The world’s oldest KFC worker who first started frying chicken in 1978 has died after more than four decades serving millions of drumsticks.
Pauline Richards has sadly passed away from cancer aged 74 after 47 years of dedicated service at the branch of the fast food chain in Taunton, Somerset.
Known as ‘Miss KFC’, the grandmother worked nearly every possible role – including a cleaner, cashier, supervisor, manager and team leader – in her time at the firm.
Ms Richards was famous in the town and has been hailed as ‘one of its most loved residents’ for her kindness, hard work, smiley conversation and dry humour.
Local children called her ‘Mum’ and ‘Nan’ – while adults have fondly said she watched them grow up, seeing them through many a night out safely.
She was even honoured with a Civic Award by the town’s Mayor Councillor Vanessa Garside earlier this year for her ‘outstanding long service’ at the restaurant.
Tributes have poured in for the award-winning fast food worker, who residents have all agreed will be ‘truly missed’, ’till we meet in the big KFC in the sky’.
One customer wrote on Facebook: ‘She was an absolute legend, simple as. A beautiful soul and will be sadly missed.’
The world’s oldest KFC worker (pictured in 2019) who first started frying chicken in 1978 has died after more than four decades serving millions of drumsticks
Pauline Richards (pictured in 2019) has sadly passed away from cancer aged 74 after 47 years of dedicated service at the branch of the fast food chain in Taunton, Somerset
Known as ‘Miss KFC’, the grandmother (pictured in 2019) worked nearly every possible role – including a cleaner, cashier, supervisor, manager and team leader – in her 47 years at the firm
A spokesperson for Taunton Town Council said: ‘All of us at Taunton Town Council are saddened to learn of the passing of one of Taunton’s most loved residents, Pauline Richards, aka Miss KFC, the world’s longest serving member of KFC staff and a friendly, well known face in our town.
‘She was an excited and incredibly deserving recipient of one of our Civic Awards back in March this year.
‘Our thoughts are with her family and all of those who knew and loved her.’
Taunton restaurant the Spud Shack posted a tribute online, saying: ‘We, as many of the town are mourning Pauline from KFC.
‘She was the world’s longest-serving KFC employee. She will be very missed by everyone in Taunton.
‘Pauline was very well known in the town for her dry sense of humour when dealing with people who were a tad intoxicated!’
Another customer commented: ‘Sending massive condolences to her family, she was [a] one of a kind lady in there and those of us who grew up here were her kids and she saw most of our parents grow up and then us grow up and become parents ourselves, she will be truly missed.’
One added: ‘Very sad to hear the news of Pauline’s passing, what a lovely lady, I feel I’ve know [her] all my life, you fed me many a night on the town, during my teens, twenties, thirties, forties and fifties.
She was even honoured with a Civic Award by the town’s Mayor Councillor Vanessa Garside (pictured together) earlier this year for her ‘outstanding long service’ at the restaurant
Tributes have poured in for the award-winning fast food worker, who residents have all agreed will be ‘truly missed’, ’till we meet in the big KFC in the sky’
‘A lovely hard working lady, who will be sadly missed by many I’m sure, thank you Pauline, till we meet in the KFC in the sky.’
Residents have suggested putting up a bench or plaque in a ‘sunny spot’ in the town, in memory of ‘a true star of Taunton Town’ and a ‘local legend’.
They said it would be a fitting tribute to the woman who ‘brought a ray of sunshine’ to everyone she met and ‘made us all smile with her customer service banter’.
Ms Richards, whose daughter and grandson have also worked at the branch, previously told of her love of the job.
She said: ‘When I go out for a break, children would shout over to me “Hello Miss KFC” and call me “Mum” and “Nan”.
‘Even on a Friday and Saturday night here, you get customers and some young boys start singing my name out and they are pleased to see me.
‘When I’m not in, [the customers] are asking where I am. If I’ve been out, I get people asking why I’m not working tonight.’
Ms Richards began working for KFC in the seventies as a cleaner to support her friend who had just started working at the former branch on East Reach.
Local children call her ‘Mum’ and ‘Nan’ – while adults have fondly said she watched them grow up, seeing them through many a night out safely. Pictured: Ms Richards with her general manager Alice Yarde in 2019
She went on to become a cashier and took customer’s orders before helping to cook the food.
The dedicated employee even worked her way up to becoming a manager for two-and-half years.
Ms Richards stuck with the firm when the branch on East Reach closed and the town’s KFC relocated to East Street.
She said she always aims to ‘help [customers] out to the best I can’.
‘A lot of people say, “Don’t ever leave”‘, she said.
‘They say, “You know what you’re talking about, you help me out, and you’re always friendly”.
‘I always make sure I get people’s orders right. I think that is a good thing for the customers.’
She added: ‘I love my job.
Ms Richards (pictured in 2019) was famous in the town and has been hailed as ‘one of its most loved residents’ for her kindness, hard work, smiley conversation and dry humour
‘Customers I have always spoken to and I have been friendly with and I have always tried to help as best I can and this job has always suited my life.
‘I do want to say thank you to my customers that I have been friends with and I really appreciate it.’
She explained her long service at the brand: ‘KFC haven’t done anything wrong for me and I think they are good to work for.
‘I haven’t had any complaints. If I ever had a problem about certain things, I spoke to my manager.
‘I do like working with people here and I can’t say I don’t. We have a good little group here.’
Ms Richards recalled how things had changed over the years: ‘We cooked the hot wings in the pots in those days and breaded them all up and put the BBQ sauce on.’
The beloved fast food worker also previously told The Sun: ‘If you keep them happy, they are happy to come and see you.
‘They come in and look for me and if I am on a break, they ask for me to come down and say hello.’
KFC has previously said Pauline was ‘an important role model in her local community and created a legacy the Colonel would be proud of’.
Estimated to have served more than five million of the brand’s famous chicken drumsticks, she has been its longest-serving worker for two years.
Ms Richards earned the title after surpassing American employee Lorena Neely, who worked for the chain between 1976 and 2023.
