Do restaurants really serve microwaved 'ready meals'?

[AtleastitsnotMonday]

As it says really. This has come up several times on threads about eating out recently. Basically people saying they are not paying restaurant price for microwaved food. Is this really true? What's the point in having chefs if it's a case of sticking things in a microwave? Surely they wouldn't get away with it. It's often mentioned in discussion about pasta dishes in Italian chain restaurants, surely buying in ready made meals would cost them a whole lot more that cooking a bit of pasta and sauce anyway.

Why do you think so many pubs have really similar menus?

Big because if I want a nice ready meal (ie; M & S, Cook or Waitrose standard) I would rather buy it and eat it at home. Not pay three times the price (average restaurant mark up on materials- I have worked in the trade) to eat it in a restaurant - surely that's not hard to comprehend?

I can't say whether or not meals are microwaved in some restaurants, but I do remember, many years ago a newspaper report which said that many places bought 'boil-in-the-bag' meals which they heated in a saucepan of water whilst customers are their starter. It suggested that this wasn't limited to chain restaurants either. The obvious progression would mean that a microwave has taken over where the pan of water left off. As another poster suggested, refusal to make a small alteration to a meal could indicate the meal is ready prepared.

I think it has become very very common sadly.

Im very particular about where I eat…….

@DidyouNO they make the pizzas in front of you in most branches of PE, so that might be true for the pasta but it's not for the whole menu.

Places with a short menu are a better bet. If it’s a really long menu covering a load of different cuisines then a lot of it is going to be pre- prepped.

Yes beware the menu with everything. Not a good restaurant probably

It's obvious from the menu that a lot of food is frozen and microwaved. Anywhere that has a huge menu for a starter.

I eat at nandos a lot. The chicken is freshly cooked, the chips are frozen, dont know what they do with spicy rice (which i love but you always get exactly the same quality and same amount so maybe thats bagged I expect its reheated). Most of the sides must be reheated.

I don't really mind as I cook and reheated a lot of food at home but it's different from a supermarket ready meal.

most chain restaurants do it this way.

and other restaurants will buy in posh ready meals or sous vide.

you are paying for sitting on your arse, nice service and margins on the alcohol.

@Quitelikeit and @illiterato, yes, I’m with you both! Shorter menus are usually a good sign. Certainly, menus that are pages long are really off-putting to me. Too much choice, and the likelihood of any of it being freshly made is very low. I am a lot fussier than I used to be about where I eat. Eating out is more expensive than it used to be, even in cheaper places, and if I’m paying for it, I want it to be really good.

Worked in wetherspoons kitchens years ago. Everything is either deep fried or microwaved.

I'm thinking yes because you often see "Chef required, no experience necessary".

You're not paying for the food in a restaurant though, or the food is a tiny fraction of the cost. You're paying for the surroundings, the service and the convenience.

Yes they do.

www.brake.co.uk/meal-solutions

How to spot restaurants who do this

A menu with dozens of choices for each course

Large numbers of plastic tubs and trays stacked outside the rear door of the kitchen, empty awaiting collection next time the supplier delivers.

Regular deliveries by large branded chill-vehicles.

I’ve just remembered. DH once ordered a jacket with tuna Mayo somewhere, a smart little independent coffee shop.
We hastily cancelled our order when we heard someone yell in the kitchen ‘Chris, grab a portion of tuna from the freezer’.
like WTH? Who freezes tinned tuna? 😂

Don’t judge but I ordered lasagne from an Italian restaurant on Christmas Eve and ewww. It wasn’t fresh. It was a stiff, rectangular slab of nothingness, the meat was brown and dry and the sheets were practically glued together. The restaurant then added a spoonful of random watery ragu on the side to try and spruce it up. Definitely leftovers if not a dodgy ready meal

@YukoandHiro i worked in pizza express all the dough is frozen and most of the ingredients are. They defrost them to then use in front of you while making the pizza.

Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (on All4) is mostly Gordon screaming the F word at chefs for using microwaves.

Not all do. Ones I've been to don't. Everything has been made from scratch.

Weatherspoons do I had the chilli and rice recognised the Uncle Bens rice straight away it was the golden veg one sure the chilli was tinned too, very nice as I loved tinned chilli has to be a nice one. But price was shocking if I was correct.

Yes ! Even eggs get delivered already poached and packed in plastic pockets ready for use!

I'm not surprised...
I remember in Fawlty Towers when there was some drama in the kitchen and the two little old ladies asked if they could cancel their fruit salad, and Sybil replied that it would be a bit difficult because Chef has opened the tin now.

I once went to Wetherspoons and was told they were all out of poached eggs but had fried eggs.....

Weatherspoons is microwave meals BUT i dont necessarily mind due to the price of it and it does taste good a lot of the time but the prices are going up and soon wont be worth it not that i go in there to be honest

I had beautifully poached eggs in Wetherspoons once. I was surprised because I thought it was probably a stupid thing to order. I wonder where I can get eggs in pouches.....😆