I hate to say it but my blog is moving. There won't be any new posts on here, but if you go to ellenbranagh.wordpress.com you should eventually see a new, improved blog.
sorry for the inconvenience!
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
Fine dining on the A14
I am officially a competition addict - holidays, cars, freebies, you name it, I've entered it. My most remarkable prize to date was £100 worth of Bonne Maman products. Yes, jam!!! So imagine my surprise when I won dinner for four at the launch night of Little Chef's recently-refurbished Kettering branch. Next to the A14 westbound (not eastbound, that one's still old-school!), the restaurant is one of the few to have had massive investment and be blessed with a menu courtesy of His Majesty Heston Blumenthal. Launch night was a huge Gala event, complete with champagne and canapes, and even a visit from last year's Apprentice runner-up Claire Young, what a treat!
For a foodie, the chance to check out Heston's creations was wonderful - we slurped our way through mussels in a white wine sauce to start, great quality steak and chips, and a special of belly pork on a bed of salad. Dessert was to die for - returning to childhood Little Chef classics of waffles, and pancakes, alongside new treats of chocolate fondue with popping candy.
But inevitably, conversation got to the most difficult question of the night - eating at Little Chef for free is great, but would you really pay for it? Would you really trek to your nearest branch to treat yourself to a £13.95 steak, and a nice glass of Merlot, or would you go to your nearest favourite pub or restaurant? No, no, no, you all say, you don't go to Little Chef out of choice. You go out of convenience. You're halfway to the east coast from the Midlands and the kids are hungry, so you stop at Little Chef. That's why you go there. I entirely agree, so why would you be eating steak and chips? Would you not, instead, be munching on a sandwich or an all-day breakfast. Yes, the Olympic breakfast is still on the menu, so you're safe, but most of the offerings, to some, may seem redundant. Why pay through the nose for bangers and mash washed down with a beer, or braised ox cheeks, when you can buy a Ginsters pasty from the shop for less than half the price. Has Little Chef missed the point?
We were confidently told that the A14 is a major trucker route, so a prime spot for one of the new restaurants. Well, I don't know many truckers, but I'm not sure they'll fancy forking out for a three-course meal, when they can keep five days worth of sarnies in a mini fridge in their cab, or stop at the nearest truckers cafe for a breakfast.
Call me a cynic, but I'm not sure that the new plan is the answer for the struggling chain. I love it as much as the next person, it reminds me of my childhood of milkshakes, breakfasts and pancakes with berries and icecream. But I wasn't footing the bill all those years ago, as I wasn't this week. I hope it works, I really do. I'd hate to see the jolly chef in the sign (now slimmed down as part of the rebranding) disappear, wouldn't we all. I'll certainly go back, but it'll probably be my birthday present as a special treat - not a quick stop on the way to Norfolk!
For a foodie, the chance to check out Heston's creations was wonderful - we slurped our way through mussels in a white wine sauce to start, great quality steak and chips, and a special of belly pork on a bed of salad. Dessert was to die for - returning to childhood Little Chef classics of waffles, and pancakes, alongside new treats of chocolate fondue with popping candy.
But inevitably, conversation got to the most difficult question of the night - eating at Little Chef for free is great, but would you really pay for it? Would you really trek to your nearest branch to treat yourself to a £13.95 steak, and a nice glass of Merlot, or would you go to your nearest favourite pub or restaurant? No, no, no, you all say, you don't go to Little Chef out of choice. You go out of convenience. You're halfway to the east coast from the Midlands and the kids are hungry, so you stop at Little Chef. That's why you go there. I entirely agree, so why would you be eating steak and chips? Would you not, instead, be munching on a sandwich or an all-day breakfast. Yes, the Olympic breakfast is still on the menu, so you're safe, but most of the offerings, to some, may seem redundant. Why pay through the nose for bangers and mash washed down with a beer, or braised ox cheeks, when you can buy a Ginsters pasty from the shop for less than half the price. Has Little Chef missed the point?
We were confidently told that the A14 is a major trucker route, so a prime spot for one of the new restaurants. Well, I don't know many truckers, but I'm not sure they'll fancy forking out for a three-course meal, when they can keep five days worth of sarnies in a mini fridge in their cab, or stop at the nearest truckers cafe for a breakfast.
Call me a cynic, but I'm not sure that the new plan is the answer for the struggling chain. I love it as much as the next person, it reminds me of my childhood of milkshakes, breakfasts and pancakes with berries and icecream. But I wasn't footing the bill all those years ago, as I wasn't this week. I hope it works, I really do. I'd hate to see the jolly chef in the sign (now slimmed down as part of the rebranding) disappear, wouldn't we all. I'll certainly go back, but it'll probably be my birthday present as a special treat - not a quick stop on the way to Norfolk!
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