China King

China King is the village Chinese on Main Street in Branston, the south-Burton suburb known nationally as the home of Branston Pickle. The shop sits on the central village parade and has been the local Chinese-and-English takeaway here for years, running a wide split menu — the standard Cantonese roster on one side, a small range of British staples (chips, fishcakes, curry sauce) on the other.

Reviews are mixed-to-warm and tend to single out the Singapore chow mein and the special fried rice as the best-value plates, with the king prawn chow mein another regular order. Salt-and-chilli chicken and the set meals get repeat mentions for portion size. Prices sit at the lower end of the Burton Chinese scale, which is part of why the shop trades steadily on village regulars.

It's a collection-and-delivery operation rather than a sit-in restaurant, closed Tuesdays, and serves Branston, Stretton and the eastern side of central Burton-upon-Trent. The kitchen-to-counter wait is quick, the lobby is small but tidy. A solid neighbourhood Chinese for households on this side of town who don't want to drive to the bigger Royal Harris buffet operation on Borough Road.