Snobby about chain food

[limeandwater]

Are people on MN snobby about chain restaurants?

I only ask because some of the comments on the £52 lunch thread.

I consider myself a bit of a foodie and enjoy fine dining.

But I also enjoy an American Hot at Pizza Express, a burger at GBK, the Katsu curry at Waggamamma's, a wrap at Nando's.

Am I a wrong un?

Exactly. Yet it's always packed whenever I walk past the Greggs in the small town 3-4 miles from me.

I guess there are levels to this, really.

If you prefer fresh food and a changing menu then obviously independent is the way to go.

As you say though, sometimes you just get a hankering for a Nando's and there's nothing wrong with that.

I do have to admit to being a bit snobby about low priced pub chain food, however. I can heat up frozen fish and chips at home, ta!

I've never had one! So I guess I can't say i don't like it. But it doesn't appeal.

Pizza Express is one of the few places I can take my Coeliac grandchild to where I feel fully confident that the food will be GF without cross contamination. Definitely our treat place,and it’s not cheap!

@JustSawJohnny I think that just not fancying much 'chain' food (Nandos/Maccies/Wetherspoons/Greggs etc) is different to being an utter snob about it, and looking down on people who uses these places.

Both my DC (both aged 30-ish,) are not fans of these places and do prefer healthy, sometimes cook from scratch food... (though they do go to Wetherspoons and Maccies now and again.) They are both vegetarians and so are their partner(s,) so this kind of makes them eat healthier than some... None of the 4 of them are snobs though, and they don't look down on people who favour ready meals/Greggs/Maccies/Wetherspoons etc.... You sound more like them.

I am not a vegetarian, but I don't eat red meat, so I tend to eat a bit healthier than I used to when I ate meat (pre 2012.) I do still eat some not so healthy food now and again! Especially crisps, and chocolate. And I LOVE CHEEEEEEEEESE!!! 🧀

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A tiny minority of restaurants claiming to be in Indian in the UK are serving Indian food!

Ready made by who? I know they will bulk make a base gravy that then gets used for various dishes by adding extra things, but a ready made base gravy that they buy in? Really? Where from? I use Makros regularly and they sell huge sacks of rice, vats of ghee, giant tubs of mango chutney, sacks of atta flour etc ... I've never yet seen a catering sized ready made curry gravy.

For me it's all about how good the food is. I just want nice food and it's expensive to eat out, I don't want to pay good money for poor food

I have eaten better cooked and way nicer food in a greasy spoon cafe off the A303 than I have had in even quite upmarket chain restaurants recently. We went to a branch of the Ivy last year and it was hands down the worst meal I've ever been served in a restaurant for many years. Next time we will go to the family-owned Lebanese restaurant, which ironically is right opposite the Ivy.

Every restaurant I have been in, is serving many Indian origin dishes.

Korma, Bhuna, Dansak, and Rogan Josh are all primarily Indian, or shared Indian and Bangladeshi and in all Indian restaurants as some of the popular ones. Vindaloo as well. Along side Madras and Tikka Masala that are Anglo-Indian food, but you would need to have a bit of an agenda to really care about them being along with those other dishes.

They also almost all serve saag dishes which are Indian, Bhindi dishes that come form many areas including India, and many other Indian origin dishes.

You have had astronomically bad luck, if you have never been in an Indian restaurant that serves Indian food. Or you ignored all the Indian food, and just got Tikka Massala or something like that.

Q brand is fairly popular, mayflower too, but they’ve moved more towards easy asian gravy mixes, Jolly Chef is quite good.

Never had it but I don’t object to it on principle! It’s just things like sausage rolls/steak bakes etc isn’t it? Same as most bakery type places.

I love Gregs. 😁. Great coffee, I love the sausage rolls, pizza slices and they do the best doughnuts!

But surely you can’t eat something you’ve never tried before for every meal!

I think he meant they almost always are run by Bangladeshis. And it's true, they are.

I used to live in a south East Asian area and they have Indian cash and carry where shop owners go, not makro/ Costco type of cash and carry

My Indian restaurant is not using ready made gravy. For a start, there is no Indian subcontinent (which is what "Indian food" means) dish that is served with "gravy". For a second, when the sauce is different each time you order it you can be sure that it's made largely from scratch.

I do a lot of travel solo or have to stay somewhere overnight for work so there are times when I’m eating out alone. If I was snobby about chains I would starve.

i was in krakow recently and even in half empty independent restaurants they wouldn’t give me a table for 1 cos they were fully booked.

I find this a lot its worse in the UK where even if you try to book in advance computer says no to 1 guest. At least chains are not stuck up like this.

nothing wrong with the food in most of the chains either. The snobby response at the start of the thread over Wagamama slop proved the point though! Lots of Mrs Jones on mumsnet

But those of us who are interested in food do understand the difference and don't generally eat in 'chicken tikka masala' places.

https://www.prashad.co.uk/

https://bundobust.com/press/

These are the ones I go to, both owned by the same family. They say they're Gujarati. Hardly any of their food has gravy and its all cooked from scratch., apart from the bread used for the vada pav.

Excellent for vegetarians and vegans for those fed up with tomato pasta or mushroom risotto.

Yup, eat in there at least one a week. Buy a meal deal with a roll or sandwich made in the store that morning with a good whack of salad in it, a fresh fruit pot and 750ml of water. Sometimes have a salad bowl instead. Sausage rolls are the best, but reserved for special occasions 😋

Nice cheap lunch that we can walk to.

Today we rang the changes with handmade beef and ale pie made on the premises, real potatoes mashed with butter, roasted carrot, savoy cabbage and superb gravy. £20 a plate from an independent pub hotel.

Variety is the spice of life.

Mumsnet does seem to be a micro climate sometimes.
I don't love chain food and would always prefer to support indies as they generally have more soul but I'm happy enough to eat at a chain. You can usually find something for even fussy eaters, they are well located, often have offers etc.
I'm a bit of a foodie in so much as I love to try new food and get inspiration for home cooking. From street food to fine dining, it all has it's place in my book.

We like a variety of different places, indie and chain. The DC particularly like Waga’s so we’re often in there and I have to admit it it’s pretty bloody tasty.

chains are often superior for allergies. They often provide ingredients much more readily than independent restaurants. Often independent restaurants don’t even have the full ingredient information when you ask.

I'm sure we all love the idea of eating local - but I've had some really shit local food restaurant meals! Sometimes I just rate having a nandos, harvester or a miller and carter - I know what I'm getting and its always good.

Eating at an independent often results in disappointment, plus there's never any deals/birthday discounts or loyalty schemes.

However this is Mumsnet - I'll just draw your attention to another thread started tonight asking about how much money everyone has leftover after bills and essentials each month. Of the first 20 comments, I'd say 17 or so we're saying over £3,000. So these people don't need to think about doing a cheeky Chicken Tuesday deal at the harvester 🤣

Even though frankly - id still eat a harvester even if i was a millionaire.

I love food. I would always choose an independent where possible but happy to have a maccies or a pizza express if the only option. Wagamamas chilli squid, however, is insanely good. I am lucky to live somewhere full of independent restaurants - could eat at a different one weekly for at least a year!

I wondered if she’d read your post properly. I too am a foodie but also dine in the odd chain like Dim T.