Restaurants

[ABBEY]

Mmmmmmmmmm biggggggggggggggggggg macccccccccccccccccccccc may jump on bike and get one mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[adopted scouser]

You don't have to eat it all the time though do you ? Nice try Colin, but lentil casserole won't kill my hangover like a quarter with cheese and strawberry shake

[Ozz]

Nowt wrong with that AS-You're an intellingent adult who I am sure understands that you cannot eat that day in day out and stay reasonably healthy. I understand that there is a place for fast food, I can choose to eat there or not, based on intelligent informed decision making. I eat meat-I love a good burger too, and to be honest I would not go out and eat a Mung Bean Salad on a Saturday night after a few scoops. For me it's just the way they (McDs and many other Fast food corps) manipulate and take advantage of young , immature, impressionable minds to line corporate pockets whilst simultaneously turning generations of our country into fat gets with ADD, diabetes and a rapidly decreasing life expectency.

I also understand that this view point makes me look like Buzz Killington!

[Simon Says]

Oyster and Otter for sit down Sunday Lunch.

Food quality excellent, portions small. Staff need to stop look bored and hanging around and chatting loudly when there a few customers. The Guest beer was undrinkable, the Wainwright was very cloudy, so one is looking after the beer. Considering there were only 3 tables active, we waited 40 mins for our mains.

Yes the food tastes good and is presented well and for this it deserves to be patronised as a local business. But I would avoid busy periods and drink bottled beer larger or cider.

I have never had a problem with the beer in The Oyster. Wainwright has always been spot on, but a tad expensive!

Food always good.

[Paul]

I have to agree with Oz and Colin on this. Yes I do eat the occasional Burgerking and our kids would occasionally have a MacD as a treat. However we are aware this food is as Colin delicately put it faeces. It is simply impossible to supply quality food at the price charged.

The major problem for me on this is poverty. For those on a low income the apparently cheapest choice is fast food, lots of it, quickly satisfies hunger and cheap. Of course nutritionally and economically it does not add up but try explaining that to the harassed parent trying to keep a young family fed and quiet. The future problems they are creating are far from important to them at the time of purchase.

Just take a look around though and the results of fast food are all around. Overweight, pasty faced people shoving rubbish in their mouths at all times of the day and night. It isn't good for you

Edited September 14, 2011 by Paul

[Paul]

While I'm here can anyone suggest a good hotel - proper quality - somewhere between Chorley and Manchester. I have friends visiting the area in late October. It is their wedding anniversary and they want somewhere good to stay.

A quality restaurant at the hotel would help.

[thenodrog]

......... It is simply impossible to supply quality food at the price charged.

The major problem for me on this is poverty. For those on a low income the apparently cheapest choice is fast food, lots of it, quickly satisfies hunger and cheap. Of course nutritionally and economically it does not add up but try explaining that to the harassed parent trying to keep a young family fed and quiet. The future problems they are creating are far from important to them at the time of purchase.

I disagree completely. Food is absolutely dirt cheap. 3 happy meals and a couple of big macs were £13 I think. Stay out of the pretend cheapies i.e. fast food outlets and most definitely stay away from the major supermarkets and food can be bought almost nothing. A half decent cook is the key. Large portionsof home made Shepherds pie and carrots / green beans / cabbage for 4 will cost a couple of quid. Baked potatoes or rice with chilie con carne similar. Chicken stews or casseroles / Spagbol/carbonara/arabitia can be made for virtually nowt too. Home made mash, chips, roasties are dirt cheap and will go with most meats. I've just roasted a ham joint big enough to provide 2 full meals for a family of 4 or alternatively packed lunches for the week for £3.99! I can buy a tray of 30 small pullet (best eggs ever) eggs for 30 bob.... err £1.50 for you young uns!

Find the best greengrocer that you can, a butcher that you can trust, a cheap aldi/netto etc for the tinned stuff/beans/butter/cheese/milk/flour and get all the spices in the local indopak corner shops and the weekly food bill will become virtually nothing whilst the nutrient supply to the family will be maxed and the fats and tribollox or whatever will be minimised.

Rem Paul GOOD FOOD IS CHEAP it's the shyte sorry faeces thats costly... and not just to the purse either.

Edited September 14, 2011 by thenodrog

[Paul]

Totally agree with the above thenodrog. In our house we cook but that isn't what we are discussing. As an aside my wife and I had roast chicken Sunday night, I made chicken and rice salad for my pack up lunch Monday, my wife filled a couple of sandwiches for herself and I made a sandwich Tuesday as part of my lunch and we could have made soup from the carcass. Don't know what it cost but hard to beat for value.

The last month we've made enough jam, marmalade, chutney, sorbet, flavoured gin and vodka, cassis, jelly using rhubarb, plums, raspberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries and apples from the garden to keep us going for 12 months, sold some on behalf of a charity and have loads to give away. The cost - several bags of sugar and a bottle each of very cheap vodka and gin - hardly essential I agree. Most but all of those fruits are for nothing at peak season in the right places if you can't grow them at home.

For me the point is MacDonalds can't supply real quality at the prices charged. A Happy Meal, which i think is what you bought, contains what? A toy, a load of packaging, burger, chips and (I think) a drink plus staff costs, overheads, net margin etc. Is VAT on this as a takeaway? Break all that lot down and MacDonalds cannot be supplying quality food at £2.00 per meal.

Much of the problem with obesity, as far as I can understand, is people do not / will not buy and prepare their own food. A trip to Spout House, whizz round Chorley market and perhaps a stop in Booths is more than ample to feed a household very well for a week. I agree Aldi and Lidl also offer great value but we haven't quite weaned ourselves awy from Tesco - yet!

BTW went on MacD's website to find the price of a Happy Meal. That web site should be shut down it's appalling in it's attempt to brainwash the young.

[Ozz]

For me the point is MacDonalds can't supply real quality at the prices charged. A Happy Meal, which i think is what you bought, contains what? A toy, a load of packaging, burger, chips and (I think) a drink plus staff costs, overheads, net margin etc. Is VAT on this as a takeaway? Break all that lot down and MacDonalds cannot be supplying quality food at £2.00 per meal.

I would hazard a guess that they may well lose money on £2 a go for a happy meal Paul-They use it a both a loss leader (Mum/Dad takes kids in for happy meal and then spend £10 on big mac etc on themselves) and also as an investment in the future-get them hooked early and they will more than pay back over the subsequent years.

[Ozz]

And as for Tesco......

[adopted scouser]

Asda for me

[Paul]

And as for Tesco......

Yeah I know................................think we are down to about twice a month now and trying to quit that.

[AndyB]

I would hazard a guess that they may well lose money on £2 a go for a happy meal Paul-They use it a both a loss leader (Mum/Dad takes kids in for happy meal and then spend £10 on big mac etc on themselves) and also as an investment in the future-get them hooked early and they will more than pay back over the subsequent years.

My Dad used to work for a a bank and used to get quite a few applications for loans to buy McD franchises when they first moved over to the UK. From what I remember, there wasn't much profit in the burgers, the big money was made from the drinks. Back then it was less than 0.5p for the syrup for one drink, everything else you charged for the drink after that was profit.

[thenodrog]

BTW went on MacD's website to find the price of a Happy Meal. That web site should be shut down it's appalling in it's attempt to brainwash the young.

Speaking of brainwashing. It was revealed on the news this morning that the AVERAGE family throws in excess of £700 worth of edible food into the dustbin (and obviously destined for land fill sites) every single year!

It's clear that most of the housewives in the country have been brainwashed by sell by / best by dates on packaged food. So yet again it's a compulsive argument for basic Domestic Science to be reintroduced into the school curriculum.

These dates must be massively profitable cos they even put them on packets of salt and bottled water etc so who started these? I rem the days before them but was it the Govt's Food Standards Agencies? Large retailers? Or both? If it's down to the retailers it's no wonder they regularly post massive profit figures is it? Sell stuff necessary to sustain life then get the buyer to throw some away and come back for more! An utterly brilliant masterplan!

Topical note..... Just think if we all saved that £700 there'd be no need for the public sector to whinge about their pensions would there? They could do like the rest of us and simply man up and provide for themselves in later life. Who knows some might even gain some self respect too.

Edited September 15, 2011 by thenodrog

[Sandiway Blue]

bacup you and Tom deserve all the clogged arteries and spongy brain cells that you get and which your actions are probably ensuring that your kids will get too!

As it happens,I had the alfredo chicken with pasta and the kids weren`t with us.

I never take the kids to Mcdonalds or any other fast food `restaurant`,on the rare occasion that we do have burgers they will be homemade with lean steak.

Also I did say that I hadn`t seen the menu before we had sat down (hence we didn`t know what choice of food was on offer).

Still,nice of you to make a judgement on me and my family without being in full possession of the facts......

Edited September 15, 2011 by bacup blue

[ABBEY]

While I'm here can anyone suggest a good hotel - proper quality - somewhere between Chorley and Manchester. I have friends visiting the area in late October. It is their wedding anniversary and they want somewhere good to stay.

A quality restaurant at the hotel would help.

the one near you is ok paul ,cant think of its name (malt n hops??) .Next to the gym .

good food and and a good pint.

[Ozz]

Malt House Farm Abbey?

Anyway in the interest of balance, here's some advice from T'Hotpots.

[ABBEY]

malt house doh

[Paul]

These dates must be massively profitable cos they even put them on packets of salt and bottled water etc so who started these? I rem the days before them but was it the Govt's Food Standards Agencies? Large retailers? Or both?

Urban legend has it sell by or use by dates were the brainchild of Al Capone. Apparently Capone set up soup kitchens for the Chicago poor and ensured schoolchildren received fresh milk daily. It is said he insisted the milk cartons/bottles were date stamped to ensure their freshness and avoid the kids being given sour / bad milk...................

.....................it would seem to be true http://www.tnonline.com/2011/jun/18/milk-expiration-dates-courtesy-al-capone

[adopted scouser]

Urban legend has it sell by or use by dates were the brainchild of Al Capone. Apparently Capone set up soup kitchens for the Chicago poor and ensured schoolchildren received fresh milk daily. It is said he insisted the milk cartons/bottles were date stamped to ensure their freshness and avoid the kids being given sour / bad milk...................

.....................it would seem to be true http://www.tnonline.com/2011/jun/18/milk-expiration-dates-courtesy-al-capone

Billy Connolly mentioned on that brilliant 'Route 66' thingy the other night.

[colin]

Speaking of brainwashing. It was revealed on the news this morning that the AVERAGE family throws in excess of £700 worth of edible food into the dustbin (and obviously destined for land fill sites) every single year!

It's just people with too much money being suckered into excessive purchasing of cheap food and then just binning it when they read the use-by date. You're right to suggest that the major retailers may well have a hand in this as they just want the public to buy as much as they can. The Retailers have no interest in whether or not the public eat it. I'm of an age when wasting food is offensive. My parents were of an age when it almost was an offence to throw away edible food. I have taken on their frugality. No doubt you have a similar attitude.

The bottled water "sell-by" date depends on if it's in plastic, which decays over time and releases something into the water thus rendering it a bit risky. "Sell-by" salt does appear a joke, but it may be the packaging contaminating the salt.

Just think if we all saved that £700 there'd be no need for the public sector to whinge about their pensions would there?

They could do like the rest of us and simply man up and provide for themselves in later life. Who knows some might even gain some self respect too.

You were doing so well until that comment,which defies all logical analysis.

But it's great that we agree on something.

Cheers mate

Edited September 18, 2011 by colin

[3rdpillar]

I for one am rather partial to scouring the reduction items for a bargin. If that means the notional sell by date has passed , then my nose takes over and makes the final decision.

Could do with knowing the best times and the best days to visit the local supermarkets for the maximum savings.

Best item so far was a Leg of Lamb for £7 instead of £30. Into Freezer, came out on an appriopriate event and tasted just fine.

[philipl]

Many thanks to Kamy for introducing me to Kebabish Original- absolutely outstanding food superbly prepared.

[thenodrog]

I for one am rather partial to scouring the reduction items for a bargin. If that means the notional sell by date has passed , then my nose takes over and makes the final decision.

Could do with knowing the best times and the best days to visit the local supermarkets for the maximum savings.

Best item so far was a Leg of Lamb for £7 instead of £30. Into Freezer, came out on an appriopriate event and tasted just fine.

You turning into a 'freegan' by any chance?

btw dunno if it's kosher but soembody once told me that after 5am is best at Tesco's when they are emptying the shelves for the new day's supplies.

Edited September 20, 2011 by thenodrog

[thenodrog]

Many thanks to Kamy for introducing me to Kebabish Original- absolutely outstanding food superbly prepared.

It is good. Been in just twice though during the afternoon. For some reason it seems better suited to a daytime meal. Be even better if they'd use 'proper' meat.