To think the quality of Patisserie Valerie is pretty dire these days

[DyslexicScientist]

It used to be such a fabulous cake shop, they expanded a bit and were still good. They've expanded hugely and well done on that, but the quality is nothing like it used to be. I've had better stuff from mc café s in the content.

I was tempted to buy their yule log, but even though it looks good and costs 30, I don't think it will be all that.

Anyone else noticed it go downhill massively?

YANBU, it's gone horrid. I took the kids there about a year ago for hot choc and a cake as a treat. The floor was filthy and sticky, tables weren't cleaned in between customers, and service was non-existent. Cakes were stale. Bleurgh. Wouldn't go back. Also feel cheated by beautiful displays, but their cakes tasting like NOTHING any actual French patisserie cake you could buy in any normal French bakery (or even a supermarche).

yup they are crap :(

Years & years ago we lived in London & would go to the PV on Marylebone high st every now & then for a treat. They are awful now - everywhere, terrible service, always grubby looking. Kind of like something you'd find a a motorway service station.

so I'm going to have to try Betty's again. Maybe just not the one in York (I ain't queuing outside with tourists).

I shall try all of the cake and report back

I live near to a very popular garden centre..it has very lovely and overpriced trinkets and naice stuff to sniff/squeeze/occssionally buy.

They have a patisserie section in the restaurant. It takes me ages to chose and seconds to scoff. At a fiver for a piece of cake I've yet to be disappointe. I only tend to go a few times a year though.

This has happened with Cadburys, Green & Blacks, Covent Garden Soups, and loads of others.

Sad but true - I cite Harry Ramsdens as a further example.

I love black forest gateau. Adore the stuff. Saw some in Patisserie Valerie so treated myself. Oh my god it was foul! So, so sour and the cherries were rubbery.

Last month we went to a Beef Eater. Their black forest gateau was lovely. Almost like the stuff we had in the Black Forest.

It was my first trip to a PV. It was also my last. Absolutely rank.

And if you are West Midlands based, not only are patisserie Valerie poor they are the same as druckers - our very mediocre cakes in druckers had pat val wrappers !

MovemberSucks has nailed it - PV did indeed throw quality out of the window when they started to spread big-time. And to give them the French "patisserie" tag is a joke, since the real thing make their goods on the premises with love and care, and this shower probably wouldn't even recognise the concept

Also agree about Thorntons, especially with living very near to the factory. The business model/quality has changed beyond recognition, and what used to be a premium product is now just dross fit for pound shops

This is inevitably what happens to businesses that get bought by private equity firms.

Exactly what I was going to say.

Thankfully, Cambridge got Fitzbillies back after it closed a few years ago. I would probably actually kill someone for a piece of their coffee cake.

21 years ago I worked near the PV in Marylebone, and I went in there once and had a lovely time. Last year I decided that it would be vair nice to have my birthday tea in the local PV to revive fond memories of that time. I'm intrigued to realise why that birthday treat really wasn't all that great.

But hey, never mind the little people having their memories trashed as long as some investor is able to take their family to Paris for proper patisserie with the profits, eh?

The BEST cake I've had in the last few years was at a village hall jumble sale in the summer. They were doing tea and cakes, and I had the last slice of victoria sponge - a bit wonky, smudgy and had a couple of smarties on it.

Mindblowingly awesome, fabulous texture, great taste, wonderful - a genuinely memorable moment. Eat your heart out Patisserie Valerie.

God, time has flown. When I left London there was only one Patisserie Valerie. I don't even like cake and I feel sad to read this thread.

Someone told me they have franchises, which would explain the variable quality and service. It's not great these days. Although I sometimes grab cakes to take away if I'm at kings cross. Even PV is better than train food.

It's probably the most outstandingly awful tea scone I have ever had - so stale they toasted it! And then had the bare faced cheek to deny it was stale! Fucking awful - would never return.

Higge I had exactly the same experience! I met an old colleague in a central London Pat Val and we decided to have tea and scones. First they brought the tea, then about 10 mins later we enquired where the scones were so they returned and the waiter seemed to admit they had forgotten about them. Like you, our were crookedly cut and toasted. They were pretty disgusting to eat as well. Never again.

Konditor&Cook are still good but they treat their staff horribly - shouting at them in front of customers - you wonder what's going on when they don't have an audience?

We had our tea scone in Cambridge - it's obviously a company policy - tea scones cost pennies to make and the buggers charge quite s lot for the privilege of very little. It's sad though it was a London institution.
Is Paul going the same way? Dh says they are still good on the ground floor of his office but at King's Cross I'm not convinced!

I'd never been there before and went recently as I had a groupon for afternoon tea.

I couldn't get my head around the concept at all, grotty and overpriced. Absolutely nothing remotely posh about it, except for the prices.

Bizarre place.

This makes me so sad. I remember 40 years ago my mum talking about Patisserie Valerie in wistful terms of longing. .and once we even drove into Soho and looked at the window, and got some croissant. . Heady stuff. It was def treat-expensive (or maybe just to us as we were so broke), but when i was in the UK a couple of years ago i spotted one and Paddington station and was SO excited.

Shocking coffee, over-cold (now you say it defrosted) eclair with cream not creme patisseriere (which is surely the biggest irony? ?) And appalling service. And grubby. And dismal. I thought it was me, jetlag, something. . Sad sad sad.

Glad to here its not just me, I'm never sure how an aibu will turn out.

If they are basically just defrosting stuff no wonder its shit. Might ad well go to Iceland.

It is strange how busy they are, people must have very little taste and think it is good quality because its expensive.

Has Druckers gone downhill as well?

I have fond memories of stuffing my face there as a skinny teen.

Yanbu. I never understand why anyone goes there. The cake taste awful.

Higge. Agree re pauls. Used to go to one in lille, france over 10-15 years ago. Last time i visited (must be 6-7 years ago) its really gone downhill. If we eat cake now (saving money for house so really rare treat) we eat in independent ones if we can.

YANBU, the one on Twickenham is particularly rank. Also, they have a photo of a delicious looking full English breakfast on the sandwich board outside the shop but they don't actually sell it. Unless it can go on the microwave / toaster it's beyond their kitchen capabilities. FFS.