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Original poster

Anyone watching the Heston Blumenthal/Little Chef thing?

119 replies

Habbibu · 19/01/2009 21:51

It's hilarious. CEO of Little Chef (failing badly, shit food (allegedly)) telling the owner of the restaurant voted Best in the World that his food isn't radical enough. Fucking hell.

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Original poster
Habbibu · 19/01/2009 22:04

Eeewwww. I remember an Anthony Worrall Thompson story - he went in to a Little Chef, asked for an omelette, to be told they were off. But he could have a fried egg... The omelettes were bought in, ready made. Blergh.

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Sparkletastic · 19/01/2009 22:06

The omelettes are microwaved too - yucky blucky!!

Scum · 19/01/2009 22:10

Agree with thumbburns. Think HB was a definite choice by CEO with the idea of showing Little Chef food as down to earth no nonsense retro grub in contrast to sciency poncy non-food. Then CEO got disappointed because Heston did a Jamie Oliver/Hugh FW/G Ramsay and highlighted the truly shit ingredients and awful cooking. And Hestoned up some classics instead of introducing tutti fruity bacon museli and liver ice cream. Hope HB wins through in the end- he is a genius I think. Think his chefs need to watch that they don't come across as snotty though.

Original poster
Habbibu · 19/01/2009 22:13

ooh - interesting theory - was setting HB up to fail? I did like the phone call where HB told CEO that he'd talk him through the £250 Fat Duck menu, and explain how it couldn't be done for £6 ph.

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janeite · 19/01/2009 22:17

I thought this was hilarious. And the CEO is an absolute tosser who basically doesn't know what the hell he wants and has about as much idea about taste, flavour, texture etc as your average German Shepherd.

HB totally the wrong person for the "job" but I did find myself liking him quite a lot tbh. I thought his sample menu was actually trying hard to get the right balance between his own cooking and the back to basics with a bit of a twist thing that they should probably be aiming for. The icecream thing was a bit misguided though - too faffy and chefy.

DaisyMooSteiner · 19/01/2009 22:18

God, how do people like that become CEOs? I could do better than that for far less money

Scum · 19/01/2009 22:21

I think the CEO, while extremely difficult to like, is probably not as stupid as he appears, viz setting HB up to fail theory below.

Scum · 19/01/2009 22:22

I loved Heston's phone call too, habbibu!

ThumbBurns · 19/01/2009 22:22

It's all for tv though, isn't it? I mean, the CEO has done it purely for the tv coverage, no question - if he really wanted it to work out sensibly and uncontroversially he would have picked Antony Worrall-Fatface, or someone more on the LC cooking wavelength, I believe.

Wonderstuff · 19/01/2009 22:23

looks like it works I'm near Popham, I'll investigate and report back

Original poster
Habbibu · 19/01/2009 22:23

Yes, but do you not think it was a bit of a stupid plan, Scum? HB is extraordinarily successful not just because of his cooking ability, but because of his business sense and ability to sell this "weird" stuff and make it much more popular than you'd ever expect. whereas LC is failing dismally.

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Original poster
Habbibu · 19/01/2009 22:24

And HB has got to be costing LC A Lot of money.

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Wonderstuff · 19/01/2009 22:28

On the channel 4 site there is an interview withe the CEO, reading between the lines seems like C4 set it up and he was worried he'd become a laughing stock but thought he may as well give it a go. Agree with Daisy, he doesn't have a clue

Ivykaty44 · 19/01/2009 22:30

What did he want to explode, he kept want an explosion - why? silly twat has no idea about food or cooking and then ends up fucking up the business even more.

Did like HB thought he was rather good

Wonderstuff · 19/01/2009 22:32

business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/leisure/article5541938.ece Sounds like HB wasn't his idea?

Scum · 19/01/2009 22:32

Think it's probably a good plan, on the whole- little chef holds people's affection still and this is all free publicity and that usually means a boost for the brand.

All the "Little Chef is my Life" staff were quite bizarre and other worldly, weren't they?

DaisyMooSteiner · 19/01/2009 22:34

The CEO used to work for M&S.

Nuff said.

Wonderstuff · 19/01/2009 22:36

Dixons hardly a raging success either!

stillenacht · 19/01/2009 22:36

It was hilarious - all of it. they are all a bunch of idiots particularly the CEO.

stillenacht · 19/01/2009 22:38

yes i thought it was great when he kept going on about taste explotions. Idiot!

stillenacht · 19/01/2009 22:38

explosions (aargh! can't spell tonight)

Ivykaty44 · 19/01/2009 22:40

God, how do people like that become CEOs? I could do better than that for far less money

Its not what you know but who you know - or in some cases whos daughter you sleep with

Tommy · 19/01/2009 22:40

I thought the staff were all extraordinarily loyal as well

also think that LC customers just want nice fry ups and fish and chips. Trouble is,you can get all that stuff in supermarket cafes these days can't you - much cheaper and generally better done.

I like HB though - not encountered him on the telly before - he seems very charming

DaisyMooSteiner · 19/01/2009 22:41

I'm not ruling out sleeping with someone's daughter if I got to be a CEO....

Ivykaty44 · 19/01/2009 22:44

There are some great caravans in laybys doing good ole bacon rolls and sausage sandwhiches - there is one on the A30 past exeter that is in a large layby that alwys seems to have a que.

The staff are very loyal - shame there loyalty doesn't get appreciated by those way up in the gods that pay them shit wages and take all the cream.