between 200 and 300 new restaurants creating 9,000 jobs in the UK and Ireland in the next three to five years.

A spokesman for the chain said that the restaurants, which will employ between 25 and 40 people each, would be located around the country but that there would be particular emphasis on opening outlets in the north of England and south Wales.

The £100 million - £150 million investment will also include refurbishment of existing stores.

The recession-defying move is spurred by people seeking cheaper restaurant deals and switching to take-away meals during the credit crunch.

Martin Shuker, the chief executive of KFC, said he believed that the chain was not only taking market share from rivals such as McDonald’s but that the sector as a whole was growing.

Sales at the chain were up 6 per cent in 2008, compared with the previous year, and results for 2009 are already showing a 14 per cent increase.

A new drive through store that opened in Worcester in January broke the record for first week sales, bringing in £100,000.

Mr Shuker said: “There aren’t many companies who can be so positive in this market so we are delighted to be able to announce this significant investment in the UK. Our growth strategy demonstrates the strong demand from our customers; consumers clearly still want great quality food but at reasonable prices and that is exactly what we provide.”

KFC employs 20,000 staff in its 760 UK outlets. It is understood that 38 per cent of the new restaurants will be owned by the chain and the rest will be franchised. In common with many fast food outlets many of those employed by the chain work part-time with the lowest paid workers earning the minimum wage of only £5.73 an hour.

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