LONDON (Reuters) - Fast-food chain KFC said on Monday it had been forced to close hundreds of its British stores because of a shortage of chicken.

The problem arose at the weekend after the chain switched its delivery contract to DHL, forcing the majority of its 900 outlets in Britain to shut.

“We’ve brought a new delivery partner onboard, but they’ve had a couple of teething problems – getting fresh chicken out to 900 restaurants across the country is pretty complex,” KFC said on its website.

“We won’t compromise on quality, so no deliveries has meant some of our restaurants are closed, and others are operating a limited menu, or shortened hours.”

DHL blamed the delivery delays on “operational issues”.

“We are working with KFC and our partners to rectify the situation as a priority and apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused,” a spokeswoman said.