To not expect to be served a ready-meal when I eat out?

[WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll]

We bought some gift vouchers for family members for a big chain 'restaurant' place named after two Italian gentlemen that they love and go to frequently. All fine.

But it got me thinking as we personally can't stand that place. When we went there with them once, the food was terrible - chewy, tasteless and thoroughly unappetising, the same as it was when we went some time ago - I suppose we were hoping it might have changed in the meantime, but it was actually worse. It wasn't cheap either.

We've experienced this at a number of other places too. Looking online, it appears that it's become the norm at a lot of restaurants to have dishes prepared centrally (often from a generic third-party wholesaler) that they then keep in the freezer and just heat up - often in a microwave - when they're ordered.

We don't have ready meals at home unless it's a real emergency - in such cases, we'd rather have something simple and basic like beans on toast or a sandwich than a microwave meal, which we invariably regret immediately afterwards anyway.

We're not snobbish in any way - we've had many a satisfying meal at greasy spoon/transport cafes and pubs where they've had a chef who actually cooks rather than just microwaving. We don't like and couldn't afford and would probably be turned away at first glance from 'gourmet' restaurants owned by a celebrity chef and with a waiting list, but we're happy to pay a fair price for a good meal.

The worst ones are carveries, where 80% of customers are eating pretty much the same thing all day, with a steady stream of demand, and yet some still use frozen roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings.

It seems like a lot of people don't mind it, and some obviously enjoy it, which is great if you do - maybe the atmosphere and theme/surroundings is what matters most to some folk - but I really wish there was some clear way of knowing in advance whether a cafe/pub/restaurant serves food prepared and cooked on the premises or just shoves an unpleasant ready-meal in the microwave for you. Maybe something like CAMRA accreditation but for food rather than just beer?

F&B’s is overpriced dross.

All surpermarket cafe’s will do the same (and not with food available on site most of the time so yes, they really can run out of eggs etc) but their prices reflect that.

Absolutely agree!
I am not using chain restaurants exactly for this reason.

I kind of agree. OTOH, it is rather nice to go for a meal in a restaurant that's cheap as chips (six to eight pounds each,) for the meal - with chips, and a salad, and a non alcoholic drink included - and only have to wait 5-10 mins MAX.

I am a very impatient person, and it's a treat to have it so quick. I go to Wetherspoons at least twice a month, and it's cheap, the food is decent, and the staff are very friendly. And all the different ones I have been in (about 7 or 8 in different towns and cities,) are all nice inside. Like not super glam, but cosy, with dim lighting - like an old fashioned pub.

I have been to many 'posh' restaurants, (in the past, like 10 or more years back) and paid through the nose - like £75 for me and DH and our 2 kids for a frankly, average meal. So almost £20 each including drinks. It was freshly cooked, but it took half an hour to get to us, and cost 3 X more than Wetherspoons does NOW.

I know which I prefer.

£20 each including drinks is very cheap.

We eat out a lot but avoid F&Bs. When it first opened 20 ish years ago it was actually pretty different and served things like black and blue burgers with the fictional story of Frankie and Benny. Now it’s like any of the 30 odd other chain restaurants.

I don’t mind Pizza Express, Prezzo or Zizzi but I would never have pasta as I’m guessing that’s all just glorified ready meals? I could make pasta at home.

We have independent Indian and Japanese restaurants here that I would rather go to. Also have a couple of lovely local cafes that do brunch.

@VisitorsEntrance

£20 each including drinks is very cheap.

Not 15-20 years ago it wasn't! If you had read my post properly - I said, it was when the kids were young. Like mid to late 1990's. £75 for a meal for 2 adults and 2 small children - when we all had soft drinks - was a horrific price! We could only afford to eat out (in a restaurant) a couple of times a year.

It's cheaper now, at places like Wetherspoons. Thank God for places like that.

Some people must live on a different planet if they think £75 for a meal for 2 adults and 2 small kids (with soft drinks only for all,) was a good price in the late 1990's.

As I said, it's cheaper NOW in some places.

YANBU. I'm really not fussy and personally don't mind this BUT I get that not everyone does plus knowing does help in terms of then you know if dishes can be "tweaked" which as a veggie I sometimes find useful as does occasionally fussy dd.

It's nice if you're out and paying a bit extra to ask them to eg leave out onions if they give you heartburn.

Cheap but honest food - greasy spoons, most of my local takeaways, pub grub is great. Overcharging for little effort or quality is annoying.

I haven't been to an f&b for ages as can't afford them tbh but when we have been (generally when dd was younger for her birthday when they were a "thing" for her age group) we tended to have pizza as that's usually freshly done or it was then.

"How do you tell though? I mean with some things its pretty obvious but Im not sure Im always able to tell the difference. Wow that does not say good things about my taste buds" 😂 seriously you can't tell? Usually seriously under seasoned and varying temps throughout one dish gives it away!

"In addition lots of pubs buy in ready prepped stuff from Brake Bros/3663/etc so while they have autonomy over what the serve - again its is often pre-packed, pre-cooked stuff that needs reheating or minimal preparation doing." Even Michelin star places been caught doing this. I seem to remember a celeb chefs restaurant being caught using ready made gravy or something?

"Didn't Gordon Ramsay get his wrist slapped a few years ago for serving up stuff that had been produced in centralised kitchens?" That might be the one I'm thinking of.

Independent is generally the way to go though. I rarely eat out except special occasions so if I'm spending the little I have on a treat I want decent quality food AND service. The one advantage to living in a deprived area is even the "posh" restaurants are fairly reasonable and the quality is good. Our local Italian is very minimal decor wise but the food is AMAZING inc homemade ice cream.

"Even Wetherspoons is better than F&B" agreed plus great range for veggies inc full breakfast.

I agree they're not actually cheap too, but they're PERCEIVED to be, I've had people query why I (benefits recipient) go to the local independent places, then I point out they're actually cheaper than weatherspoons or wherever. Exceptions being McDonalds MAYBE but then my local chippy is cheaper and has more veggie options too (and do pickled eggs 😜)

I tried wagamamas once (had a voucher) HATED it! If we do Japanese we go to a fab independent place in glasgow, the fact many of their customers are also Japanese (word seems to even get to tourists) and other Asian people suggests to me it's fairly authentic though I've never been to Japan. But we love the food there.

"All surpermarket cafe’s will do the same (and not with food available on site most of the time so yes, they really can run out of eggs etc) but their prices reflect that." Tesco's is extortionate now! Reflected in my local one by the fact there's rarely more than one, usually male probably didn't know better customer! The morrisons one however is always packed and does a cracking all day brekkie.

YANBU

ASK Italian is the worst offender. Their risotto is from little microwavable bags. Absolute shite.

Winter are you up north? I agree even 15 - 20 years ago that would have been cheap......

YANBU. Not least of all because it’s usually really bad ready meals as well. The very least they could do is get M&S style ones.

@recovery18 I was once reduced to tears by and ASK meal when pregnant and starving.

I hate places where the food comes out really quickly and they ask if you want dessert as you're swallowing thw last bite of your main course

Not 15-20 years ago it wasn't! If you had read my post properly

I did read your post, you said 10 years ago.
20 years ago that would have been pricey. 10 years ago not so much so.

Agree with PP about the awfulness of F and B's food and we would never go back (same with pizza express which is so expensive.) However, I've never waited in any restaurant as long as I've waited in F and Bs. It seems like you needed a good 3 hours handy to have lunch in there!

F&B has really gone downhill. We first ate at one maybe 12/13 years ago and it was pretty good, decent service etc. We've experienced the food quality/service deteriorate over the years and have now given up on them.

Same with Pizza Hut, Pizza Express, Bella Italia - we just don't bother anymore.

In fact, we've stopped eating out except when we're away from home on holiday etc. Then we'll just go to a "2 for 1" or Sizzlers pub where at least you're not paying top whack for your microwave meal, or a Morrisons in store cafe where the food is usually at least cooked fresh (even though it's usually fried food!). For lunches, it's Subway or Maccy D's.

Shame really, we used to love eating out, but the chains are overpriced crap, and "proper" restaurants are just far too expensive.

"We're not snobbish in any way"

Ha ha ha ha.
Why is beans on toast healthier than a ready meal? You can have healthy ready meals.

I do agree, however, that I'd rather a restaurant that cooks on site.

"Chain restaurants are generally awful. Not sure what they are so popular as they aren't cheap! "

Often the only option if you're a big group and want to eat in the city centre. Where I live the rates are so high that the independents are all outside the centre and if you have people coming from different places they want to be close to the train station.

This is the reason we eat out so rarely. We can cook good food at home by ourselves. We only order take a away pizza if one of us is ill or food has burnt etc.

It's not just big chains or big breweries pubs though. Even local pubs (the sort where there are two or three 'sister pubs') heat up pre-cooked meals.

Tbh if the food is good I don't mind. There's 'ready' meals and pre-prepared meals and the quality can vary. (Eg difference between 'Cook' and Tesco microwave meals). Some places it actually tastes grim whereas some it's really nice even though it's 3663.

DNephew works at Wetherspoons. Things like breakfasts and steaks are definitely cooked from scratch, and they're really hot on hygiene.

Agree. Totally and utterly. In this day and age it's totally unacceptable.

Bad

Morrison’s cafe’s cook more fresh than say, Asda/Tesco cafes do, however the only “fresh” eggs are the fried ones, both poached and scrambled come in vacuum packs/bags. Things like lasagne/curry etc are ready meals.

I used to work at a "celebrity chef" restaurant chain and 80% of it was frozen if not more :/

This is so true. At least at pizza express you can see them make and cook the pizza there and then.

What's Brasserie Blanc like? I've never been there before, but we are eating at the Hale Barnes one tomorrow night.