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The boss of Domino’s Pizza Group who suggested the UK may have reached peak pizza as he expanded the chain into fried chicken has been ousted after tensions with its board.

Andrew Rennie is leaving after just two years at the helm, and will be replaced on an interim basis by the company’s chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while Domino’s searches for a new leader.

Rennie, who worked for Domino’s for more than two decades, has sought to shift Britain’s biggest pizza delivery company towards fried chicken, telling the Financial Times earlier this month there was not “massive growth” left in the UK’s pizza market. He said chicken was the fastest-growing protein in the world.

It is understood that there was friction between Rennie and the board over his focus and approach to the business, although Domino’s statement said he was stepping down “by mutual agreement”.

In September, Domino’s launched its Chick ’N’ Dip brand – which Rennie described as a “bold new chapter” for the group – and is trialling it in 210 outlets in the north-west of England and Northern Ireland.

While the company is still going to roll it out across its nearly 1,400 branches next year as planned, it sees fried chicken as complementary to its core pizza business.

Ian Bull, the Domino’s chair, said: “The board believes that there are a number of opportunities to drive further growth and value creation in Domino’s core business. We are focused on identifying the right chief executive to lead the disciplined execution of that growth strategy.”

Earlier this month, Domino’s, which has 13 million customers in the UK and Ireland, said orders dipped by 1.5% in the third quarter. In August, it warned that the takeaway market had “become tougher” as it blamed weaker consumer confidence in the run-up to Wednesday’s budget and rising wage costs for weaker-than-expected sales and a 15% drop in half-year profits.

Other pizza operators are also struggling. Pizza Hut announced the closure of 68 restaurants a month ago, after the company behind its UK venues fell into administration.

Trying to keep up with consumer trends towards healthier eating, Domino’s has launched lower-calorie products, such as its Thin & Crispy range of pizzas below 400 calories as well as plant-based and gluten-free pizzas. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 calories. A large cheese and tomato pizza has 2,171, while a small has 909 calories.

Frampton has been with Domino’s since 2021, and previously worked for the gambling company William Hill. It is thought that she does not want to take on the chief executive role permanently.

She said: “We have a number of ongoing growth and performance initiatives that we will be focused on executing at pace.”

She said these included further work on the company’s supply chain and product development, and its loyalty scheme.

Domino’s is also without a permanent chief financial officer until 16 March, when Andy Andrea joins from the Irish cider and beer maker C&D Group. Until then, Richard Snow serves as interim finance chief.