Opening soon: Clutch, Hackney *resists the urge to make chicken puns*

I'm not a vegetarian. I tried when I was about 15. It lasted a week, ending with me devouring a plate of pasta and delicious tomato and steak sauce cooked by my mum's fair hands for five hours and then served with grating of Parmesan. But that's not to say I don't care about the welfare of animals that end up on our plates.

Ever since Hugh Fearnley-Whittingwhatever took to the telly a few years ago to tell everyone just how battery and caged hens are treated, I've been a massive advocate of free range eggs and poultry. It's not been greeted by everyone with the same response ("They're just going to die anyway so why bother CARING ABOUT LIFE" being the main 'argument') but to me, it's a little thing I can do, that makes me feel good about what I eat.

Surely that can't be a bad thing?

Well, in a way it was. It meant losing brands I loved though. Covent Garden soups, while lovely, had no plans to use free range meat at the time. I had to give up eating at some of my favourite restaurants. Cakes not using free range eggs were out the door. But it was ok, because I knew I was sticking to the principle of the matter.

Skip forward to today. I try as hard as I can to buy organic meat, and I only ever use free range eggs. A lot more brands are conscious of the meat they use for their products which is great. But a few aren't. So for those of you, like me, who love a chicken burger but hate the thought of animals being fed antibiotics and being cramped in tiny cages, I bring you Clutch, a new fried chicken restaurant opening December in Columbia Road, Hackney. But this isn't your average Chicken Cottage, or Colonels Fried Chicken, or another play on what is basically KFC. Oh no.

Founded in true family style by Anthony, brother Ian and cousins Mark Ussher and Niamh Doyle, they call themselves 'guilt-free' advocates of delicious, yet ethically sourced, meals. Which ticks a few massive boxes for me. And then there's the Clutchtails created by head mixologist Ben Fisher including the Cackling Goose Cosmo, Gamey Gimlet and The Bitter Hen. I'm hoping these don't contain actual chicken though.

Co-founder Anthony Ussher, says: “As a huge fan of fried chicken, I wanted to bring this greasy bird back to life in a guilt-free form that everyone can squawk at. We’re excited to be opening our first restaurant, bringing dishes that we enjoy to the people of London and we look forward to sharing them with our customers.”

This is definitely one eatery we're keeping our eyes on throughout 2014 - we can't wait to pay it a visit.

Clutch | 4 Ravenscroft Street, Hackney, E2 7QG

Opens Dec 2013