Patisserie Valerie- not surprising?

[MyOtherProfile]

Just heard on the news that Patisserie Valerie is in trouble. Frankly I'm not surprised. For me it has always missed its target. It sells nice patisserie like a posh cafe but looks like a cheap diner. As much as I'd like to go for the coffee and cake they're not pretty or comfy places. Anyone feel the same?

Meg I havent seen it on their menu whenever I've been there (not that often admittedly). However, Tesco Spicy Beanburgers in the freezer section taste almost identical to how I remember them, but round, not oval and you have to make it yourself

momasita

In fairness our harvester is still pretty decent! My parents love it - they know what they’re getting and it’s one of very few restaurants in our town that we can get dad’s wheelchair into with no problems (historic town, lots of restaurants in old buildings but the harvester is purpose built!) Admittedly these aren’t good/service related but it’s always busy and the food is consistently decent if not haute cuisine!

theyre crap. Awful croissants

Most of the stores I have been in look like they need a good scrub, they look quite quaint from the outside including the window display but once you go in they are dark and a bit grubby.

The only nice one I have been to is in Liverpool city center, it is a new(ish) store and is on a corner with floor to ceiling windows and a modern frontage making it light airy it is also clean.

Theres a couple of PV here in Dublin.
Went in for a coffee and cake,it was ok.Wouldnt go back though.

As one poster mentioned above, PV's current problems are nothing whatsoever to do with their trading performance and everything to do with their finance director who has been arrested for fraud and who appears to have been falsifying the accounts and taking out secret overdrafts.

Never been in to a PV as we live nowhere near one, but it's handy to understand the reasons behind this story.

Shared a PV cake with DS the other day, it was still a little icy. Massive style over substance in that the window display looks great but the food itself is nothing special. They're everywhere and that doesn't feel very special. DS was happy enough mind you.

@mateysmum good point. I started the thread though because I've always been surprised by their mixed message of fancy looking cakes and cheap diner style setting.