Little Chef

[simongt]

The "chef" came over eventually to explain and said that they were not allowed to go outside the instructions - which said the fish was to be put directly into the hot fat at an exact temperature and then taken out as soon as it floated to the surface
That was it - no latitude or independent thinking allowed

Nothing different to Wetherspoons then - ! We once complained that the grilled haloumi wasn't grilled properly and the lad explained that they have to 'follow the instructions', so no leeway at at all despite the item not being cooked properly.
Same with the branch at Chippenham a few years back. Our lamb shanks were still cold in the middle; complained and they were replaced by two more that were still FROZEN in the middle - !

 

[Cycleops]

Sorry @gbb I'm sure you were a well scrubbed and clean lad. I should have said 'the great unskilled '.

 

[Drago]

Nothing different to Wetherspoons then - ! We once complained that the grilled haloumi wasn't grilled properly and the lad explained that they have to 'follow the instructions', so no leeway at at all despite the item not being cooked properly.
Same with the branch at Chippenham a few years back. Our lamb shanks were still cold in the middle; complained and they were replaced by two more that were still FROZEN in the middle - !

I save a fortune by turning up the stereo really loud at home, having the TV on the sport with the volume turned down, nailing a load of plastic horse brasses to the wall and under-microwaving my own food. For added realism I occasionally get Mrs D to refuse to serve me alcohol as I don't look 21.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Sorry @gbb I'm sure you were a well scrubbed and clean lad. I should have said 'the great unskilled '.

My wife is a graduate with additional postgraduate qualifications. The UK in the early-mid 80s was a bit shoot and hard to get jobs commensurate with ones level of qualification and capabilities.

Luckily the job was deskilled such that even she could manage it.

 

[Badger_Boom]

Was always puzzled was the Happy Eater logo on the roadside signs. What seemed to me at the time a tomato trying to make itself throw up. Every time I passed one of the signs I wondered what idiot designed it for a food establishment and what idiot at head office signed it off for use.

I always thought it was just our imagination. I seem to recall us making a fingers down throat gesture if we saw one out on the road. Probably not the reaction the owners were looking for.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Fond memories of the Little Chef on the A2, near Gravesend. Living in a nearby village in the early 70's, all the "youngsters" would socialise at the local pub. On closing time, we would often drive down to the Little chef for a midnight meal.

Used it frequently, less than 2 miles from my house.

Used to ride my Pace MTB out to Shorne Woods, have some fun, and then some scoff on the way back.

Those were the days, I could eat an Olympic and not worry about my waistline!

 

[MidnightRider]

People have moved on, the younger adult generation just don't seem to want it anymore. Maybe not so far in the future people will say...ugh, fish and chips, how boring.

Maybe a region thing?

I can think of 9 chip shops relatively near me and thats only ones I happen to use or travel past. The one 1/4 mile up the road from me often has people queing out the door. The others either similar queues at times or a good steady 'in and out' flow when I have been there. Lots of 'Chinese' shops also sell chips.
.
Out of my home area there is a very nice one in Tetbury around the corner from the Snooty Fox pub, centre of town and thats always busy. Its a handy one for when I am in that area, but other towns up there also have at least 1 chip shop and often 2 or more.

I don't off hand recall any particular age ranges or any missing groups.

don’t remember organic eggs, outdoor reared bacon and homemade butchers sausages, it was all pretty shite.

That sort of heading was not a thing then. Even if they were outdoor raised, it would not have been stated. Perhaps because most pigs used to be outdoor raised or at least in large loose boxes, then factory farming came in, killed off all the small outdoor farmers. Shops were not likey to say 'majority of pigs now raised in disgusing conditions' as hardly a sales point, so nothing said at all.

Didn;t they recruit Heston Bloominghell to do a revamp of the menu at sometime??
Always seemed like exactly the wrong person to choose to me!

If I see anything with his name on it, I automatically avoid. As with Hugh Fernley Wittingstal (I know, name not quite right!). I just find them deeply annoying, don't get me started on the obnoxious Jamie. I was delighted his chain went down the pan after his comments on how he treated his staff.

For me, you won't get 'good food' for less than say £30 a head nowadays (there will be exceptions of course)
For that (for me) it means its freshly cooked with fresh natural ingredients.

Yeah, but how many families can afford to eat at that price point? Say 4 of you, thats £120 just for one meal on one day. Its a weeks worth of food. Also you assume/its described as all fresh, but what counts as fresh? Even milk is not fresh now, as the milk used to be picked up daily from UK farms, now its only every few days (dairys cost cutting imposition on farmers) and then it goes to be processed/bottled already days old. Still called fresh by dairies, but its not. What else is 'interestingly described'? Sometimes stuff out the freezer is possibly in a better hygienic state, than 'fresh' which has been sitting around in a fridge. Only way to really tell is to inspect the kitchens, which of course is not an option.

 

[gbb]

Maybe a region thing?

I can think of 9 chip shops relatively near me and thats only ones I happen to use or travel past. The one 1/4 mile up the road from me often has people queing out the door. The others either similar queues at times or a good steady 'in and out' flow when I have been there. Lots of 'Chinese' shops also sell chips.
.
Out of my home area there is a very nice one in Tetbury around the corner from the Snooty Fox pub, centre of town and thats always busy. Its a handy one for when I am in that area, but other towns up there also have at least 1 chip shop and often 2 or more.

I don't off hand recall any particular age ranges or any missing groups.


That sort of heading was not a thing then. Even if they were outdoor raised, it would not have been stated. Perhaps because most pigs used to be outdoor raised or at least in large loose boxes, then factory farming came in, killed off all the small outdoor farmers. Shops were not likey to say 'majority of pigs now raised in disgusing conditions' as hardly a sales point, so nothing said at all.

If I see anything with his name on it, I automatically avoid. As with Hugh Fernley Wittingstal (I know, name not quite right!). I just find them deeply annoying, don't get me started on the obnoxious Jamie. I was delighted his chain went down the pan after his comments on how he treated his staff.

Yeah, but how many families can afford to eat at that price point? Say 4 of you, thats £120 just for one meal on one day. Its a weeks worth of food. Also you assume/its described as all fresh, but what counts as fresh? Even milk is not fresh now, as the milk used to be picked up daily from UK farms, now its only every few days (dairys cost cutting imposition on farmers) and then it goes to be processed/bottled already days old. Still called fresh by dairies, but its not. What else is 'interestingly described'? Sometimes stuff out the freezer is possibly in a better hygienic state, than 'fresh' which has been sitting around in a fridge. Only way to really tell is to inspect the kitchens, which of course is not an option.

Re the £30 a head minimum (an arbitrary figure tbf) ...its absolutely true of course, lots of people can't or won't spend that and maybe a good proportion don't think you have to to get good food, it's all a personal thing. We eat out far more regularly at sub £20 a head restaurants...and one thing that always surprises me is how many people you will hear say...oh, Harvester, it's rubbish. Its not , it's food that meets that price point. It's fine.

So e years ago we stopped at a pub and had a £40 a head meal...awesome, it was fabulous, infinitely better than what we'd normally eat. Would I do that regularly...noooo, too expensive for my tight wad lifestyle

 

[stephec]

Since 1998 I've averaged 30 to 40000 miles a year and can't remember how many Olympic breakfasts I've had, or how many different little thieves I've been in.

In the old days, when no one looked at your expenses, we'd often be stopping in a hotel at night as well so it was fillet steak, followed by cheese and biscuits, all washed down with some Guinness.

I was around 8kg heavier then. 😂

Edit: forgot to add, dinnertime (that's the northern midday meal) would often be KFC or Burger King as well.

 

[BoldonLad]

I'm sure they were happy if it was defrosted and cooked properly.
Unfortunately the LCs were designed to be operated by the great unwashed who had very little or no culinary skills, like the guy who called himself a chef that I worked with. It was down to the lowest common denominator so was very difficult to screw things up.

I know a chap, just approaching his 50th birthday. His first (and only) job , after leaving school, age 16, was in a Little Chef, near Kendal, Cumbria.

He worked there for about 6 months, before being "let go". Problems with regular attendance.

Since that time, when signing on, he has steadfastly claimed that his work experience is in catering (which I suppose is technically true).

 

[stephec]

I know a chap, just approaching his 50th birthday. His first (and only) job , after leaving school, age 16, was in a Little Chef, near Kendal, Cumbria.

He worked there for about 6 months, before being "let go". Problems with regular attendance.

Since that time, when signing on, he has steadfastly claimed that his work experience is in catering (which I suppose is technically true).

The only one I know in that area is between Kendal and Grange on the A590, I've had a few breakfasts there on the way to Barrow.

 

[BoldonLad]

The only one I know in that area is between Kendal and Grange on the A590, I've had a few breakfasts there on the way to Barrow.

From memory, that’s the one