Takeaway North/South Divide

[KungFuPanda]

Just going off at a tangent from the filthy takeaway thread. What differences have you seen when out and about on your travels in the UK relating to takeaways.

I'm Manchester based and have noticed that when getting a kebab, it's normally served on a massive pillowy naan. Some places do pitta bread too but the default is usually a naan. This is especially true in Rusholme. My experiences down south seem to suggest that pitta bread is the carbohydrate of choice for a kebab.

Chineses up here serve sweet and sour already mixed together with the sauce. Down south, they seem to served the battered meatballs separate from the sauce. If you want it mixed, it's called "Hong Kong style".

Obviously, you also seem to get more for your money up here too.

Any other differences you guys have experienced?

[Driver101]

The names of curries are spelt differently all over the country. They also taste differently too.

However most places claim to be authentic Indian food.

[bobbo89]

Most of my local takeaways (Huddersfield) offer the option of both naan and pitta. The local Chinese also offer both mixed sweet and sour and the battered balls. I think its probably more to do with where the people who run the spot originated from.

[Kermit power]

bobbo89 said:

I think its probably more to do with where the people who run the spot originated from.

I think you're probably right, although it's now about where they are in the country as immigrants probably gravitated towards existing immigrant communities from back home, so people from one town in Bangladesh (which seems to have something of a monopoly on "Indian" restaurants) may have gone to Reading, whilst those from another town followed friends or relatives to Rochdale...

[AB]

My experience, although limited, is that Southern takeaways are generally less hygienic and the quality of food is also poorer.

My experience is limited to staying in the City for work though.

[dazco]

Up North a kebab shop is a kebab shop. I saw a kebab takeaway shop down South declare itself to be Mediterranean Cuisine.

[SpeckledJim]

dazco said:

Up North a kebab shop is a kebab shop.

Or, more properly, a 'bab'owse.

[Dave200]

AB said:

My experience, although limited, is that Southern takeaways are generally less hygienic and the quality of food is also poorer.

My experience is limited to staying in the City for work though.

Interesting. If a Londoner were to base all of their assumptions about oop Narth on a single square mile, they would be (rightly) lambasted.

Purely anecdotally, but the places I tend to see getting called out on poor hygiene and 'fake' food tend to be in god-awful parts of the North, like Bradford and such. The South East is hugely densely populated, more wealthy than the rest of the UK, and thus very competitive - crappy places don't tend to last long (unless confined to truly crappy areas).

[wijit]

Dave200 said:

AB said:

My experience, although limited, is that Southern takeaways are generally less hygienic and the quality of food is also poorer.

My experience is limited to staying in the City for work though.

Interesting. If a Londoner were to base all of their assumptions about oop Narth on a single square mile, they would be (rightly) lambasted.

Purely anecdotally, but the places I tend to see getting called out on poor hygiene and 'fake' food tend to be in god-awful parts of the North, like Bradford and such. The South East is hugely densely populated, more wealthy than the rest of the UK, and thus very competitive - crappy places don't tend to last long (unless confined to truly crappy areas).

I have to side with AB on this. Certainly there are places near Wembley, around Battersea, Hammersmith as well as more central which are well established yet shockingly bad in terms of food quality and hygiene. This kind of puts paid to the "don't tend to last long" I'm afraid. I'm sure that further outside quality is better, but it's far from just the cntre. However, in the North they really do not last if they're crap.

[AB]

I get your point but very rarely, and I can't remember the last time, have I had a takeaway outside of London in the South.

They're always questionable in terms of quality, smaller portions, and I'm always disappointed.

I've always assumed that the London establishments see so many different people that perhaps they don't need the repeat custom that the likes of my locals do.

[calibrax]

Having lived in both, I can compare Aberdeen (Scotland) and Rochester (Kent).

Things you can get from the fish & chip shop in Aberdeen, but not in Rochester :
King Rib
White Pudding
Black Pudding
Red Pudding
Haggis Pudding
Smoked Sausage
Scotch Pie
Macaroni Pie
Mock Chop
Chipsteak

Things you can get from the fish & chip shop in Rochester, but not in Aberdeen :
Saveloy
Mushy Peas
Spam Fritter

Also... if you just ask for fish & chips, in Aberdeen you'll get haddock and in Rochester you'll get cod. And if you order a chicken leg, in Aberdeen it comes battered, in Rochester it doesn't.

(bear in mind I lived in Aberdeen more than 10 years ago, so things may have changed since!)

Edited by calibrax on Friday 20th March 14:01

[SpeckledJim]

No mushy peas in Aberdeen!?

Call for Lenny Henry. We must help these people!

[jamiebae]

Possibly more 'South' than the thread was intending, but in Switzerland (or Zürich at least) a kebab is always served in a round flatbread rolled up like a burrito.

A 'Doner Box' is also very popular, which is a box with chips and what would be the contents of a kebab in it. This costs between £7 and £10 depending on your eating establishment of choice, but that's normal Swiss prices. If you want a Dominos or similar it comes with an 'interest free credit' application form it's so expensive.

[Melman Giraffe]

Driver101 said:

The names of curries are spelt differently all over the country. They also taste differently too.

However most places claim to be authentic Indian food.

Bangladeshi in most cases

[f1nn]

I grew up in the Northeast, and lived in Berkshire for the last 6 years.

For me, the difference is simple. takeaways in the south are usually very poor.

In the Northeast, we have the Pork/Chicken Parmo, and after a few beers there is no finer drunk food. Unfortunately, this dish does not appear to be available in the south..

Also, in the North, there is any amount of independent pizza shops, which IMO, serve better pizza at a fraction of the cost of Domino.Pizza Hut etc that seem to have cornered the market here.

Also, I've noticed that it is common for the South to have takeaways that serve a multitude of offerings, Chinese, kebabs, pizza and fish and chips. This is wrong. IMO, a take away should decide on a speciality and that should be that. I think it's wrong to be able to buy chicken chow mein from what is supposed to be a fish and chip shop.

Edited by f1nn on Friday 20th March 17:49

[soad]

AB said:

My experience, although limited, is that Southern takeaways are generally less hygienic and the quality of food is also poorer.

My experience is limited to staying in the City for work though.

Stock up on Anti-Diarrheal medicine and you'll survive.

A (small) number of dodgy takeaways do get closed down locally (usually student areas, in Leeds).
Clean up their act, and open again.

[calibrax]

soad said:

Stock up on Anti-Diarrheal medicine and you'll survive.

Or buy a small sausage to use as a meat plug

[Baryonyx]

SpeckledJim said:

Or, more properly, a 'bab'owse.

That's what they call them down south!

Take aways in the 'true' South are usually st. A poster mentioned above the overcrowding in the South East, not only does this make it a dire place to live if you like driving but it also means there is a ready lifeline to keep crap takeaways going. They're always better up North.


Regional variety? I hate parmos but you probably can't get them down south. They're like baked snot. The kebab is an artform up here but needs no pretentious dressing up, nothing more fancy than a pickled chilli as a garnish is required. Chip shops do delightful deep fried haggis.

Here in Newcastle, a pizza shop in Heaton has almost taken over the city. Fantastic pizza at better prices than Dominos etc etc can give. They even do a Nutells pizza that is actually very nice. Their kebab pizza is particularly great as the grill crisps the edges of the meat. They deliver all over too, I see their drivers all over the place now.

[rehab71]

Everything up North is served with gravy!

[truck71]

I'd be amazed if takeaways in the north weren't better than the south- it's the staple diet ffs.