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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what dishes you would say are 'pub grub'?

225 replies

Ilovepearjuice · 20/10/2021 20:07

My friend is hoping to take over a pub and wants to keep the menu to fairly traditional, starting with the firm favourites. She asked for some opinions on what these favourites would be.

My initial thinking was:
Fish and chips
Lasagne
Pie and mash
Ploughman's
Roast on Sundays

So, people of Mumsnet, when you think of a proper, traditional British pub, what do you expect to see on the menu?

OP posts:
Pleasedonteliminate · 20/10/2021 20:54

Burgers. All sound like a typical English pub.

Google Irish pub menus - there is a lot more choice and variety - especially in the North of Ireland

TheNeverEndingOver · 20/10/2021 20:54

Yanbu

Bimblybomeyelash · 20/10/2021 20:54

I never trust a too long menu!

I’d keep it traditional, but simple. So :

Fish and chips
Meat pie and chips or mash
Veg pie and chips or mash
Burger and chips

RhiWrites · 20/10/2021 20:55

Not standard but I urge your friend to consider Huevos Rancheros with which I am obsessed.

melmos · 20/10/2021 20:56

Soup, toasties and sandwiches (fancy bread is always a hit for me) at lunch plus a a platter for vegans with hummus olives pittas and crudités. Along side the options other people have given but I often go with friends at lunch and hate having to have something heavy but equally don't want a salad if I am having a drink

DameAlyson · 20/10/2021 20:56

Tbh I'd just look at Wetherspoons menu and do variations on that. They know what sells.

Yep.

I like the option to order several small dishes to share - chicken wings, king prawns, nachos etc.

What time does she plan to open? Wetherspoons also offer breakfasts.

MadeOfStarStuff · 20/10/2021 20:58

Lasagne with chips and garlic bread (triple carbs!)
Nice burgers
Pie and mash
Fish and chips
Chilli, rice and nachos (or veggie chilli)

liveforsummer · 20/10/2021 20:58

Not sure about England, but you rarely see a gammon steak with egg or pineapple in Scotland now, which makes me sad.

DC and I fancied gammon steak tonight but really couldn't be bothered to go out. Being in a city i figured I could easily order on Uber eats or Deliveroo - tried Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrison's, Tesco, co op and Waitrose which all had minimal delivery fees. Not one had gammon steak as an option yet every one had turkey breast steaks. Does anyone even buy those? We ended up with ribs and I still feel disappointed (Scotland not England)

shouldistop · 20/10/2021 20:59

Oh and make sure everything is on a proper plate / in proper bowls.
I can't stand getting my food on a bloody slate that I can hardly cut it on, just because it looks fashionable.

Hoolihan · 20/10/2021 20:59

My crap pub red flags are:
*too many things on the menu
*poor/lazy veggie options - no-one wants to eat stuffed fucking mushrooms
*mixed cuisine e.g. offering curry/thai food alongside trad British - no way is that going to be in any way authentic or well made
*horrid fast food type muck like nachos, chicken wings, onion rings - just cheap and nasty
*food that's too cheap - kids meal deals for.£3.99 or a roast for £8, yuck

Mummylovesmonkeys · 20/10/2021 21:00

Jacket potatoes with an assortment of fillings.
Salads
Low calorie options - we like to eat out but are both on a diet with a lot of weight to lose, so some diet friendly options would be great!

HoldingTheDoor · 20/10/2021 21:01

LadyJaye
The Vintage Inns chain pubs round us do a proper traditional gammon steak with either egg or pineapple or both, chips and (frozen) peas. You even get a traditional steak knife to eat it with. Add English mustard, and I am in throwback 1970s nostalgic heaven!

Beefeater do it here too with egg and pineapple. Actually quite a lot of places still do it in my part of Scotland but that may just be my area.

Grilledaubergines · 20/10/2021 21:01

Fish pie
Steak
A lovely cheeseboard
Club sandwich and chips

OhGiveUp · 20/10/2021 21:03

Anything and chips from what I've seen.

lastqueenofscotland · 20/10/2021 21:03

@Hoolihan

My crap pub red flags are: *too many things on the menu *poor/lazy veggie options - no-one wants to eat stuffed fucking mushrooms *mixed cuisine e.g. offering curry/thai food alongside trad British - no way is that going to be in any way authentic or well made *horrid fast food type muck like nachos, chicken wings, onion rings - just cheap and nasty *food that's too cheap - kids meal deals for.£3.99 or a roast for £8, yuck
Totally agree with this
HoldingTheDoor · 20/10/2021 21:05

DC and I fancied gammon steak tonight but really couldn't be bothered to go out. Being in a city i figured I could easily order on Uber eats or Deliveroo - tried Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrison's, Tesco, co op and Waitrose which all had minimal delivery fees. Not one had gammon steak as an option yet every one had turkey breast steaks. Does anyone even buy those? We ended up with ribs and I still feel disappointed (Scotland not England)

I'm in Scotland and I've seen gammon steak in almost all of those(Not sure about Co-Op). I was just talking about it in Waitrose the other day when shopping and I picked one up to look at it. That's what I hate about online supermarket shopping though, often it'll tell me that items aren't available when I know that they're available in my local store. I hope that you can find one elsewhere.

liveforsummer · 20/10/2021 21:06

no-one wants to eat stuffed fucking mushrooms

Ngl I love a stuffed mushroom but I expect it on the side of a steak - that's another good suggestion!

ElvisPresleyHadABaby · 20/10/2021 21:07

Shepherd's Pie
Something seafoody

Sexnotgender · 20/10/2021 21:08

@Hoolihan

My crap pub red flags are: *too many things on the menu *poor/lazy veggie options - no-one wants to eat stuffed fucking mushrooms *mixed cuisine e.g. offering curry/thai food alongside trad British - no way is that going to be in any way authentic or well made *horrid fast food type muck like nachos, chicken wings, onion rings - just cheap and nasty *food that's too cheap - kids meal deals for.£3.99 or a roast for £8, yuck
Totally agree.
liveforsummer · 20/10/2021 21:09

@HoldingTheDoor I'm sure I'd have found one on the full online shopping or in the actual store but this was the same day ordering where they obviously only list the few most popular items. I'd have expected though that gammon would have been a staple, especially over turkey steaks but not one had them listed yet all had they turkey option.

HoldingTheDoor · 20/10/2021 21:10

That's rubbish of them. I wouldn't have expected turkey steaks to be one of the most popular items either.

1Week · 20/10/2021 21:12

Pub nearby has just put on a vegan lentil & root veg pie, chips and salad.
It's fab, savoury filling with a hunt of warming spices.
They can't keep it made, even among the vegphobes.
But the chef won't tell me how to make it

BakedTattie · 20/10/2021 21:13

Haggis Bon bons

Briony123 · 20/10/2021 21:16

Lasagne, definitely. With garlic bread and a measly "salad" of a few leaves.
Chicken Kiev
Ham, egg & chips
Fish n chips

batmanladybird · 20/10/2021 21:17

A good Caesar salad