To find the obsession with Toby Carvery baffling?

This. ^ I think @Kaykay90 must live in an area that's not as nice as where many others of us live (who have nice Tobey Carveries.)

@Kaykay90 · Today 17:01

We are going to stick to our country pubs for a home cooked roast in the future. Yes, you pay a premium but it’s worth it IMO - and also helps with regulating the clientele.

😂 Take it easy Hyacinth. 😆

It’s just an adults maccys isn’t it? Not meant to be anything special

Yes 😊 I lived in Birmingham for a bit but was told scutters is very much a Wolverhampton thing. ( is that true?)

Ahh that's very interesting! I don't live in the West Mids, and I'm not even from there, but I did live there for 12 years. I still have a bit of an accent now and again. My heart still remains there so I love that you picked up on it. Is it the word "scutters" that gave it away? 🤣

Not for me, but I can see the appeal be it a Toby carvery or another chain. Especially if you or any one of those with you are choosy in what vegetables you will eat.

How to say you are from the West Midlands without saying you are from the West Midlands 🤣

I think my mistake is when I come out of my town I turn right down the dual carriageway, towards a VERY scutty town, and the Toby is midway between. I need to turn start turning left. Its all relative isn't it? People further left who are even posher are probably distraught when they turn right from their own town and end up in mine 🤣🤣

Being veggie I wouldn't go for the carvery, but it was the breakfast option for somewhere we were staying like a Travelodge.

I rarely complain in an eating place but this was disgusting. The supposedly clean plates had food remnants dried on them - and this was almost all of them. We struggled to find a clean plate. Same with the glasses.

I will never eat in one again

@FarmGirl78 Wow, you must live in a really scummy area!

The stale fart smell would put me off. I o ly go to Carveries where the farts smell fresh.

People like it because it cheap and good value for money not difficult to work out

what’s with MN and the not so hidden snobbery around Toby carvery

I wish I lived near one. Or maybe it’s better I don’t. I really enjoy them. Cheap and straightforward, and a good way to get a good portion of veg into me.

Same op. We booked on the back of everyone raving about them but left feeling quite traumatised about the whole thing. It was god awful. My DH is a pie and mash man so no snobby cuisine pretensions here but it was like going to a run down damp old house which had lots of sullen looking obese people and families in pyjamas (I’m not joking) and the food was virtually inedible.

I couldn’t wait to get out of there - I think we left most of the food and paid the bill as soon as we could.

In fairness we’ve had some shit carveries at really popular country pubs in bougie villages too. It makes me think that people don’t actually know what a good quality roast dinner actually looks and tastes like.

I've been a few times and don't recognise what you say. I think it's maybe the area you live in. Try travelling to a nicer town next time.

My closest one is excellent and has been run well for years. It’s quite small so never hugely busy. I’m a massive fan of a roast dinner - when I’ve got a roast craving, it’s great! I can eat as soon as I arrive and the quality is consistent. The roast potatoes and beef are always amazing! It’s not a ‘restaurant’ in the sense that some are, but it doesn’t pretend to be anything more than it is.

I’ve been to a couple that aren’t local and admittedly the surroundings weren’t as good but the food was pretty much the same (it was a bit noisier and more untidy, but was a really busy Sunday).

@Kaykay90Looking down on people who enjoy a Toby Carvery, and making assumptions about what they can and can’t afford, is really unpleasant. Check your own behaviour and attitude before belittling others; they’re not the problem on this occasion.

That's the same chain as Farmhouse inns or whatever they're called. They're all "Farms". Just wonderful. Based on the mash AND the lack of sweary families.

Fucking hell

We went to a Green King carvery on Sunday and the roast potatoes were amazing. I also had mash because why not?

And a bit of cauliflower cheese on the sly.

Are you kidding me? It's mash all the way for me. I'd be happy with just a plate of 50% turkey and 50% mash.

I've never been impressed with their carvery but I love a Toby breakfast 🤤 it's the only time it's acceptable to have 5 sausages on your breakfast

I have a Farmhouse inns carvery about once a fortnight, much better quality. There's one not quite local to me that gives bigger portions of meat than my local one so I'll gladly drive out of my way for it. If I ever came into money I'd probably eat there every other night (yes, I'm an awful cook and don't mind admitting it!). Love love love a good carvery!!

My local Farmhouse has started doing all you can eat carvery which is just WONDERFUL. I've still never managed more than 3 trips up though. 😋

You have both. Obviously 🙄

We were amazed when a colleague of DH’s suggested we go to a pub near them that does a great Sunday Lunch. He attended catering college in his youth and considered himself a foodie. We followed him and his wife in our car from their house and he pulled into a Toby Carvery! I wonder whether he didn’t know it is a chain? It was so odd. Like saying you know a place near you that does a great burger and rocking up at McDonalds.

I wasn’t impressed with the food, the roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings were poor. This is over a decade ago though. I haven’t been back.