To think Toby Carvery is working class ?

[JoanneTeresa]

I went this week and was looking around at the likely demographic

Probably. I love food but would never brand myself a “foodie” as I think they’re snobs with a broom up their arse. Being middle class isn’t aspirational for everyone and being called working class isn’t a slur. It isn’t about money, it’s about where we position ourselves socially and if we automatically deem ourselves to be worthier than another equally worth while group.

I didn’t know they still existed but I guess every day is a school day.

(In my defence, I’m in London, maybe there aren’t many here?)

Really, surely it’s just a restaurant. Surely restaurants are more about location when it comes to clientele. I can tell you I’ve seen championship footballers in our Wetherspoons (one of the players lives a few streets from me) and they were polite, friendly to a couple of kids who wanted autographs and mostly people ignored them or in my case didn’t know who they were until the boy on the next table told me excitedly

Now been inspired to google and my closest Toby is 4 miles away & 57 minutes by public transport in Wanstead… Is it worth the visit?

Just the op who described the gaff as working class.

We went once. The chap ahead of us decided to try the gravies, all of them, by dipping in his finger and licking it. Frankly he had no class but put us off for life.

We had dry dinner and the tables were a bit a sticky. DH nearly had a melt down: queued, fingers in the gravy, sticky tables, rubbosh wine and beer.

@CremeBruhlee on nights like that, I buy steaks, a ready made salad bowl, pot of bearnaise sauce and shove in some oven chips or new potatoes. Cheaper and better.

We’ve been for a Toby today.

me & Dh come from very working class backgrounds although education made us & our kids middle class. (Kids went to private school for a while.

we all LOVE a Toby.

My parents are from low income w/c backgrounds but success at a trade in their 40s made them millionaires. They also love a Toby.

I love a carvery Tobey close to us isn’t so good one close to work is very good

But why couldn’t a wealthy working class family go there? You said it was too expensive to be working class?

I love a Toby, I even booked it for Christmas dinner this year as I don’t want to cook or wash up!

my cousins are very snobby and prefer their local pub for a roast, it was very nice but £26 and, I was hungry after

So what if it is ?
Stuck up OP

It's good value and if there was still one open near us I would go more often.

You're misunderstanding.... It's expensive was what I was getting at which might restrict certain groups of people. Exactly why I don't go often personally!

I couldn't care less who eats there. It's for everyone.

So what did “I wouldn’t describe it as working class no” mean?

genuinely asking. Your post reads like
you wouldn’t describe it as working class because it was too expensive to be

You would think that r.e. most people preferring to dine at the Ned than somewhere cheap and cheerful, but I’m not so sure. We took a family member to a high end restaurant in Knightsbridge a few years ago and they absolutely hated it. Didn’t feel comfortable and bitched about the clientele. Inverted snobbery at its finest. Thankfully it’s not someone we see regularly, and we’ll know for next time not to waste our money.

Are the clientele wearing track suits? If so yes

Well, I am middle class. So, I look down on him 👇 but I look up to him👆! 😂

I haven't been to a Toby Carvery for about 15, years, but I really rather fancy one now!

This is such a weird thread.

I’m middle class, DH and I are high earners, we live in London and we love going to the Toby Carvery with our kids! Food isn’t high end but is fine and the atmosphere is relaxed and non pretentious so perfect with kids. Sure it’s not fine dining but to be honest, that’s not what I am looking for on your average Sunday (when a roast in all our local pubs are at least £20 so for 4 of us with non alcoholic drinks it’ll easily be £120 for lunch).

DH and I are working class, but we're not carvery fans, Toby or otherwise. DH is a small eater so wouldn't get value for money. I like my food to be served to me - that's part of the point of eating out, if I have to stand in a queue it spoils my experience. Plus I'm not a Yorkshire pudding fan, despite living in Yorkshire, and they always give a tiny portion of meat expecting you to fill up on their crappy 'unlimited Yorkshires'.

Yeah but with kids somedays when you need a really low challenge meal even that feels like a faff. The last time we went we had a food delivery arriving that teatime so had nothing in, had been watching a freezing kids football match in the rain and I had tremendously rotten peri flooding periods so was wearing baggy clothes that I wouldn’t have worn in local restaurants. Quick whizz in there and home to chill on the couch. That said the one near us is nice and newly decorated and clean and the roasties are defo made from scratch which is bare minimum for me. My husband does have to be persuaded though as he’s not keen at all.

.... and I get a pain in my neck 😁

@BettyBobble If you’re gonna to label people at least do it correctly- it’s “echelon”. 🙄

I spent a lot of time in one once, nearest place to the hospital where DH was. A few years ago but more than edible food, very clean and I particularly noticed the bar staff cutting up fresh limes and lemons for the drinks, which I haven't seen in much more high end places at times. It was fine and it kept me going.

I'm sure like any chain it varies from branch to branch but I'd try another one out.

I wouldn’t eat there.
Not sure what class I am…

I’ve only been once and it was horrible, poor quality ingredients all turned to mush . Never again .