This would be an interesting development here...
Discussion
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28313666
I often wonder how much food I eat out these days is "industrial" and not actually made in the kitchen.
I often wonder how much food I eat out these days is "industrial" and not actually made in the kitchen.
55palfers said:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28313666
I often wonder how much food I eat out these days is "industrial" and not actually made in the kitchen.
Just been reading that article myself its a good idea , I imagine the large majority of the food in restaurants is " industrial" I often wonder how much food I eat out these days is "industrial" and not actually made in the kitchen.
There are a handful of gastro type pubs local to me that cook from scratch these days, quite sad as this number is getting smaller still. The hoards seem to want this dine for two crap of a generic plastic menu these days.
Sad, as I do like to ponder over a chalk special board.
It would be interesting if this came over the channel, although I doubt it would put to many people off!
Sad, as I do like to ponder over a chalk special board.
It would be interesting if this came over the channel, although I doubt it would put to many people off!
Thing is, because it is only shown where food IS homemade, it won't put people off places where food is bought in pre-done. A bit like the signs that show 5 stars for cleanliness - only those that have 5 stars will display the sign but have you ever avoided somewhere purely because there was no sign?
If they had to show a picture of a microwave everywhere food is not cooked from scratch it might make you think twice.
If they had to show a picture of a microwave everywhere food is not cooked from scratch it might make you think twice.
interesting idea but surely you can often tell when things are industrially prepared. Go for a beef bourguignon in somewhere like Cafe Rouge and it will be. Same meal in a tiny 10 seat owner run bistro less likely. Look at the size of the menus. If they have more than about 5 starters, 5 mains and 5 desserts then the likelihood is either a lot of it isn't fresh of its made of very similar ingredients like indian and chinese restaurants but even with those stuff like prawn toast etc will be mass produced.
I'm an ex-chef and have stopped bothering to eat out these days.
I live in Guernsey, home of fresh fish and seafood, fruit and veg, cream to die for (you can feel the arteries harden with each mouthful). I cannot think of a single kitchen that uses more than 10% local produce at the most.
One pub offered 'Fresh Catch of the Day' as salmon. WHAT??? The pub is 5 yards from the sea and has fishermen in the back bar but still cannot be bothered to buy local produce. Even the cream is UHT, not Guernsey.
Why? The economics make very little difference. I think it's laziness and lack of skills. Most of the Latvian staff are pretty poorly trained.
I live in Guernsey, home of fresh fish and seafood, fruit and veg, cream to die for (you can feel the arteries harden with each mouthful). I cannot think of a single kitchen that uses more than 10% local produce at the most.
One pub offered 'Fresh Catch of the Day' as salmon. WHAT??? The pub is 5 yards from the sea and has fishermen in the back bar but still cannot be bothered to buy local produce. Even the cream is UHT, not Guernsey.
Why? The economics make very little difference. I think it's laziness and lack of skills. Most of the Latvian staff are pretty poorly trained.
Fishtigua said:
I'm an ex-chef and have stopped bothering to eat out these days.
Disappointing to hear, but pleased to have the validation. I'm a reasonable home cook and my criteria for a meal out is that it should be better than I can manage to make or more complex or time-consuming than I can be bothered with.The great majority of the time I end up eating something that I know I can do better at myself. I wonder if it reflects people's lack of cooking skills at home that they are prepared to accept something not so good out?
Fishtigua said:
I'm an ex-chef and have stopped bothering to eat out these days.
I live in Guernsey, home of fresh fish and seafood, fruit and veg, cream to die for (you can feel the arteries harden with each mouthful). I cannot think of a single kitchen that uses more than 10% local produce at the most.
One pub offered 'Fresh Catch of the Day' as salmon. WHAT??? The pub is 5 yards from the sea and has fishermen in the back bar but still cannot be bothered to buy local produce. Even the cream is UHT, not Guernsey.
Why? The economics make very little difference. I think it's laziness and lack of skills. Most of the Latvian staff are pretty poorly trained.
Lovely island, Guernsey. Visited for the first time this March just gone. Super weekend. Ate in the hotel as we were guests of a firm based there. I live in Guernsey, home of fresh fish and seafood, fruit and veg, cream to die for (you can feel the arteries harden with each mouthful). I cannot think of a single kitchen that uses more than 10% local produce at the most.
One pub offered 'Fresh Catch of the Day' as salmon. WHAT??? The pub is 5 yards from the sea and has fishermen in the back bar but still cannot be bothered to buy local produce. Even the cream is UHT, not Guernsey.
Why? The economics make very little difference. I think it's laziness and lack of skills. Most of the Latvian staff are pretty poorly trained.
On a return visit where would you recommend a visitor go for proper, Guernsey sourced, local grub done well?
Don said:
On a return visit where would you recommend a visitor go for proper, Guernsey sourced, local grub done well?
For modern accommodation, either the Fermain Valley or the Old Government House in town. About the only place I eat at is the Imperial Hotel. It's a bit rambling and old fashioned, the old fishermen still speak patois French in the pub bit(very rare these days) and the seafood is good.Me, I try to buy as much as I can from the hedge-veg. If a gardener has a bit too much produce left, they bung it in a box at the side of the road. You stop at the box, pick your fruit, veg, jams or pickled onions and then put your money in the honesty box. Can't think of many places that still does that.
Fishtigua said:
For modern accommodation, either the Fermain Valley or the Old Government House in town. About the only place I eat at is the Imperial Hotel. It's a bit rambling and old fashioned, the old fishermen still speak patois French in the pub bit(very rare these days) and the seafood is good.
Me, I try to buy as much as I can from the hedge-veg. If a gardener has a bit too much produce left, they bung it in a box at the side of the road. You stop at the box, pick your fruit, veg, jams or pickled onions and then put your money in the honesty box. Can't think of many places that still does that.
I really appreciate your response as I will be back on the Island in due course. I'm an Islander myself in that I'm from Ynys Mon. Not the same as we have a bridge and are not independent but certainly we're different for sure. These days I'm English by adoption....Me, I try to buy as much as I can from the hedge-veg. If a gardener has a bit too much produce left, they bung it in a box at the side of the road. You stop at the box, pick your fruit, veg, jams or pickled onions and then put your money in the honesty box. Can't think of many places that still does that.
Loved visiting the Island recently. We'll see when we can make it back...
craigjm said:
interesting idea but surely you can often tell when things are industrially prepared. Go for a beef bourguignon in somewhere like Cafe Rouge and it will be. Same meal in a tiny 10 seat owner run bistro less likely. Look at the size of the menus. If they have more than about 5 starters, 5 mains and 5 desserts then the likelihood is either a lot of it isn't fresh of its made of very similar ingredients like indian and chinese restaurants but even with those stuff like prawn toast etc will be mass produced.
I own a (predominantly seafood) restaurant, it only has about 32 covers and we offer approx 16 starters and roughly 20 main courses and also 10 different seafood salad and the vast majority is cooked there and then as fresh as a daisy. We make our own fish stock but use knorr products for any meat stocks or juices that we need.
None of our products are what this report might call industrially prepared, they are received by us as fresh and cooked to order.
We don't order massive amounts of anything and once we run out of a product it will be replaced by something else.
Please don't assume that just because a restaurant has more than a handful of dishes it cannot cope with it or that it is bought in already prepared, especially if it is by the sea.
dazco said:
I own a (predominantly seafood) restaurant, it only has about 32 covers and we offer approx 16 starters and roughly 20 main courses and also 10 different seafood salad and the vast majority is cooked there and then as fresh as a daisy.
We make our own fish stock but use knorr products for any meat stocks or juices that we need.
None of our products are what this report might call industrially prepared, they are received by us as fresh and cooked to order.
We don't order massive amounts of anything and once we run out of a product it will be replaced by something else.
Please don't assume that just because a restaurant has more than a handful of dishes it cannot cope with it or that it is bought in already prepared, especially if it is by the sea.
I don't assume that it just raises my suspicions but looking at the description of your place it should be quite easy to tell what you are doing. It sounds like a place of daily print menus or blackboards and that again is usually a good sign of fresh preparation. We make our own fish stock but use knorr products for any meat stocks or juices that we need.
None of our products are what this report might call industrially prepared, they are received by us as fresh and cooked to order.
We don't order massive amounts of anything and once we run out of a product it will be replaced by something else.
Please don't assume that just because a restaurant has more than a handful of dishes it cannot cope with it or that it is bought in already prepared, especially if it is by the sea.
Tickle said:
There are a handful of gastro type pubs local to me that cook from scratch these days, quite sad as this number is getting smaller still. The hoards seem to want this dine for two crap of a generic plastic menu these days.
But but what if you serve it on a square plate. Or better still, a roof tile?In similar vein I just bought two items from Charlie Bingham's range at Waitrose. Previously I had the fish pie and it did taste better than normal, of course they are not cheap. Today I bought the cannelloni and the paella.
The thing is, rather like the posts above I, rather romantically, sort of imagine them being a wife and husband team of chefs that started out on their, expanded once to 16 peoople and now are up to 45, whilst still retaining their homely values. However it could just be a big multinational just choosing the name to give it an edge in a new niche they have not exploited yet. Charlie Bingham may not be real ... noooooo
I wonder how many gastro pub burgers are actually made from scratch on the premises ?
The thing is, rather like the posts above I, rather romantically, sort of imagine them being a wife and husband team of chefs that started out on their, expanded once to 16 peoople and now are up to 45, whilst still retaining their homely values. However it could just be a big multinational just choosing the name to give it an edge in a new niche they have not exploited yet. Charlie Bingham may not be real ... noooooo
I wonder how many gastro pub burgers are actually made from scratch on the premises ?
Hoofy said:
Tickle said:
There are a handful of gastro type pubs local to me that cook from scratch these days, quite sad as this number is getting smaller still. The hoards seem to want this dine for two crap of a generic plastic menu these days.
But but what if you serve it on a square plate. Or better still, a roof tile?The places i've been most disappointed with of late have been the so called smoke house restaurants in London, I've been to both Red Dog, Hoxton and Bodeans, Clapham in the past couple of weeks and I can do better on my weber in the garden following a simple on-line recipe and watching some youtube videos.
£8 for 6 wings sprayed with liquid smoke and charred to death on a grill.. Never again.
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