Revealed: Gloriavale's operation to replicate KFC recipe

Gloriavale leader Hopeful Christian loves KFC chicken, and has shouted feeds of it for the entire religious sect.

And Mr Christian has even tried to replicate the secret '11 herbs and spices' recipe, with the cooks making a Gloriavale version three times a month.

Expelled member John Ready told Newshub that Mr Christian - believed to be 92-years-old - would get himself KFC during weekly trips to Greymouth.

"Hopeful used to [come] into town once a week and buy KFC for himself and the one or two people who were with him until about a year ago when he lost his drivers licence - his eyesight let him down," he says.

Mr Ready says Mr Christian would shout KFC for all of Gloriavale's 550 people.

The leader would make the 45 minute drive to Greymouth from the sect's compound at Haupiri on West Coast.

"Hopeful bought KFC three times for the whole place. It was a reasonable serving not just a sniff - those big KFC buckets and lots of them... over 50 buckets I'd say."

The women working in Gloriavale's kitchen were also ordered to make their own version of KFC, Mr Ready says.

"The ladies would do their own KFC chicken which I thought was ahead of the stuff in town - they made it about three times a month."

Mr Ready says Mr Christian shouted the KFC for no particular reason, just because it was "the boss' idea".

The AM Show was emailed this morning by 'Tazmin', who said she worked at Greymouth KFC and regularly served Mr Christian and other Gloriavale members.

"And yes, at least three times the orders were upwards of $800, only chicken and chips," she says.

"They were always very polite but [it] doesn't seem fair looking back that my tax dollars probably paid for it, investigation is definitely needed."

Newshub.