Little Chef

[Rusty Nails]

At one time for work I had to drive a lot between Cardiff and Wrexham or Bangor. The A470/483/49/5 depending on how much of a rush I was in. Two Chefs that were good stops for evening meals in either direction were in Builth Wells and between Church Stretton and Shrewsbury, but if it was open the preferred stop was The Lazy Trout transport caff the other side of Church Stretton.
Can't remember much about the food in Chef other than it filled a gap at the right time.

 

[gbb]

If I think about it, are we looking through rosy coloured/ muddy spectacles, depending on your personal experiences?
1970s, 1980s, tell me anything corporate that compared or was that much better ? Wimpy, Little Chef, Happy Eater etc. There wasn't much around then.
We've rarely ever done food that well in this country, the best you can say it is edible, clean and moderately tasty at those price points. Look around now, Toby, Square Deal, Harvester et Al...it's processed food at an affordable price point. McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, its certainly more popular but high quality it's not.
Transport cafes were hit and miss but many people wouldn't go in them with family en route to a holiday even if they were really good.


I'm not sure overall that Little Chef was any better or worse than most of its then competition.

 

[PK99]

If I think about it, are we looking through rosy coloured/ muddy spectacles, depending on your personal experiences?
1970s, 1980s, tell me anything corporate that compared or was that much better ? Wimpy, Little Chef, Happy Eater etc. There wasn't much around then.
We've rarely ever done food that well in this country, the best you can say it is edible, clean and moderately tasty at those price points. Look around now, Toby, Square Deal, Harvester et Al...it's processed food at an affordable price point. McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, its certainly more popular but high quality it's not.
Transport cafes were hit and miss but many people wouldn't go in them with family en route to a holiday even if they were really good.


I'm not sure overall that Little Chef was any better or worse than most of its then competition.

Maybe.

But LC and Wimpy had a presence on every highstreet/trunk road long before KFC and MaccyD hit the UK. They were complacent and failed to respond.

 

[gbb]

Maybe.

But LC and Wimpy had a presence on every highstreet/trunk road long before KFC and MaccyD hit the UK. They were complacent and failed to respond.

It's true, equally McDs et Al created a new format as much as anything else, finger food in a bag, eat at the table or on the move, LC weren't set up for it. Times move on, people's needs and tastes move on. We were in Lincoln City centre on Saturday, struggled to find a chip shop. 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.

 

[PK99]

It's true, equally McDs et Al created a new format as much as anything else, finger food in a bag, eat at the table or on the move, LC weren't set up for it. Times move on, people's needs and tastes move on. We were in Lincoln City centre on Saturday, struggled to find a chip shop. 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.

As I said, they failed to respond.

 

[Beebo]

I remember going to children’s birthday parties in Little Chef and Happy Eater in the 80s.
Imagine doing that now. A party in a service station!

 

[lazybloke]

Went up-country at Easter so found myself at motorway services a couple if times.

I wouldn't say I've given up on fast food, but whilst the children make a beeline for McQuestionable and KfThing, i went to the supermarket outlet next door. Found a meal deal that was cheaper, tastier, posher, more nutritious and a lot less calorific. Win.

 

[oldwheels]

At one time for work I had to drive a lot between Cardiff and Wrexham or Bangor. The A470/483/49/5 depending on how much of a rush I was in. Two Chefs that were good stops for evening meals in either direction were in Builth Wells and between Church Stretton and Shrewsbury, but if it was open the preferred stop was The Lazy Trout transport caff the other side of Church Stretton.
Can't remember much about the food in Chef other than it filled a gap at the right time.

We used to breakfast in the one at Builth Wells for about a week every year for several years with some evening meals as well. The enterprising restaurant owners of LLandrindod Wells used to close in the evenings as they could not be bothered catering for exhibitors and buyers at two large Trade Fairs. One did remain open but was obviously mobbed.

 

[Brandane]

I remember going to children’s birthday parties in Little Chef and Happy Eater in the 80s.
Imagine doing that now. A party in a service station!

I'm sure I have recently seen children's birthday parties in McD's and KFC...
Hopefully it won't be long until we are posting about the folly of that!

 

[lazybloke]

I'm sure I have recently seen children's birthday parties in McD's and KFC...
Hopefully it won't be long until we are posting about the folly of that!

They used to have a section of seating specifically for children's parties, complete with a hideous life-sized plastic "Ronald". Redhill branch still had this about 25 years ago, not sure if I've seen such horrors more recently.

I once picked up one of their printed menu/nutritional information leaflets. It listed 'Birthday cake'

 

[Gunk]

Went up-country at Easter so found myself at motorway services a couple if times.

I wouldn't say I've given up on fast food, but whilst the children make a beeline for McQuestionable and KfThing, i went to the supermarket outlet next door. Found a meal deal that was cheaper, tastier, posher, more nutritious and a lot less calorific. Win.

It’s a bit sad when the best option in a motorway service station is a supermarket meal deal

 

[Alex321]

At one time for work I had to drive a lot between Cardiff and Wrexham or Bangor. The A470/483/49/5 depending on how much of a rush I was in. Two Chefs that were good stops for evening meals in either direction were in Builth Wells and between Church Stretton and Shrewsbury, but if it was open the preferred stop was The Lazy Trout transport caff the other side of Church Stretton.
Can't remember much about the food in Chef other than it filled a gap at the right time.

Yes, we used the one in Builth Wells fairly often when traveling back from North or Mid Wales to Pontypridd or Merthyr (I think it was still open when we moved to Merthyr in 2000).

They weren't great, but for the time, they weren't too bad (not nearly as bad as Cyclops paints them), and were reasonably priced.

It is a Burger King now (Better than MacDonalds, but that isn't saying much).

 

[dicko]

Jubilee Pancakes

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Yes, we used the one in Builth Wells fairly often when traveling back from North or Mid Wales to Pontypridd or Merthyr (I think it was still open when we moved to Merthyr in 2000).

They weren't great, but for the time, they weren't too bad (not nearly as bad as Cyclops paints them), and were reasonably priced.

It is a Burger King now (Better than McDonalds, but that isn't saying much).

Agreed, there's a lot of retrospective snobbery. The ingredients were good quality and everything was cooked to order. The dining environment, not so good, mind!

 

[Drago]

Anyone remember Happy Eater, with the logo of a guy trying to make himself vomit by sticking his fingers down his throat?