Ian Ian Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Its all Little chefs problem they are in big big money trouble their food is OK but prices are too high for the traveling public simple as, the "average" traveller is either a Rep, Lorry driver or family with kids so the family go to the McDonaulds/burger king to keep the kids happy and the Rep goes to a Pub and the lorry driver goes to the Lorry park all which are far cheaper than the Little Chefs So they get in the Worst chef for the job IMO Heston is ok in his "own world " Little Chef should have got someone of Jamie Olivers passion or someone who know what the public want at a reasonable price, or/and attract the Kids away from MCDs and BurgerKing for the travelling familys Just my Opinion Cheers -Ian- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveR Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Chocolate ice-cream with aroma of orange...OK. He was trying to make buttered jacket potato SOUP the previous night. I didn't catch exactly how/what he made it with, but he was determined to make this soup taste like a buttered jacket spud. Am I missing something or if he reckons the public who can't read menus might want to taste a jacket pot, why not just serve them? I be they'd cost less than turning them into soup, too. He's mental. Ham cooked in straw was another suggestion. Lancashire hotpot but made with lambs tongue and an oyster. Eh?! Does he just write down lots of foods on little card then shuffle the pack and see what comes out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 He was trying to make buttered jacket potato SOUP the previous night. I didn't catch exactly how/what he made it with, but he was determined to make this soup taste like a buttered jacket spud. Am I missing something or if he reckons the public who can't read menus might want to taste a jacket pot, why not just serve them? I be they'd cost less than turning them into soup, too. He's mental. Ham cooked in straw was another suggestion. Lancashire hotpot but made with lambs tongue and an oyster. Eh?! Does he just write down lots of foods on little card then shuffle the pack and see what comes out? You sound as though you might be a Little Chef customer What Heston does isn't all that new or crazy, it's just not what they need in a Little Chef, basic but tasty food at decent prices is what's required. I agree with your comment on the jacket soup, as much as I like things like that (anyone remember the crisps that were jacket pot and butter?) if I'm on the road and want a jacket potato experience then I'm more likely to want butter, cheese and tuna than a bowl of soup for the same money. I can get a good Jacket at Costco for £1.22, I'd pay triple that in a cafe, there is money to be made from the basics. Heck, why not convert the whole chain into a potato palace, just have 15 fillings and a salad bar. A lot of the service stations put a Burger King in with Little Chef, which are you going to pick if you want a burger or a quick food fix? The LC in my home town was a purpose built place, they put a BK in reception, suddenly nobody wanted to go into the LC... duh. Basic food, keep the pancakes, free coffee refills, change the decor and wash the staff... job done. But I'd still go to KFC, BK or better still one of the M&S shops if that option was available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveR Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 You sound as though you might be a Little Chef customer oi! Heck, why not convert the whole chain into a potato palace, just have 15 fillings and a salad bar. Because I don't like salad Spud-U-Like FTW! Basic food, keep the pancakes, free coffee refills, change the decor and wash the staff... job done. I do like good food and I enjoy 'proper' cooking at home too, including the more elaborate stuff the usual famous chefs think up. However, from the little bits I see and hear of him, Heston appears to be mental! He was making some dry ice affair on programme 1 with clouds forming around the plate of food - is that really what Little Chef want? It looked like a cheesy nightclub on a plate and I'd imagined it might be better suited for drunken lobster-coloured Brits on holiday in 'magaloooof'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorin Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Burger and chips FTW. On a related note, why are KFC's chips so poor? Burger King have got the fast food fry just right IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keener Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Anyone else think the guy from Little Chef is a bit of a kn0b? He seems to think their customers want exploding steaks etc but the quick survey HB did shows the complete opposite. I think HB is right and little chef are using it as a PR stunt and they have no intention of doing his stuff nationwide but will nick his ideas. Tonights show will be interesting! I reckon HB is the wrong guy for the job and GR's 'kitchen nightmares' approach would work better but I bet GR was too expensive and they were a bit scared of him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Anyone else think the guy from Little Chef is a bit of a kn0b? He seems to think their customers want exploding steaks etc but the quick survey HB did shows the complete opposite. I think HB is right and little chef are using it as a PR stunt and they have no intention of doing his stuff nationwide but will nick his ideas. Tonights show will be interesting! I reckon HB is the wrong guy for the job and GR's 'kitchen nightmares' approach would work better but I bet GR was too expensive and they were a bit scared of him! Well repeated said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dangerousandy Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I used to eat at Little Chefs all the time - I never saw anything wrong with their old menu......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Clearly Little Chef see the Heston input as a positive thing, they have his mug on their front page: http://www.littlechef.co.uk Pics of the new decor here too (spoiler for anyone waiting until the show tonight): http://www.littlechef.co.uk/heston.php And that menu, nothing "Heston" on it at all, just the usual stuff at the usual prices: http://www.littlechef.co.uk/menu.php Takeaway now too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miko_supra Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 The manager aswell as Heston are clearly not what the restaurant needs they are both so out of touch with the general public..."what's your favorite starter?"..."Chips". But it makes for great viewing! It has certainly worked as a marketing stunt...anyone else have an urge to try out a little chef next time they come across one or is it just me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dozymare Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Am I the only person who thinks there's times when only a Little Chef all day breakfast for a fiver will do? There's a Little Chef on the A65 at Ingleton that I've been known to drive to especially....[OOPS][/OOPS] In my defence I have to go down some rather stunning roads through the Trough of Bowland to get to it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogmaw Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Is that an M5 he is driving? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz6002 Posted January 21, 2009 Author Share Posted January 21, 2009 Is that an M5 he is driving? Yup... I might go and visit that Popham restaurant this weekend - I'll judge for myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Is that an M5 he is driving? 2 by the looks of it, one with cream leather and one with black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt k Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Am I the only person who thinks there's times when only a Little Chef all day breakfast for a fiver will do? There's a Little Chef on the A65 at Ingleton that I've been known to drive to especially....[OOPS][/OOPS] In my defence I have to go down some rather stunning roads through the Trough of Bowland to get to it Morrisons breakfast is superior imho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snooze Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Went to the Popham Little Chef last night. Pretty much what I'd expected: Nothing earth-shattering, but pretty good food for the money. The menu is mostly your usual kind of stuff: fish & chips, spag bol, pie, etc. but all seemed pretty good quality. I was impressed that the breakfast (which now claims to all be decent-quality ingredients, according to the menu) still comes in under £7. I picked the most interesting thing I could find on the menu - ox cheeks (cooked in red wine for 3 days, apparently), which I was very happy with indeed. Vicki had a steak and ale pie that was a bit more run-of-the-mill. Very good kids menu, which stayed away from the usual processed cr*p. Staff were pretty friendly and did seem noticably more attentive than your usual service-station crew. Only recognised two of them, tho' Overall: would happily stop there again, and probably make a bit of effort to schedule it in as a stop, mainly down to the top-notch kid-friendliness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Looks like he'll have to send his own customers to the Little Chef for a while... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7916305.stm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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