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

We had an excellent family meal at a local pub that does food yesterday, choice of three roasts, two vegetarian meals. Local suppliers mentioned on the menu, main courses for 7, including drinks, just over £100. Very popular and delicious.

We go to a local pub turned restaurant. It is part of a small chain and I am pretty sure that most of the meals are bought in ready prepared, even if they prepare them, themselves and cook chill, and they are actually very good.

They are not cheap, £15.00+ for main courses, some dishes are £15.00+++++ . £7.00 - £10.00 for starters and desserts, but not wildly expensive.

I'm going to stand up for 'Spoons here, their pizzas are as good as you get in most Italian restaurants. Last time I was there I had chicken goujons and although they weren't hand made they were very good.

We normally eat out at our local Italian where they have an open kitchen we know everything is based on the premises.

Greek restaurants have to mark dishes made with frozen ingredients

I am an ex restaurateur and trained chef. Most people think that it’s ideal to have a menu with extensive choice. In my book NO NO NO - this is not a good way to go. My favourite restaurants all have small menus - up to say 8 choices for each course. Usually this defines that most of the food is prepared on the premises. Huge chains have ‘kitchen operatives’ not chefs or decent cooks and the majority of the food is delivered ready prepared to the back door.

It is disappointing if food out in a restaurant is no better than a ready meal that would never suffice at home.

Perhaps best is never eating in such places? 'Fool me once..'

welbeck Most peple are interested one way or another in what they eat. They have likes and dislikes and I have often found that even people who seemingly have a minimal interest in food will perk up and make a comment when someone gives them some really good quality food.

I had an uncle who suffered from severe depression, who would normally buy and eat anything the corner shop had going cheap, when he came to stay with us and I served him bacon and sausages from our local farm shop, he immediately commented on how nice they were and how he was enjoying them.

The problem with frozen chips is that they could have a coating on them which contains gluten. We've encountered that problem, despite assurances they were gf.

Callistemon21

^And now, another blow. In a recent survey of French restaurants, more than a third fessed up that they serve industrially prepared, and often frozen, food. Fast-food outlets, mind you, weren't even included in that poll, which was conducted by Synhorcat, a French restaurant trade group^

However, they do tell you that. WE used to go to a restaurant where there was a blackboard outside that stated teh chips were bought in frozen. Everything else was made and cooked on the premises. Sadly the owner became ill and I think died. The restaurant was empty for a couple of years - pre covid but the new owners were not as good.

Normandygirl

All French restaurants have to display the provenance of their food.
Most places don't have extensive menus, usually 3 or 4 options for each course with a " menu de Jour" added. With the average price @ £20 per head for 3 courses, I don't think it would be economical to offer more choices.
The last meal I had in the UK in a quite expensive place, £ 90 for two of us, was dreadful. The chicken dish I ordered was described as having a " a base layer of freshly chopped tomatoes and basil" and as I am allergic to tomatoes , I asked for it to be served without that. The young girl went off and came back 10 minutes later and said I couldn't have the dish without the tomatoes because it came in a vacuum pack so couldn't be separated.
Asking for a dish without one of it's components seems a good way to find out if the dish has come pre prepared it seems

Lots of "high end" restaurants cook food in vacuum packs. It's called "sous vide". If you watch Great British Menu they often cook sous vide.

I beg to differ - as I said above, we all have to eat so unless you're just shovelling it in like animal fodder, food is something to be savoured and enjoyed and in my eyes, that makes everyone a foodie!

well that's fine for you.
but it's a minority interest, like opera.

I suppose it all depends on whether you just see food as a source of fuel (energy) or whether you actually LIKE to eat it, prepare it, cook it and so on. If you actually take an interest in what you are eating then yes, I would say that classes as being a 'foodie'. I'd definitely describe myself as one. I did a blog on the food we ate in Turkey a few weeks back, complete with photos (yes, I am that sad person!) and got really good feedback from people who said they found it both interesting and helpful. So yes, self-confessed foodie here!

Joseanne

Blondiescot

Can't see how it's a 'minority interest'. We all have to eat.

That's just it. We should take the time to think about what we are choosing and being served, in terms of its provenance, how it is prepared and presented, what different nutrients it gives us, tastes, culinary traditions etc. Most of the time we just comment, "hmm that is OK or that isn't too good" without giving much thought as to what we really expected.
I'm not saying everyone should be a foodie when dining out like me, but why shouldn't the actual food and how it is cooked become a big topic of conversation during the meal? We do care.

but that's very French...

being a foodie is a minority interest.
most people just want a good feed.
or somewhere to meet and talk.
i don't like people who spend the time analysing the food.
seems fussy to me.
sort of oneupmanship. superiority.
as long as it's a clean place and wholesome food.
i. don't. care.
i am not a restaurant critic, nor would i meet with one.

In our local Wetherspoons the chips are the best we've ever tasted either in a cheap and cheerful place or a really expensive place.

Went to the local Beefeater. I had a delicious meal of salmon, rice and vegetables, my friend had surf and turf. We had prosecco, coffees and cokes plus 2 desserts. It was all yummy, served by 2 lovely young girls. We arrived 12.30 and stayed until 4pm. It was about £35.00 each including a well deserved tip. We could have had the cheaper meal deals bur it was our delayed Christmas get together. It certainly wasn't disappointing and it was exactly what we had ordered. No disappointments for us.

Fleurpepper

Ah yes, the Carvery is probably your best bet I Weatherspoons! So many better pub choices- we know which local pubs cook their own food, and choose them. Not more expensive than dreadful 'spoons!

Wetherspoons (not Weather-!) is not ‘dreadful’ - it’s relatively cheap and cheerful and people know what they’re getting. Nobody goes to a W-spoons expecting gourmet food.

Local pub today, £16.

Blondiescot

Can't see how it's a 'minority interest'. We all have to eat.

Indeed we do.

I have met people who aren't that interested in food, but very rarely.

Blondiescot

Can't see how it's a 'minority interest'. We all have to eat.

That's just it. We should take the time to think about what we are choosing and being served, in terms of its provenance, how it is prepared and presented, what different nutrients it gives us, tastes, culinary traditions etc. Most of the time we just comment, "hmm that is OK or that isn't too good" without giving much thought as to what we really expected.
I'm not saying everyone should be a foodie when dining out like me, but why shouldn't the actual food and how it is cooked become a big topic of conversation during the meal? We do care.

Back in October we had a weekend away, first evening we had an average meal in the restaurant full price wine, following evening went to WS in town, again an average meal drinks half price.
It was early evening so quiet, just as we were leaving the students were arriving and there was a bouncer on the door, if it was a couple of hours later I don’t think we would be happy.

Can't see how it's a 'minority interest'. We all have to eat.

most people are not foodies. it's a minority interest.
most people don't care.
i agree with Kate1949, whose comments often are on point; you either enjoy it or not, return or not.

I don't know how they do it Fleur. It was a big pub, packed out and the meal came within 5 (ish) minutes of ordering.

Kate1949

We've had lunch in Wetherspoons today. I had small cod and chips (delicious). DH had small all day breakfast, sausage, bacon, fried egg, chips, beans. He had a pint of beer and I had a large Pino Grigio. The bill was £17. Didn't bother us whether it was freshly prepared or not. It was Wetherspoons, so it wasn't!

Surely they didn't buy breakfast ready cooked?