Pub grub, or fine cuisine?
Over 90% of pubs now serve food, and in the current economic climate where more and more of us are choosing to stay in with six pack, it makes sense to diversify. The problem is, while there are many who serve wonderful food, there are those who pass off a toastie and a plate of frozen chips as fine fare.
At one time there were pubs and there were restaurants, and never the twain should meet. If you wanted anything to eat in a pub, you were limited to a ploughman’s lunch or a pie that had been kept warm for so long that the crust was like concrete and one bite brought on a bout of toothache.
Thankfully, things have changed for the better, but a lot of the older pub set object to their local being turned into some fancy brasserie. They argue that a restaurant is for eating and pub is for drinking, playing darts, dominoes etc. Whichever side of the fence you sit on, pub grub is here to stay so we have to get on with it.
One of the main concerns is that while a restaurant will have trained chef, who is turning out the food in the pub? Is it a qualified chef or merely a relative who fancies themself in the kitchen? The proof, as they say, is in the pudding, or main course, or starter! My pet hate is cutting into meat to find that it’s all pink and bloody in the centre. Yes, I know that’s how the experts say it should be cooked, but I would rather lose a wisdom tooth through gum disease than eat something that a good vet could bring back to life!
At the end of the day, these pubs need the business to stay open, and if doing Sunday dinners and the like is helping them stay afloat, good for them!