A very disappointing lunch. Should pubs and restaurants be more honest.

Normandygirl

I agree that asking restaurants to indicate not only the provenance of it's food but also every item's route to your plate is unreasonable. There are so many things to take into account when deciding if a meal was worth the outlay. You can always ask about any ingredient if it's important to you.
Mind you, sometimes you can sometimes get more information than you wanted. I once asked about a delicious venison dish I was enjoying and the waitress told me it was a locally killed deer. She then expanded the explanation by adding that it was very young with the description " It was was, how you English would say......It was Bambi! "

On a ski trip in Italy, kids didn't like the fancy food served, so we explained to the Hotel manager that kids prefer simple food, that they know. On 3rd day, they were served breaded slices of veal and chips, with veg. They were really tucking in, and we were all delighted. Until on of the parents who had come on the trip, stood up and said 'for you kids who don't know what veal is, it is baby cow'- the look on their faces! And that was that- forks down, end of. I could have throttled him.

As for provenance, I believe it is law in France to indicate provenance for meats. Same in other EU countries. I am afraid to say that started at the time of Kreuzfeldjacob disease, when they all wanted to avoid eating British Beef. (anyone who lived in the UK at the time is still not allowed to give blood in EU, as could be carriers).

NotSpaghetti

Weird! It's a different photo too Callistemon21

Yes, I did find two then realised 😁

They dig up everywhere, perhaps looking for truffles!

Many years ago my DS worked over Christmas for a local food chain and said the prawns were kept in disinfectant!

Restaurants have huge overheads above and beyond the cost of ingredients. Of course these have to be built into the costs to the customer.

I agree that asking restaurants to indicate not only the provenance of it's food but also every item's route to your plate is unreasonable. There are so many things to take into account when deciding if a meal was worth the outlay. You can always ask about any ingredient if it's important to you.
Mind you, sometimes you can sometimes get more information than you wanted. I once asked about a delicious venison dish I was enjoying and the waitress told me it was a locally killed deer. She then expanded the explanation by adding that it was very young with the description " It was was, how you English would say......It was Bambi! "

Wild boar are spreading in many woodland areas, they breed very fast and almost impossible to fence out of a garden, they will eat anything they can catch or dig up. Its best to stay away from them they can be dangerous, I have had the meat a couple of times, not my favourite.

Weird! It's a different photo too Callistemon21

Oh, weird, it did but took time!

Oh, the picture didn't appear

JaneJudge

there are wild boar in Kent and Sussex and in the Forest of Dean off the top of my head

Yup, Gloucestershire.

They like playing football:

Normandygirl

JaneJudge

there are wild boar in Kent and Sussex and in the Forest of Dean off the top of my head

I hit one a few days ago, he dashed out so suddenly it was unavoidable. I instinctively got out to see if he was badly injured but took one look at his huge tusks and malevolent gaze and thought better of it . He seemed to trot away OK and there was no blood, so think he was unharmed which is more than I can say for my bumper.

Oh wow! That could have been lunch for the next year!

JaneJudge

there are wild boar in Kent and Sussex and in the Forest of Dean off the top of my head

I hit one a few days ago, he dashed out so suddenly it was unavoidable. I instinctively got out to see if he was badly injured but took one look at his huge tusks and malevolent gaze and thought better of it . He seemed to trot away OK and there was no blood, so think he was unharmed which is more than I can say for my bumper.

there are wild boar in Kent and Sussex and in the Forest of Dean off the top of my head

Yes, I'm worried about the sewage dumping, but not enough to put me off eating fish or shellfish two or three times a week. The only thing I will draw a line it is oysters because of the way they feed. I was in Brittany for many years and the oyster producers were often blaming outbreaks of gastroenteritis on sewage that had not been properly treated. I think they were campaigning to set a larger distance between the sewage outfall and the oyster farms.

Joseanne, as said, I don't eat fish or shell-fish. Are you not worried about all the sewarage dumping that has been going on? It would worry me.

Joseanne

I am very concerned about fish Glorianny. It is very important to our economy here in Devon and Cornwall. When out for lunch I often have Brixham landed hake. Nearly every restaurant and chippy I know mentions the provenance, like Newlyn landed John Dory or plaice, or Brixham crab meat. Our plump and tasty mussels, usually served with chips, come from the River Exe and this is stated on menu cards. (And I don't just mean in restaurants like Rick Stein's).

That's a good point. And nothing to stop anyone describing their lamb as "Cumbrian" or their Beef as "Northumbrian". But it doesn't need to be compulsory.

I am very concerned about fish Glorianny. It is very important to our economy here in Devon and Cornwall. When out for lunch I often have Brixham landed hake. Nearly every restaurant and chippy I know mentions the provenance, like Newlyn landed John Dory or plaice, or Brixham crab meat. Our plump and tasty mussels, usually served with chips, come from the River Exe and this is stated on menu cards. (And I don't just mean in restaurants like Rick Stein's).

Germanshepherdsmum

My main concern is cruelty to animals.

Indeed.

I'll feed you vegan fare...

My main concern is cruelty to animals.

Good post. I hesitated to include fish provenance in my post. To simplify things, but also because I don't eat fish myself.
But good points made, thanks.

But fishing is so much less easy to control and there are real problems with sustainability. By all means be concerned about your food but the idea that meat (which is becoming less and less important to our diet) is the only problem is just wrong. Over a third of global fisheries have been over fished beyond sustainable levels. There has been a 49% decline in marine populations since 1970s.
Why aren't you concerned about fish?
You can find out if your local chippy sells sustainable fish here www.msc.org/uk/what-you-can-do/msc-certified-fish-and-chip-shops-uk-ireland

And of course, support for our local farmers, or at least UK ones.

Germanshepherdsmum

I like to know the provenance of meat because so much cruelty is involved in intensive farming in the UK, let alone other countries.

Yes, this. And live transport, and low standards of feeds, husbandry, use of antibiotics, etc.

I like to know the provenance of meat because so much cruelty is involved in intensive farming in the UK, let alone other countries.

Callistemon21

^I didn't ask where the boar came from, how wild it was, or who killed it^.
They're pretty wild round here 😁

I've never tasted it!!

It's a bit like venison- sort of gamey beef.
I've no idea where there are any wild boar.
I'll try anything. Although I find game less appealing now than when I was younger.