Register

Restaurant pricing

For all refugees from the old Beeb Food Boards :-)
Chill out and chat with the foodie community or swap top tips.
NOTE: CHATTERBOX IS IN THIS FORUM

Moderators: karadekoolaid, THE MOD TEAM, Stokey Sue, Gillthepainter

User avatar
Posts: 807
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2020 4:46 pm

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby slimpersoninside » Mon Jun 07, 2021 8:25 pm

:thumbsup Jeral and Suelle.

The only thing about Brexit I took as a possible positive was that maybe we, as a country, will actually have to improve as employers. Proper wages, training and hours being the obvious things that spring to mind. The easy and cheap option of employing the likes of Eastern Europeans (no offence intended, only using this as one example) was very detrimental.

User avatar
Posts: 1812
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 9:21 pm

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby aero280 » Tue Jun 08, 2021 1:11 am

When I started in the civil engineering industry back at the end of the 1960's, there was a lot of training available at all levels. the construction industry maintained a large site in Norfolk where training of labourers and foremen was done on residential courses, including the training of digger drivers and crane drivers. The water industry had four or five residential training sites for management, scientists and site staff. The management courses included timbering out trenches, confined space working...well everything. Gas, electricity, telecoms did the same. All our school leaver starters would normally do day release. It resulted in a lot of competent staff at all levels.

Then came Mrs Thatcher and her mad ideas of privatisation. Training was cut, the centres were closed and the policy of hiring in trained staff was adopted. That was only possible because the public utilities reduced their own staff level and "TUPE'd" staff to private concerns. Then these concerns shed staff, who were available to employ from the job centre. That sort of worked until the skills ran out as people retired or moved out of the industry.

The "management" are still following this plan, but are deluding themselves that a graduate is "trained". Disaster follows.

Privatisation didn't save the general public money. The utilities money saving from reduced staff went into the bosses pockets and the general public had to fund increased unemployment. These unemployment figures were hidden by vastly increasing the number of further education places, and increasing the retirement age of women.

Brexit has removed a lot of skilled people who were properly trained in their home country. Polish plumbers were good because they could obtain what was the equivalent of a degree in plumbing. But chickens will come home to roost soon. All the super rich who are still here will have their bolt holes and money overseas, ready for the UK apocalypse.

User avatar
Posts: 5297
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2020 11:58 am
Location: Wiltshire

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby Earthmaiden » Tue Jun 08, 2021 8:38 am

An excellent piece, aero.

User avatar
Posts: 1547
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2016 6:16 pm

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby dennispc » Tue Jun 08, 2021 8:58 am

Earthmaiden wrote:An excellent piece, aero.


Oh boy aero - well said :clap , and there were training boards set up to ensure standards were maintained and also to monitor industry so courses were geared to their needs.

There were FE colleges, running day and evening classes in all the practical subjects, with equally highly skilled and trained staff. Our college had it's own stationery jet engine, the brickies built amazing structures and the decorators produced stunning 'rooms'. We had a training restaurant that produce top quality meals.

Change of emphasis about restaurants. I know everyone bangs on about business rates, but it is rents that dictate everything. The rateable value is based on the rent. Rents are based on whatever the agent can get for them and leases include a clause forbidding a reduction in rent when rent review time comes round.

User avatar
Posts: 967
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2020 7:28 pm

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby halfateabag » Tue Jun 08, 2021 9:03 am

We lunched at the Pear Tree recently and the owners were saying they are struggling to get staff.

Our all time fave place The Red Lion at E. Chisenbury have put their prices up so much we can't bring ourselves to pay their prices. Each to their own.

User avatar
Posts: 5297
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2020 11:58 am
Location: Wiltshire

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby Earthmaiden » Tue Jun 08, 2021 9:11 am

That's exactly the problem. People will stop going if places pass on higher running costs - which of course they have to to make ends meet. I fear we'll see a good few go under.

Posts: 712
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 11:08 pm

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby miss mouse » Tue Jun 08, 2021 9:15 am

Earthmaiden wrote:That's exactly the problem. People will stop going if places pass on higher running costs - which of course they have to to make ends meet. I fear we'll see a good few go under.


Or a return to the terrible food of my childhood. Or both.

User avatar
Posts: 1205
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 3:19 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby Binky » Tue Jun 08, 2021 10:08 am

I wonder if we will be softened up to adopt the American model i.e. a compulsory tip of at least 20%? That would bring lots of table service workers back into the cafe/restaurant trade.

User avatar
Posts: 5297
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2020 11:58 am
Location: Wiltshire

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby Earthmaiden » Tue Jun 08, 2021 10:29 am

Oh Binky, I hope not. Again, this would have to be budgeted for when going out and would be prohibitive to some/many.

User avatar
Posts: 3919
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:33 pm

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby scullion » Tue Jun 08, 2021 10:36 am

maybe its time for a bit of, longer term, Keynesian economics from the government not just 'eat out to help out' schemes.
and/or a little in-house training rather than waiting for 'trained staff'.

User avatar
Posts: 1205
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 3:19 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby Binky » Tue Jun 08, 2021 11:27 am

Will things ever get back to 'normal' though?

Posters have used the word 'profession' but to me a profession is something that you can't do yourself. I can't design a building (need an architect) or operate on someone's leg (need a surgeon) but I and most other people are capable of cooking decent meals for ourselves.

I think lockdown has caused lots of us to experiment and try cooking things we would normally eat in a restaurant. Maybe people are questioning why they should pay £14 for a pasta dish, or £5 for a pudding (unless it's a special anniversary or birthday) so I have a feeling casual dining will go into decline.

User avatar
Posts: 8629
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 2:02 pm
Location: Stoke Newington, London

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby Stokey Sue » Tue Jun 08, 2021 11:59 am

A "profession" is defined as something like medicine, pharmacy, architecture, law, dentistry, which has a professional association that registers and regulates practitioners

By extension it tends to be applied to people like me who needed a lot of education training and experience to perform our jobs, a "professional clinical scientist" (in fact registration in my speciality) was coming in just as I left)

I get a bit annoyed by people going into raptures over a"professional barrista" etc - not really the same thing though it is certainly a skilled job with a knack and a knowledge base to it

I also wonder why the news reporters always talk about a "qualified pharmacist", even a "qualified doctor" etc - if not qualified, they are trainees or assistants not members of the profession!

Which brings us back to needing a term to describe people in the restaurant trade, there doesn't seem to be any structured qualification system in routine use and certainly not in speech, there are NVQ schemes but you don't hear people talk about it

User avatar
Posts: 1812
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 9:21 pm

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby aero280 » Tue Jun 08, 2021 12:05 pm

Some years ago at work, we had (yet another) new management regime. This brought about a new post of “professional engineer”. Sounded OK until we read the detail. “Education to O level/GCSE standard an advantage”. :o

User avatar
Posts: 1205
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 3:19 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby Binky » Tue Jun 08, 2021 12:18 pm

Engineer is a protected title in most sane countries. I get slightly annoyed when someone describes themselves as an engineer when they are actually a repair man or a mechanic. Just as, I imagine, a properly trained and qualified chef will be annoyed when someone who flips burgers and nothing else calls themselves a restaurant chef.

Posts: 3511
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:42 pm

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby KeenCook2 » Tue Jun 08, 2021 4:34 pm

I just read this on the BBC website about the ongoing problem of "no shows" that is, of course, worse for the establishment when the number of customers is already reduced https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-57384595

User avatar
Posts: 5297
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2020 11:58 am
Location: Wiltshire

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby Earthmaiden » Tue Jun 08, 2021 10:30 pm

This has been a growing problem for a while, hasn't it? I don't think that charging a deposit would lose custom in the long run, especially if it was the norm.

User avatar
Posts: 1812
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 9:21 pm

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby aero280 » Tue Jun 08, 2021 10:48 pm

I read about the no shows in the paper this morning. It was a problem from before the lockdown, but I think it's getting worse.

Before lockdown we were at our local and it was full on a Saturday night, apart from a special table for 10 which never showed. They had booked from a big posh local hotel on the concierge's recommendation, apparently. :(

The owner said that it was happening more often. It seems that someone invites a group to "dine with him", possibly a business group, and he then books a table for that number at three or four restaurants. The group meets at his hotel and he asks them what sort of food they fancy, and lists the places he has booked and says something like "They all know me, it might be a busy night, but they will fit me in!" And so they troop off to the chosen restaurant and abandon the others. It's not something I would ever contemplate.

User avatar
Posts: 1547
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2016 6:16 pm

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby dennispc » Wed Jun 09, 2021 7:37 am

aero280 wrote:Privatisation didn't save the general public money. ... These unemployment figures were hidden by vastly increasing the number of further education places, and increasing the retirement age of women.


And FE colleges were privatised as well, incorporation it was called. There were a large number of redundancies and huge amounts paid by the Treasury to 'persuade' people to leave. Now colleges and private providers run six weeks courses in all the trades; a qualified electrician in six weeks!

I'll stop there, must remember my blood pressure!

Posts: 502
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2020 5:03 pm

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby RockyBVI » Wed Jun 09, 2021 8:22 am

Not honoring a reservation is terrible. A few weeks ago poor OH had had a migraine in the night and felt wretched but we still honoured a lunch reservation. I’d happily pay a reservation fee of some sort.

Having recently returned to the UK a after 18 years abroad I’ve found the service is uniformly good in a way it wasn’t necessarily previously. Food is by and large good (but every pub seems to have exactly the same menu!). It all seems so expensive (I appreciate we are in London). As Herbi says I’d be interested to know if a glass of wine is cheaper out of London. We can afford to eat out a bit so are trying to support the independent places as much as we can.

What I don’t really want to spend my money on is lunches at chains. I work in the office in my new job a couple of days a week. My colleagues all buy several coffees and then sandwiches from Pret or wherever. I’m relatively senior so I think there’s some surprise that I get my Tupperware out at lunchtime. It seems such a waste to pay a fortune for a sandwich to eat at your desk.

User avatar
Posts: 1205
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 3:19 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Restaurant pricing

Postby Binky » Wed Jun 09, 2021 9:01 am

To answer the question about the cost of a glass of wine, we pay £6.75 for a 250ml measure at our local family run pub/restaurant. This is in mid-Essex, 35 miles outside London.

PreviousNext

Return to Food Chat & Chatterbox

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 25 guests