Peck! Peck!

It’s safe to say that the Sutton and Sons squad know how to work a fryer, as proven by the popularity of their three fish-and chip-joints (Islington, Hackney and Stoke Newington) and numerous accolades. So our expectations for their first ever chicken joint were above average.

It certainly talks the talk. Free-range British chicken is either deep-fried Deep South-style or flame-grilled and brushed with the house peri peri marinade. Both options are priced at well under a tenner. Championing local produce, burgers are sandwiched in golden brioche buns from Spence Bakery in Stokey, hot sauce is from down the road in Dalston and there’s craft beer from Crate available by the can.

The best bits? Fiery flame-grilled thighs that were juicy and buzzing with citrus flavours, or the strips of fried chicken breast encased in a peppery, crisp crumb that were tender and moreish. Heinz condiments and homemade dips (note: the chilli mayo was superb but should come with a fire extinguisher) were great for dunking, too.

Things then took a nose-dive. The buffalo wings were pretty meatless: what we could wrangle off the bone was both dry and chewy. But the biggest disappointment was the mac and cheese. It was luminous, sticky and overladen with mustard – we only made it through one spoonful.

Perhaps worst of all, there is none of the charm of Sutton and Sons’ other branches here, which is a real shame. Instead, Peck Peck is on the too shabby side of shabby chic – it feels a little too close to the look of a low-rent high street chicken shop. This place on paper has heaps of potential, but sadly the current execution really misses the mark.