A cultural difference...

Following a recent trip to Spain’s most southern region “Pappa Cod” was blown away by a visit to the daily market of the small town of La Linea on the border with Gibraltar.

Here was locally grown oranges being sold at one euro for three kilos, an amazing and outstanding bargain.

More impressive was the display of fresh fish in the market that had a permanent queue of patronage eager to purchase.

It is difficult to imagine a similar small town say like Hastings (although it has a healthy number of fish sellers on the seafront) selling the array found in this market. Also having such a passionate bunch of customers demanding the freshness and provenance of the fish.
It never ceases to amaze me how culturally different we are in general terms. Still I live in hope!

Spare a thought…

It is almost upon once again… that time of year many chefs love to hate. What is it - I hear you ask… well “Valentines Night” of course.

Firstly the tables are filled with couples all looking either lovingly -or more commonly not talking to each other. To add to this we are blighted with it being on a Saturday this year so even more challenging to establishments to make the normal Saturday night revenue they can.

I have also been guilty of it as much as others and that is the “corny menu compilations” and themes places seem to think will sell the package… something with a pink tinge to it always seems to rear its ugly head!!!

You might think I have lost my romantic streak… no I am just another year older and wiser.

I have fond memories of a few years ago a busy “Valentines Night” in a restaurant where for my sins I was paid to cook the food.

We had a couple who once they turned the menus the right way up obviously realised they were dining out in a place not of their liking or style. When they sent the cremated steak back (their request) saying it was tough and tasteless I committed the ultimate faux pas by telling the server to return to the table with the famous quote of Chinese foodie “Confucius” who said…

“Man who eats meat and peas on same plate is very unhygienic”…

I know I shouldn’t have but it did make me feel better in that stressful moment and well it was justified… honest.

Virgin on the ridiculous...

The following link is something to enjoy… the resultant letter was to Sir Richard Branson following a passengers experience of an in flight meal on a flight from India to London…

Do let us know if you have had any similar experiences please...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/4344890/Virgin-the-worlds-best-passenger-complaint-letter.html

Obsessive even now...

I have just been listening to the recent broadcast on the Radio 4 Food Programme about Egon Ronay. It bought back many memories for me as a former inspector of this guide to hear about Egon's passion for perfection and his obsession towards quality.

His guides were in their heyday an important barometer to the culinary scene within the UK and he has done much to ensure a change within our thinking towards food in the UK.

He is still very much a champion for quality and just hearing him talk about a filled baguette purchased at Victoria station today might not look bad but it is all about the taste and quality of the ingredients.

I feel much has improved but then again Egon really does make us think about the whole picture when he so eloquently makes his case.

It is sad to think though he feels his greatest achievement was his first restaurant in London "The Marquee" ahead of his Guidebook achievements... he was one of the first people to teach me though the power of the media and there is no such thing as bad publicity.

It's just how you manage it....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00gq4n4/Food_Programme_Egon_Ronay/

Dinner with Ken Hom...

Ever fancied having dinner with a living legend...

Please click the following link to find out how you could be having a highly entertaining meal with this well known gourmand...

http://www.brookesalumni.co.uk/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?pid=600&srcid=194

Little Chef - a ray of hope?

I believe there could be a chance that Little Chef is about to re-invent itself...

Heston Blumental is soon to be seen on our screens giving their menu a makeover.

Check out the following link...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/eating_out/article5390168.ece

Different Cultures...

I was talking to the other half of an old friend and Chinese chef who has been opening a new high class Chinese eatery within the Middle East… she was relating to me the opening of this establishment had not been without its problems especially when it had come to how the punters ordered their food.

Here in the UK such ethnic establishments tend have their customers order a range of dishes that they then share amongst the party. Well no such practice at this new place they all want their own plate of grub and in no way are they going to share it…it reminded me of a similar experience in a Chinese eatery in Co Wicklow south of Dublin… here a family gathering all tucked in to their own choice of individually chosen dishes and our order of a selection of dishes were met by some really cursory looks that we must have flown in from another planet…
Seems like the front of house crowd need to do a bit of education on the punters. Still it does illustrate rather well some cultural differences when it comes to table manners…

Recession what recession…

Happy New Year for 2009 by the way…

It has been all doom and gloom here in the UK but well the old hospitality business certainly seems to be buoyant following some of my recent experiences.

Just this last Monday whilst meeting with a long term client/candidate from South Africa I thought I had it all sussed where I would take them for lunch in the South London suburbs.. well it proved a shade embarrassing to find choice after choice was still closed after the festive break.

Only after a quick call to a friend with a encyclopaedic knowledge directed me through the Blackwall Tunnel to a Gastro Pub in the Isle of dogs that certainly came up trumps… it was doing quite a brisk trade for a Monday lunch and well saved the day…can thoroughly recommend it so do check it out at http://www.thegundocklands.co.uk/

Following on from this I then decided to treat “Mama Cod” to a night out as the little “Sprat” is not around for the night and we decided on a number of local options but found all were fully booked or could only offer an unsuitable time to service our gastric needs.

Not bad for a Friday night in early January with crap weather as well. Will report on how it all goes and what we think of our seventy mile round trip for dinner!!!

Fish & Chips – reign supreme…

Those of you who know “Pappa Cod” well will know I am a big fan of the establishment “Chez Fred” in Westbourne, Bournemouth.

I have long said this is the epitome of what good fish and chips should be and it still continues to impress.

The owner Fred Capel once a chef himself has built up and enviable business that delivers consistently good well-sourced fresh fish and properly cooked chips but also I have to say really does understand the value of building a database of customers and the marketing it does with them.

The “little sprat” really loves this place especially their “sprat pack – kids menu” not only for the colouring competition and fishy related quiz questions etc but without fail each year for the past 3 years she has been sent a birthday card with an invite to claim a free meal… as long as she brings an adult with her. Simple but exceedingly effective to get us all back again…

Every table also has a customer comment card that is so well worded it makes filling it out a real pleasure. On top of that the fish and chips is really the outstanding feature. Even when they get it wrong (a nearby table on a recent visit complained their fish was undercooked) they dealt with it swiftly, professionally and in a sustainable way ensuring the customer felt truly valued.

It impressed me so much I left my glasses behind on the table and when I returned to collect them 30 minutes later I very nearly reordered my meal… but that would have just been greedy…

Little Chef - nothing has changed

It was a cold wet November evening and feeling in need of a break on a journey around the M25 on the way to the south coast we pulled into the car park of a Little Chef on the A3.

It has been many a year since walking into one of these establishments and it was like going into a time warp. It seems like time had stood still with a menu gargantuan in size appealing to all possible markets.

Any way our simple choices made were delivered promptly and the resulting items ordered were edible and fulfilled the need.

It was however the surroundings that seemed to have changed little in the last 20 years with an almost totalitarian feel to it, chairs with a leatherette covering were uncomfortable and had clearly seen better days few were not damaged by exploratory fingers.

The final nail in the coffin was the smelly toilets that welcomed you on arrival and ensured you left as quickly as possible… the crap in the bowl was the final straw… it might be their 50th year in existence but they really do need a makeover and revamp to bring them into the new millennium!!!

I think I will give them a miss for the next 20 years and see if things have improved on my next visit!!!