Since 2017
About Manzanos
Three names, one grill, and a whole lot of peri peri. This is the story of the Reading chicken shop that ended up in a legal scrap with the biggest name in the business.
Our history
Manzanos began life in autumn 2017 as a small halal peri peri restaurant at 41 Oxford Road, right by the shopping centre in Reading. Owner Asam Aziz wanted to build a brand of his own: proper marinated chicken, flame-grilled to order, at prices students and families could actually afford. Word spread fast, and the queues followed.
What nobody expected was that the sign above the door would become the most famous thing about us. Twice.
Through all of it, the kitchen never stopped. The marinade, the coals, the sauces and the crew stayed exactly the same — only the letters outside changed. Today Manzanos is a Reading institution: fully halal, open late, and still packed with the same regulars who queued up when we had a different name.
Us vs Nando's
In March 2018, the world's best-known peri peri chain served legal notices on a fledgling independent in Reading, claiming its name and branding infringed their intellectual property. Asam maintained the name came from the mythical ‘Isle of Fernando's’ on the ITV dating show Take Me Out, and that he and his friends had come up with the whole idea themselves.
“They are bullying me. It's such a worry; I'm just an independent business owner. I thought I would start something new, a brand of my own — but now this has created such a storm.”
The row made headlines across the UK and became the subject of a BBC Radio 4 documentary, The Untold: Fernando's vs Nando's. The shop rebranded to Fernandez — and then, less than a year later, was served a second intellectual property notice, this time by Fernandez Grillhouse in Leicestershire. So the sign came down one more time and Manzanos Peri Peri was born.
We take it as a compliment. You don't get letters from the big boys unless you're doing something right.
Autumn 2017
Fernando's opens on Oxford Road
Asam Aziz and two friends open a halal peri peri chicken shop in Reading town centre. The name is a nod to the 'Isle of Fernando's' from ITV dating show Take Me Out — not, as Asam has always insisted, to anybody else.
March 2018
Nando's comes knocking
The global peri peri chain serves legal notices claiming the name and branding infringe its intellectual property. Asam calls it bullying by a giant against an independent business; the story goes national, covered by the BBC, i, and the local press.
2018
Fernando's becomes Fernandez
Rather than fight a chain with a legal department bigger than the restaurant, the shop rebrands to Fernandez Peri Peri. Reading turns out in force — the dispute made the little shop famous.
2019
A second name change
Less than a year later, Fernandez Grillhouse in Leicestershire serves its own intellectual property notice over the new name. 'I was in shock,' Asam said at the time.
2019
Manzanos Peri Peri
Third name, same grill, same recipes, same regulars. BBC Radio 4 even made a documentary about it — Fernando's vs Nando's. We're still here at 41 Oxford Road, still flame-grilling halal peri peri to order.
December 2022
Manzanos Bristol opens
Our second grill lands at 17-18 Straits Parade, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 2LE. Same halal peri peri, same sauces, same welcome — call the team on 0117 403 5463.
Next
More branches on the way
Two down and we're not finished. We're actively looking to open more Manzanos across the UK and we love the idea of franchising — if you fancy taking on the rooster, come and see the business team in Reading or give us a call.
“Mango lime la na saadiya
“Be my chick and I'll put a wing on it
Inside Manzanos
