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

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!!

I had a wild boar ragu in my little Italian cafe the other week. It was delicious and hand cooked. I didn't ask where the boar came from, how wild it was, or who killed it. It tasted good and wasn't too expensive .
I do wonder why meat is such a priority. Arguably fish is a much more important subject. I wonder if anyone asks if the fish on a menu is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council? I know I always look for the label in supermarkets but don't ask when I eat out. www.msc.org/uk

As said, we know where to go to get excellent pub, café and restaurant food locally

TripAdviser etc are useful sites
Locally, word of mouth is often the case.

There's a pub near us that used to be very good but since some time before Covid the food got worse.
Now, if we drive past in the evenings, we can see that there is hardly anyone in there.

Fleurpepper

Agreed- but why should we be left to guess? Make it Law that is had to be stated, with code (code can be printed at the back or bottom of menu). Much better- honest, and then we can choose accordingly. Price is not necessarily an indication btw.

www.gov.uk/guidance/food-labelling-country-of-origin

So you could ask at the restaurant, pub, cafe, if you are concerned about the provenance of the meat, fish or seafood they offer on the menu.

Do catering establishments need more red tape?
Some are struggling as it is.

Fair enough. your opinion. I don't agree- we should know what we are eating and if it is cooked in house or not. It does not have to be complicated- a list of accepted codes. Why always talk about extremes? Who mentionned hand-picked.

As said, we know where to go to get excellent pub, café and restaurant food locally. It would be nice to know when you are away from home too. I think it would actually improve business, not t'other way round.

I rarely choose a meat dish when eating out because unless it’s labelled British free range, outdoor reared, etc (a selling point) it won’t be. I choose a fish or vegetarian dish instead. I imagine that any attempt to get details of provenance added to menus would be hotly contested by the hospitality industry.

Even more legislation for hospitality venues to adhere to?! Things are bad enough for them without this. Eat out and take a chance it's not individually hand picked and personally cooked or just stay at home. Your choice.

Agreed- but why should we be left to guess? Make it Law that is had to be stated, with code (code can be printed at the back or bottom of menu). Much better- honest, and then we can choose accordingly. Price is not necessarily an indication btw.

Fleurpepper

No, we were only talking about meat products.

Would you not like to know if your beef is home raised or imported from Argentina. Or your chicken local or from factory farm in Eastern Europe. Etc.

I think in Europe, it was made a legal requirement at the time of Mad Cow Disease.

Unless it’s stated on the menu that it’s local, free-range (so hardly often) I don’t eat chicken except at home - it’s almost bound to be battery farmed, and the cheaper the prices, the more likely it is.

I do like to k ow where things are grown and where and how animals are reared but in a recession I think I'm in a minority.

Akways on the look-out for organic treats at an upmarket farm bakery selling local ice cream staff told me the ice cream was "yes, organic" when asked if it was vegetarian or organic saying it was made on the same farm the milk came from in their own dairy and the cows were in the fields. I don't think people necessarily know what they are serving.

What do you want them to say, “all our food is pre-prepared, boil in the bag or microwaved"

I think you get what you pay for and if you don't like somewhere then don't go back.

Fleurpepper

No, we were only talking about meat products.

Would you not like to know if your beef is home raised or imported from Argentina. Or your chicken local or from factory farm in Eastern Europe. Etc.

I think in Europe, it was made a legal requirement at the time of Mad Cow Disease.

Don't eat much meat and really don't care where it comes from. But why should a meat eater be permitted to demand the provenance of their food but a vegetarian ignored?
And actually veg flown in from anywhere bothers me far more than meat origins.
As does the provenance of fish.
But I have the sense to know that if I'm eating a cheapish meal it's highly unlikely to conform to any rigid standards. So while farmed salmon may be something I wouldn't usually buy I accept it's what you get in chain pubs.
As I say you can ask. (of course the staff in Wetherspoons probably won't know).

No, we were only talking about meat products.

Would you not like to know if your beef is home raised or imported from Argentina. Or your chicken local or from factory farm in Eastern Europe. Etc.

I think in Europe, it was made a legal requirement at the time of Mad Cow Disease.

Fleurpepper

Totally agree- has anyone said that it is?

Not on here, no.

I mean experiences, the slight eyes skyward look occasionally when ordering.

Fleurpepper

Glorianny 'I really don't want to have great long menus with every cooking detail shared.'

no-one, but no-one is asking for this! A list of provenance at the back of menu would be very simple

beef UK
lamb NZ
chicken EU

etc.

And next to each main either HC or BI (home cooked, bought in)- or similar. Codes we all understand easily- same for menu boards. Not complicated.

OK for a beef roast dinner then. Which would appear usually As Roast Beef, Roast and mashed potatoes, broccoli, carrots and yorkshire pudding.
You would require
RoastBeef (UK) Roast potatoes (UK) mashed potatoes (BI) broccoli (EU) carrots (UK) Yorkshire pudding (BI) (HC except for specified products).
Why do I need to know any of that?
I have friends who are vegetarian, vegan and gluten intolerant they ask if there is any question about a meal. They may ask for it to be served without something. Some places will indicate what is suitable but they usually check as well. It isn't difficult to ask questions about the food.

Totally agree- has anyone said that it is?

A lot of places now seem to have stopped stating that food is GF because they are keen to promote the fact that they offer vegetarian and vegan options.

GF is not a matter of choice for some people.

Glorianny 'I really don't want to have great long menus with every cooking detail shared.'

no-one, but no-one is asking for this! A list of provenance at the back of menu would be very simple

beef UK
lamb NZ
chicken EU

etc.

And next to each main either HC or BI (home cooked, bought in)- or similar. Codes we all understand easily- same for menu boards. Not complicated.

SuzieHi

Interesting post, thank you.

I don't really care how it's prepared. If I eat in a chain pub I expect meals to come pre-packaged, because I know that they couldn't do it for the price if they needed to employ qualified expensive kitchen staff. But if it's a big family meal out, there's enough choice for everyone, including the children. And it doesn't cost the earth.
I know a number of small cafes which cook everything fresh, ranging from an Italian to a basic English caff. Their food is great and you can usually see the kitchen.
I really don't want to have great long menus with every cooking detail shared. Ask if you feel you really need to know.

If I were to go to a pub chain/chain restaurant, I'd know what to expect and yes, pre-prepared food would be part of that. We are lucky to have some fantastic local restaurants around here which take pride in using locally sourced ingredients, prepared fresh - and looking at some of the prices quoted on here, they're certainly not expensive. DH and I don't go out to eat often, but we do go to one restaurant in Edinburgh which probably few people even know about, but where we have consistently enjoyed real fine dining - almost to Michelin standards, I would say, for around £20 for three courses. The food has never been any other than top notch.

Joseanne

Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to post that. I was just looking at one of the places we frequent.

It quite unnerved me 😁

Joseanne

That's a good point, that the quality of the food, its presentation and service, is probably determined by its price, though it shouldn't really be so. We eat out a lot in Cornwall where most restaurants show the provenance of their food because they are very proud of local produce.

£175 per person? 😲
I'd want a trip out on the fishing boat included in that 😁

Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to post that. I was just looking at one of the places we frequent.