Heston vs Little Chef

[Man of Harveys]

If you are going to go on a drive and you are concerned about motorway food bring your own f***ing sandwiches. Its quite simple.

Erm, sure, that's an option. Good advice.

But the undeniable fact that motorway service stations in every other major west European country make British ones seem like a particularly run-down United Nations feeding station in Darfur but charging rip-off prices should maybe be questioned? Why are they so shite here?

For the price, I've had some fantastic meals on the motorways in France and Germany: freshly cooked steaks, a little token for your coffee afterwards (because if you buy it with the meal it'll be cold by the time you drink it), freshly-cooked Jaegerschnitzel the size of entire counties etc etc etc.

Whereas without doubt the most repulsive food I've ever eaten was a fish and chips at Watford Gap after we got beaten by Sheff Utd.

 

[Notters]

Erm, sure, that's an option. Good advice.

But the undeniable fact that motorway service stations in every other major west European country make British ones seem like a particularly run-down United Nations feeding station in Darfur but charging rip-off prices should maybe be questioned? Why are they so shite here?

For the price, I've had some fantastic meals on the motorways in France and Germany: freshly cooked steaks, a little token for your coffee afterwards (because if you buy it with the meal it'll be cold by the time you drink it), freshly-cooked Jaegerschnitzel the size of entire counties etc etc etc.

Whereas without doubt the most repulsive food I've ever eaten was a fish and chips at Watford Gap after we got beaten by Sheff Utd.

Well said! There's just one good motorway service station in England at Tebay on the M6 (be sure to stop there on the way to Carlisle. It has a farm shop with local produce, local gifts, etc.

 

[MattBackHome]

To be fair he realised after the test that he'd misjudged his menu and took the customer comments on board. IIt will be interesting to see how it turns (turned?) out - on a recent drive to Weymouth all there was for food ont the way was LC's right up to nigh on Dorchester. We refused to stop at any, and waited for a delicious McDonalds drive through.

Oh, and the Chief Exec is a complete cock too.

 

[The Spanish]

Erm, sure, that's an option. Good advice.

But the undeniable fact that motorway service stations in every other major west European country make British ones seem like a particularly run-down United Nations feeding station in Darfur but charging rip-off prices should maybe be questioned? Why are they so shite here?

For the price, I've had some fantastic meals on the motorways in France and Germany: freshly cooked steaks, a little token for your coffee afterwards (because if you buy it with the meal it'll be cold by the time you drink it), freshly-cooked Jaegerschnitzel the size of entire counties etc etc etc.

Whereas without doubt the most repulsive food I've ever eaten was a fish and chips at Watford Gap after we got beaten by Sheff Utd.

Food In France Better Than In Britain Shocker.

And you take the piss out of me for stating the obvious.



.

 

[BUTTERBALL]

Looks like Blumenthal was not the first choice. They offered it to Ramsay first!

Published: 23 Aug 2007

HAUTE cuisine expert Gordon Ramsay is set to swap posh foie gras for greasy motorway grub ? by turning around ailing diner chain Little Chef.
Producers of the foul-mouthed TV chef’s hit Channel 4 show Kitchen Nightmares offered to step in to help the firm by featuring it in the programme, which sees Gordon trying to rescue ailing restaurants.

They wrote to Little Chef offering to let Ramsay refresh its menu of “legendary breakfasts” and fried food.

Critics claim the image and menu of Little Chef, which was saved from bankruptcy by private equity firm RCapital in January, is in urgent need of a revamp.

An insider said: “We were surprised by the offer but Gordon has been a critic of Little Chef in the past.

“He wrote about us in his autobiography, so he clearly has ideas for the place.

“It’s no secret that Little Chef is not the force it once was ? but a kick up the backside from Gordon could be just the tonic.”

Ramsay ? who also presents Channel 4’s The F Word ? criticised the “depressing” roadside chain in his book Humble Pie.

 

[MattBackHome]

And that Fat Duck menu looks f***ing delicious.

 

[Notters]

To be fair he realised after the test that he'd misjudged his menu and took the customer comments on board. IIt will be interesting to see how it turns (turned?) out - on a recent drive to Weymouth all there was for food ont the way was LC's right up to nigh on Dorchester. We refused to stop at any, and waited for a delicious McDonalds drive through.

Oh, and the Chief Exec is a complete cock too.

There's a garden centre at Cadnam, just off the end of the M27, with a great Cafe. (I make it my mission to find alternatives to motorway services!)

 

[MattBackHome]

There's a garden centre at Cadnam, just off the end of the M27, with a great Cafe. (I make it my mission to find alternatives to motorway services!)

Thanks! I'll give it a bash next time...

 

[Man of Harveys]

Food In France Better Than In Britain Shocker.

And you take the piss out of me for stating the obvious.
.

Yes, I did a bit.

Because I don't think that the famed tradition of great food in France, say, has got anything whatsoever to do with it: I reckon it's much more to do with the fact that here, service stations are run by big and rather grotty accountant-driven conglomerates, spoon-feeding overpriced pigswill to unwitting saps via their virtual monopolies; whereas abroad, I think the restaurants tend often to be run and owned individually. And as someone who generally drives on motorways in the UK, I think that state of affairs is a real shame.

As DKM said, thank god for the M+S option - excellent British convenience food - although they're bloody expensive.

 

[The Spanish]

Yes, I did a bit.

Because I don't think that the famed tradition of great food in France, say, has got anything whatsoever to do with it: I reckon it's much more to do with the fact that here, service stations are run by big and rather grotty accountant-driven conglomerates, spoon-feeding overpriced pigswill to unwitting saps via their virtual monopolies; whereas abroad, I think the restaurants tend often to be run and owned individually. And as someone who generally drives on motorways in the UK, I think that state of affairs is a real shame.

As DKM said, thank god for the M+S option - excellent British convenience food - although they're bloody expensive.

Because I don't think that the famed tradition of great food in France, say, has got anything whatsoever to do with it


you seriously dont believe that do you. or that many motorway service stations in France are run by Pierre his wife and daughters baking their own bread and serving her wonderful cassoulet, and not by large catering companies like they are here.

Perhaps the evil multinationals just know what they can get away with, which in the UK is slop and on the continent it needs to be a bit better. Otherwise people bring their own sandwiches.

When the first motorway service station opened in this country it was about the most fashionable place in Briatin for a while.

 

[Mtoto]

There used to be a mobile kitchen/caravan thing opposite the entrance to Longchamp racecourse, next to a big tent with some plastic tables and chairs. They would do you a steak and a glass of red for less than 10 euros, and it was always cooked to perfection.

Disappeared a couple of years ago, sadly. The Arc will never be the same again.

 

[Notters]

Thanks! I'll give it a bash next time...

It's just down the A336 on the right
Does tend to have a fairly high proportion of Grannys, but what garden centre doesnt!

 

[Dave the OAP]

What next: Nigella Lawson puts her unique twist on the Market Diner?

you know how to get a fella going edna

 

[Normal Rob]

It's the high heat at the start that ruins it in my opinion, if you take the time to get it to something that resembles smooth custard, then scramble it - it's something else.

sorry mate but you are being far to poncy and pretentious about scrambled egg. If you really think that you need 15 minutes to produce tasty scrambled egg then you have no idea about cooking.

 

[aftershavedave]

i enjoyed this programme although clearly it was largely scripted to up the "drama".

a couple of observations:

- all of that nonsense about returning calls within 30 minutes etc was simply for the TV. The CEO was quite reasonable I thought, why on earth would he need to release his margins on TV? He made it very clear that he would disclose his margins off screen, and that's all the baldy chef needed, surely?
- much as i like his approach the menu he devised WAS lacking in oomph and i'm not surprised it was unpopular. i bet they compromise on classic british cuisine such as steak pies etc with a moderately improved content.
-i'm hoping though that they have a bust-up and he walks.

 

[csider]

not been to lil' chef in years.

i do alot of driving on the motorways.......thank god for m&s shops at services. they charge the same price for food as they do in all shops. unlike the other wankers who sharge 2.59 for bottle of water!!

 

[clapham_gull]

sorry mate but you are being far to poncy and pretentious about scrambled egg. If you really think that you need 15 minutes to produce tasty scrambled egg then you have no idea about cooking.

Oh the irony

 

[Normal Rob]

Oh the irony

indeed.

 

[Cian]

The CEO is turning out to be EVEN MORE of a cock this show.

 

[vegster]

Looks like he got there in the end though

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2008/11/28/Little_Chef_Blumenthal_temporary_menu.pdf

Much better and the sort of food I would expect. Why anyone on earth would buy a thai green curry from a little chef is beyond me.

I really like the bloke.

I really enjoyed his BBC2 series, if you looked beyond the special effects there were some really useful tips.

For instance when he was making his "spag bol", he put Thai fish sauce in it, working on the principle that it naturally contains a substance that enhances the flavour of red meat.

I tried it - and he's absolutely right.

The menu is a comman sense menu rather than incredibly innovative. It's still amazingly overpriced though...fish and chips and mushy peas £8.95 you are having a laugh !