Foodie News

On a recent trip to a local Morrisons’ restaurant, I was disappointed to see a change in the presentation of their sandwiches. Formerly served on a little red and white checked tray, with a salad garnish and mini pack of crisps, the sandwiches are now being presented on their own on a brown bit of card! However, on closer inspection, it was revealed that each pack of sandwiches came with a free pack of Morrisons’ crisps, although salt and vinegar was the only flavour available. I miss the cheerful tray and salad garnish, and quite liked the fact that the mini crisp packs allowed for a little treat without overindulgence. The sandwiches themselves are still good, however, with my favourite being the selection featuring egg and cress, cheese and tomato, ham, cheese and pickle and prawn – one of each for £2.49.

Admittedly, I do like a bit of chocolate cake!

After my recent comments about food products that are sporting the word ‘joy’ in their name or slogan, I would like to draw your attention to Cadbury’s Mini Rolls. One of the many slogans currently printed on the wrappers states, “Mini roll, big joy”. Is this meant to be a statement about what will happen to me if I eat too many? I do like a bit of chocolate, but still...

What’s happened to Tesco Strawberry Milkshake Powder? It used to have such a lovely, authentic strawberry taste, containing what appeared to be strawberry pips, but now it’s just bland! The ingredients have obviously changed, though the packaging and price remain the same. It’s very disappointing and I will definitely not be buying the product again.

I do enjoy the odd Lotus Biscoff caramel biscuit, but I don’t’ think that I can bring myself to try the spread of the same name. I mean, can I really imagine having the flavour of the biscuit spread on my toast?

What are your latest foodie loves and hates?

Pontin’s – My Bargain Break

A few weeks back, I found myself packing my bag and heading off to Pontin’s at Camber Sands. Not something I thought I would find myself doing, as I’d heard some none too favourable reviews in the past, but my daughter had booked a cheap break, and I’d agreed to accompany her and my toddler grandson on the trip.

My expectations had not been particularly high, partly due to what I’d heard, but also because I knew that my daughter had only paid in the region of £60 for a Monday to Friday stay. The paperwork had stated that our accommodation would be available from 4pm, but as we were relying on a lift there, ended up arriving before midday.

My plan on arrival was to ask if there was somewhere comfortable that we could wait with our luggage, but when I approached reception I was met with a cheery, “Hold on, I’ll see if your accommodation is ready,” – and it was! So by noon we were in our holiday apartment settling in, which gave us, in effect, a bonus afternoon.

Our ground floor ‘apartment’ (requested to make it easier with a pushchair) was basic, but adequate for a short stay. There was one bedroom with a double bed and a sofa bed in the main area, a small kitchen area with new-looking fridge and tired-looking cooker, which actually worked very well. The bathroom consisted of toilet, washbasin and shower that were OK, but we discovered the shower cubicle was broken. However, when we reported this to reception a maintenance man was despatched and a repair made within about half hour, so that was good service

Our main gripe was the bedding. Having paid for the privilege of having bedding provided, it was thin and ‘shiny’ and tended to slip off the beds every night, leaving us a bit chilly. I’m unsure as to whether this was the regular bedding however, as towards the end of our stay, we saw ‘proper sheets’ being placed in the neighbouring empty apartments.

Site facilities are good. There are a number of outdoor play areas for children of varying ages, a pirate crazy golf and a swimming pool, featuring a main pool with slide and a lovely warm toddler pool with assorted floats. Of course, there was also the inevitable arcade and a children’s club, large clubroom, pub and restaurant. Being off-season, evening entertainment took place in the pub as opposed to the larger club, as there didn’t appear to be that many of us staying there. Despite that, every evening there was a quiz (which I actually won one night and was presented with a bottle of wine) a children’s dance session and other entertainment.

My grandson loved the dressed-up characters that appeared at 10 each morning and again at the evening session and made use of the soft play area and toys in the children’s club.

As were we fortunate to have such lovely weather during our stay, we were also able to visit the beach, which just involved crossing the road outside and walking down a short lane.

We went for the self-catering option and, although there was a Nisa at the site entrance, found the shop opposite and the post office/village store further down the road cheaper options for shopping. Although, in its favour, the Nisa did have a £1 section selling useful things such as children’s arm bands.

There is actually a half-board option available, whereby breakfast and evening meal are provided at the Sands restaurant, but even if you do not select this deal, you can buy a three-course evening meal for £8.95, which is worth remembering.

Overall I enjoyed our Pontin’s stay, some of the accommodation is a little tired, but a little sprucing up could make all the difference. The facilities were good, but with over 700 apartments on site, could get a bit packed during high season. We were fortunate that as much of the accommodation was empty during our stay, we had easy access to everything that we wanted to do.

Although we didn’t meet huge numbers of fellow guests, we did see quite a few rabbits (lovely) and a huge number of seagulls, with regards to which I must issue a warning. On our first morning there, we heard a rap on the door. When I opened it there was no one to be seen, however when I glanced down towards the ground I was greeted by the sight of a cheeky gull. It was funny the first time, but wore thin as the week progressed, with this happening several times a day. At no point did we feed the gulls, indeed the site requests that you don’t, but did return one afternoon to find our ‘neighbour’ feeding them – not good!

I’m not sure that I would have wanted to spend a long holiday at Pontin’s Camber Sands, but would certainly consider another short break in the future.

Fancy a trip to Pontin’s at Camber Sands?

Visit pontins.com/holiday-parks/camber-sands  

Travelodge – A Peaceful Harbour

It’s been some time since we stayed in a Travelodge, having not had any distant family gatherings or long haul visits needing accommodation in the past year or so. However, a couple of weeks ago, hubby and I decided to have an impromptu break whilst our son was up to knees in a river in Wales (geography field trip).

My husband had wanted to visit The Turner Contemporary in Margate for some time, so we decided to head down to Thanet and make an overnight stay of it. The gallery itself was disappointing (see wheres-turner for more about that) but our choice of Travelodge was a great success.

Before travelling, I’d trawled the Internet for B&B accommodation that looked promising, but didn’t find much to my liking. So I decided to see if there were any Travelodges in the area that may be worth a try. I was immediately drawn to the Ramsgate Seafront hotel, which overlooks the harbour. Prices were reasonable (£47 for double room) and we decided to go for the breakfast option bringing the total to just over £60.

Although this branch did not have dedicated parking, it was opposite a public car park where it cost just £4 to leave our car for 24 hours.

On arrival we received a friendly greeting from the guy on reception and were promptly directed to our room. My immediate thought as I entered said room was that it actually looked different from other Travelodge rooms we’d stayed in before. It definitely felt a bit ‘higher end’ with a really comfy king-sized bed, tasteful decoration and a smarter looking bathroom. I understand that Travelodge is currently updating some of its hotels, so hopefully we’ll be able to enjoy more of these improved rooms.

The cleanliness of the room was also better than some we’d visited and all of the staff that we encountered during our stay were friendly and helpful.

We’d never gone for the breakfast option at a Travelodge before, partly because all that had been on offer was a ‘pre-packed’ version, but at this branch a full buffet breakfast was provided. By pre-booking our breakfast it was £1 cheaper per person than if we’d decided to request it on the day, a small saving but worth bearing in mind. We were able to help ourselves to whatever we wanted from a number of choices including various cereals, fruit, croissants, scrambled egg, bacon, sausages, tomatoes, beans, toast and various preserves. There was apple and orange juice to drink as well as tea and a range of coffee. We left feeling very replete!

There had also been an evening meal option too, but we had decided not to go for this, as we had wanted to stroll out in the evening and eat elsewhere. As luck would have it, just a very short distance from where we were staying, we found a pub/restaurant called ‘The Goose’. This worked on the principle of a Wetherspoons but the food was actually nicer and even better value. We enjoyed two main courses for just £8.95 and two delicious desserts for just £4.75 (not each but for the two!) I can highly recommend the food and service at The Goose!

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Travelodge Ramsgate Seafront and would certainly return for another visit. Thank you to everyone there.

You can view this accommodation at travelodge.co.uk/hotels/510/Ramsgate-Seafront

You can also read my previous Travelodge reviews and comments by visiting:

travelodge-tales-latest

travelodge-tips

travelodge-tales  

What A Sauce!

I’ve often stopped to grab a bite to eat whilst out on a shopping trip, pausing at a supermarket café or High Street restaurant.

Of course, choice and standard of food can vary greatly between cafés, but what can also vary vastly is the way in which the condiments are made available.

It’s often nice to add a bit of vinegar, ketchup or mayonnaise to a meal, preferably from a decent bottle, but this is not always the case. Sauces can be served in anything from tiny, hard-to-open sachets, which can be free or cost anything up to 12p, to large bottles that are left permanently on the tables, with a number of other options in between.

Plastic sachets are the most annoying ways to have your ketchup served. You can spend ages trying to open them up, spraying unsuspecting fellow-eaters in the process, only to end up with the most minute splodge of sauce on your plate. It can take several of these to produce enough of your chosen sauce to complement your meal – not really an option if you’re paying for the privilege, not to mention all that plastic waste!

It may be that some cafés fear that bottles of sauces will ‘disappear’ or are less cost effective, but considering what you pay for some meals, a bottle of sauce is a small ask. Some eating-places bring the bottles to the table with your meal and remove them when you’ve finished – there’s certainly nothing wrong with that.

Sainsbury’s restaurants have tried various systems over the years. Originally I remember being able to help myself to sauce from a bottle, then to sachets that were readily available at no extra cost. Then they started to supply a pot of sachets at the till point, which in my local branch at least, has now been reduced to an odd sachet or two being produced reluctantly when you pay.

One of the best systems, for customers and café owners alike, is that adopted by McDonalds – sauce on tap. This way you help yourself to your chosen condiment, in suitable amounts, in a type of card-based pot, which is much more user and environmentally friendly than plastic sachets.

However the sauces are served, I don’t believe that customers should pay extra for the privilege, but what do you think?

Hungry Horse – Good and Bad Service

We enjoy an occasional meal at a Hungry Horse pub/restaurant and have visited our local branch (The Star, Gillingham) several times. So when we decided to pop out for an evening, we headed there again.

On entering the bar it appeared quite empty, but as we wandered round in search of a table, it became apparent that all the empty ones were displaying ‘reserved’ signs.

Speaking to a member of staff about the possibility of a table, we were met with a most unhelpful response – in fact, his attitude indicated that he couldn’t really be bothered and didn’t actually want to speak to us! In answer to the question, “Is there a table available?” he shrugged, “ You just have to look.”

However, we were observed by an off-duty member of staff, who gave the impression of being the only person who actually wanted to help us, but who was sadly not supported by his colleagues. He reasoned that some of the reservations were for later in the evening, meaning that we could use one for an early meal. Unfortunately this suggestion was thwarted by a waitress who maintained that all the many reserved tables were booked for exactly the same time. That was a bit hard to believe.

Feeling very unwelcome and a bit dejected, we decided to head to the next nearest branch (Poacher’s Pocket, Chatham), which we had never visited before.

On arrival we were met by a much busier scene, with most tables actually in use and only a couple of empty table marked as ‘reserved’. We were thinking of giving up and going home, when a cheery waitress greeted us and asked how many we needed a table for. To our answer of ‘three’, she located a couple of small tables and put them together to accommodate us. It appeared that the level of helpfulness at this branch was 100% better than we’d received at The Star.

And so the evening continued. All the staff were cheerful and helpful, checking on us regularly and making us feel welcome. The food was lovely and what had actually looked like being a disastrous evening, ended up being thoroughly enjoyable.

It’s worth remembering that whilst all the branches of any one pub/restaurant chain may offer the same menu, the quality of food and the level of service received can vary enormously.

No prizes for guessing which Hungry Horse will be our restaurant of choice from now on!

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

March’s Random Thoughts

I hate it when I see someone wearing a garment identical to one that I own and love. If they look awful in it I think, “What? Do I look that bad?” Yet if they look great in it I think, “Damn! They look so much better in it than I do!” Either way I can’t win!

I don't need a grand tea, just some peace!

I’m amazed (and a bit irritated) that when I opt for a quite cup of coffee in a supermarket café, that at times my peace is shattered by some kind of staff meeting. Do they really not have the facilities in a large supermarket to hold their meetings behind closed doors, rather than take up a large area of the customer restaurant? It’s most annoying.

I sometimes wish that supermarket trolleys were fitted with little motors and footplates too, so that we could stand on the plate and ride them round the supermarket like little scooters. It may help to take the strain out a big weekly shop.

Further to my blog post earlier in the month reminiscing about the sweets that I used to enjoy, I realised that I totally forgot to mention floral gums. Do you remember them? Tiny little gums in a small packet with a squirrel on that tasted, well, flowery.

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To The Tower!

I’ve visited many tourist attractions over the years, a number of which I have blogged during the past year or so, but somewhere that I had never got round to visiting was The Tower of London.

But now I’m back fresh from a visit to said tower, full of enthusiasm and information about my day.

As with all the London attractions that I visit, I tend to go on a Sunday, when there is no congestion charge and parking can be found cheaply or even free. When there are several of us going together it is cheaper and more convenient than using the train.

For our visit to The Tower we parked in The Minories Car Park, details here, a multi-storey just a few minutes walk from the attraction, which costs £2 per hour during the week, but on a Sunday costs just £2 for the whole visit.

Arriving by 10.30 we found that there were no ticket queues (on this particular Sunday at least) and instead of paying the admission fee of £19.50 for adults and £9.75 for children (higher rates if you include the voluntary donation) we exchanged Tesco Clubcard Days Out Vouchers for tickets.

Once in the grounds I was pleased to find plenty of benches to pause and picnic on, several blocks of well-kept toilets and a restaurant providing drinks, meals and snacks at quite average prices, as opposed to the more inflated ones found at some attractions. We paid just over £9 for a Latte, an Americano, a bottle of 7Up and three delicious pieces of shortbread.

I loved seeing The Crown Jewels, especially the dainty coronet sported by Queen Victoria and thought the moving walkway system past the main jewels a clever way of keeping visitors moving.

Other highlights included St Thomas’s Tower above Traitor’s Gate complete with bedchamber and small chapel with a lovely stained-glass window, The Coins and Kings Exhibition with fun interactive displays and the small monument at the Scaffold site.

The White Tower is full of armoury, which I confess to becoming a little tired of by the end, and whilst the climb up was not bad, ascending one floor at a time largely via reasonable staircases, the climb down was by way of one long spiral staircase leading to a cellar before depositing us in the gift shop.

There are plenty of other exhibits to see and a great view of Tower Bridge, the Yeoman Warders were helpful and informative and the ravens a powerful presence. We had a really great day.

For more information see http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/

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Penshurst Place and Gardens, Kent

Situated near Tonbridge, Kent, Penshurst Place is a great example of a 14^th Century house – ancestral home of the Sidney family and birthplace of Elizabethan poet, Sir Philip Sidney.

Today the ‘set’ for many films and television programmes, such as The Other Boleyn Girl’, the building and gardens make for an interesting and enjoyable visit.

We had a great time on a recent day out there, wandering around the stunning, fragrant grounds, which include formal gardens, ponds, rambling orchards and the odd little ‘secret garden’ tucked away. The house was very impressive, boasting many original features, furnishings and artefacts, whilst there is also a great little toy museum. My son was interested to discover that the sound of the creaking floor in the Long Gallery was actually recorded and used in the Harry Potter films.

In between all of this, you can pause with the kids at the adventure playground – a mixture of traditional swings and seesaws and a little ‘assault course’. Ice creams and coffee are a reasonable price (there is a kiosk by the play area) and there are plenty of picnic benches, although there are also two restaurants if you fancy treating yourself to a meal.

Admission prices are good value: Gardens, adults £8, children £6; House and Gardens adults £10, children £6.50. Under-fives are free and family tickets are available.

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The Not So Forgotten Ruins

We love to visit places of historical interest including castles, stately homes, forts etc and are members of English Heritage.

I’ve previously written about some of my favourite English Heritage locations such as Kenilworth Castle, Audley End and Dover Castle, but more recently we have been taking a look at some of their ‘lesser’ sites.

In addition to a selection of grand houses and imposing structures, English Heritage manage some smaller sites, which consist of ancient ‘ruins’, which are often free to visit for members and non-members alike.

One such site is St Olave’s Priory in Norfolk, which includes a well-kept, brick-vaulted refectory undercroft (14^th Century) amongst the remains of the original priory walls. This is a great little site, though it’s a bit tricky to find. We didn’t spot any signs marking its location, but eventually found it in the corner of the Priory Farm Restaurant car park – logical I suppose, if not obvious.

Burgh Castle, even this photo doesn't do it justice

Also in Norfolk, we visited Burgh Castle, which was much easier to find thanks to a series of useful brown signs. After parking our car in the small, neat car park, we wandered across the fields to find what we had presumed to be minor ruins, as the only photo that we had seen showed a small section of wall against the backdrop of the Norfolk Broads. However, the sight that met our eyes was much more amazing – huge, imposing walls – the remains of a Roman Fort. We ate our picnic in this stunning setting, gazing at the view depicted in that original photo that we’d seen and really enjoyed our time spent there.

Back on a smaller scale, Caister Roman Fort is situated on Norwich Road, Caister, but be careful not to drive past as we did first time round. Sitting unassumingly at the roadside, the remains of this fort are well worth a view as they include evidence of the hypocaust, underfloor heating system.

We really enjoyed our tour of the more minor English Heritage sites in Norfolk and intend to visit more similar ones around the country.

For more about English Heritage, including membership and a full list of properties, visit english-heritage.org.uk

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Portion Sizes – How Large Will We Go?

Whilst out for a recent family meal, I couldn’t help remarking (once again) on the huge size of some of the platefuls of food that were being served.

It seems that many restaurants (especially pub/restaurants) serve massive portions of food that are far larger than appear in any ‘recommended intake’ guidelines for the average person.

When faced with such a plateful, many people just shrug and say, “It’s a shame to waste it”, before polishing off the whole lot, even if they find themselves rubbing their bellies in discomfort as a result.

Personally these over-large portion sizes have the effect of putting me off of my meal. I’m not a particularly large eater, so a plate that’s piled high just makes me groan. In some places I think I’d fare better with the children’s portions.

Those who do manage to clear their plates often only eat out on rare occasions, so supposedly the odd ‘blow-out’ won’t be a problem. However, if you eat out regularly, or serve portions of this quantity at home, you could be doing yourself more harm than good.

Think we need a bit more than this though

All this got me thinking about the size of the meals that we serve at home, and in some ways more importantly, the size of our plates. I was sure that my current dinner plates were larger than the ones I used some years back, so hunted at the back of the cupboard for the remains of an old (bought over 25 years ago) dinner service. Sure enough the dinner plates, side plates and dessert bowls were all at least 1/3 smaller than the ones I now use.

The thing is we tend to fill whatever plate size we have at our disposal, so to keep our portion sizes under control, perhaps we should downsize our plates. Psychologically, if we’ve eaten a whole plateful of food, we tell ourselves we’ve had a big meal and are full.

So come one, get out those smaller plates. What have you got to lose? Those annoying extra pounds, that’s what!

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Pubs – The New Coffee Shops?

Pubs have undergone many changes over the years. A large number have closed, due to falling trade and the effects of the recession, whilst others have had to ‘re-invent’ themselves to survive.

Several pubs in my area have been taken over by pub/restaurant chains, which has actually changed (for the better) the amount and frequency that we use them.

Many of these chains are family-friendly, with children not only well catered for on the menu, but also often provided with indoor/outdoor play areas and mini TV screens showing children’s programmes.

But what I’ve particularly noticed is that many of us now think of popping into these pubs just for a coffee. My favourite chain for a coffee break is Wetherspoons, as it offers reasonably priced tea, coffee (including cappuccino and latte) and hot chocolate (topped with whipped cream). The surroundings tend to be comfortable and friendly, with many customers enjoying just a hot drink or a snack, as opposed to an alcoholic drink or a full meal.

With coffee prices much lower than in coffee shops such as Costa and Starbucks, high street branches of Wetherspoons make a handy coffee stop on a shopping trip, or somewhere to pause for refreshment on a family outing – my son loves to have one of their ice cream sundaes while we enjoy a coffee.

To my mind, pubs really are becoming the new coffee shops.

What do you think? comments@shoppersjoy.co.uk

Supermarket Cafés

You may have occasionally popped into the café of your local supermarket when doing your weekly shop, but we often use these handy eating-places at other times too.

When making a long journey, we often look up an out-of-town supermarket restaurant to stop for a meal break as opposed to using a service station, or eat in them when staying at a Travelodge or on a self-catering holiday.

Here’s a rundown of the main supermarket cafés.

Morrisons Definitely the best for value and choice in my opinion. A great menu covering breakfasts, snacks, sandwiches, salads and hot meals – all very reasonably priced. What I really like about Morrisons cafés is that you can order light meals such as egg on toast (£1.69 for two eggs and two slices of toast) all day, whereas some of its competitors stop selling these items at the end of breakfast (11-11.30). Opening hours are convenient with branches staying open until 7-8pm making it possible to go there for an evening meal. The cold food section is one of the best on offer, with sandwich trays including a little side salad and mini bag of crisps, and cream teas consisting of two small sandwiches, a cream scone or egg custard tarts and a pot of tea for a little over £2. And what else do Morrisons have that other restaurants don’t? A tray rack. A handy device fitted under the table to deposit your tray, instead of wandering around aimlessly deciding what to do with it.

Sainsburys I’ve had some very mixed experiences of Sainsburys restaurants, ranging from dire (Stanway, Colchester) to really great (Milton Keynes), but then I’ve visited a fair few. Most branches seem to close about 7pm, so you can have an early evening meal, with some tasty hot dishes on offer, my favourite being their Tikka Masala. I also love their cheese scones (when available) but find their sandwiches and toasties somewhat dearer than in other supermarket cafés, although their hot drinks are quite reasonable.

Tesco Great for breakfasts, (you can order individual items very cheaply) and light lunches (delicious, hearty soups with roll and croutons for around £2.25), but not an option for an evening meal as most branches seem to close by 6pm. I find their hot food menu a little boring anyway, so tend to pop in just for lighter meals and snacks.

Asda I’ve had very limited experience of Asda cafés, with the couple of odd occasions that I’ve visited not being very memorable. Fair selection, reasonable prices, but nothing that makes me want to go back.

What are your experiences of supermarket cafés? comments@shoppersjoy.co.uk

This March Why Not…?

Remember Mum on 10^th March (Mothers’ Day) and show your appreciation for all that she does. Why not make a personal gift this year, instead of just giving the usual chocs and flowers? Cross stitch a card or bookmark, take a special family photo and put it in an eye-catching frame, make mum’s favourite meal or take her out somewhere that she’s always wanted to go. Note: When I tried looking up events for Mothers’ Day I found very little, except for restaurant offers, however there seemed to be a fair bit going on for Fathers’ Day. So what’s that about?

Clear out the junk. With the advent of spring, now’s the time to have a really good clear out of all those things that you tend to hold on to, but never get round to using. Remember the rule: if you haven’t worn/used/looked at an item during the past 12 months, then it’s time it went (with a few sentimental exceptions). Once you’ve cleared out all your unwanted items (good quality ones can go to charity, car boot sales or eBay), then invest in some clever storage, to neatly stow away and file all the things that you do need. Supermarkets and shops such as Wilkinson and The Range, stock a great selection of hard-wearing, colourful, storage boxes, with and without lids, that can be arranged neatly in cupboards or on shelving. They’re great for craft items, toys, stationery, keepsakes etc. For paperwork I use A4 clear pocket files, which display letters and bills in a way that are easy to find.

Enjoy the great outdoors. With some warm, spring weather hopefully round the corner, get out and about in some of the lovely parks, woodland areas and country parks around the UK. Many are free to visit, or charge parking fees only. I can recommend:

• Knowle Park, Sevenoaks, Kent – great for a walk amongst the deer!
• Bedgebury Pinetum, Goudhurst, Kent – great for wooded walks and adventure play
• Moors Valley Country Park and Forest, Nr Ringwood, Dorset – great for play and tree top trails
• Dalby Forest, Pickering, North Yorkshire – great for walking and bike-riding

Remember the ‘spring forward’ rule! British Summertime begins on 31^st March, so remember to put the clocks forward one hour to avoid running late.

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Sainsburys Restaurant Poor Service Review

I have been to a great number of  Sainsburys Restaurants over the years and have found many offer tasty food and good service at reasonable prices.

One of my favourite branches is at Milton Keynes, where I was served the best-tasting Tikka Masala of any of their restaurants, by a smiling, friendly assistant. Also highly recommended are Thetford, Rugby and Great Yarmouth branches.

However, whilst travelling through Essex on the A12 last Friday (21^st September) I encountered the worst ever supermarket restaurant experience when breaking the journey at Stanway, Colchester.

The signage outside the store informed us that the restaurant was open until 8pm Mondays to Saturdays. As we (myself and four family members) arrived at 6.30pm, we expected to be able to get a reasonable meal, up to the usual Sainsburys standards. How quickly that illusion was shattered!

First impressions of the restaurant were “muddled” to say the least. A strange arrangement of counters greeted us with no clear indication of a queuing system. The hot food section had a pile of trays at each end, yet again making it difficult to determine where to queue, resulting in customers trying to move away with their hot food colliding with those still waiting.

There were only three choices on the hot food menu, a strange vegetarian pie, chicken and chips, and ham, egg and chips. The explanation for this was that the restaurant had been busy earlier in the day (though there were only half a dozen or so customers when we arrived). This shows really bad planning – if a restaurant is open until 8pm then it should be able to offer a (reasonably) full menu until that time.

None of us really wanted the options on the menu, but the paninis and wraps, which were the alternatives, looked like they had seen better days. We were hungry and needed a break from a tedious journey, so against our better judgement decided to try the food.

My husband managed to get the chicken and chips changed to chicken and mash, whilst three of us opted for ham, egg and chips and one went without as there was nothing suitable on offer. My husband was served his meal immediately, but was told that the other meals needed to be ordered at the payment point, so off we went.

At the till we ordered the meals along with four pots of tea. I stood expectantly, tray in hand, but became puzzled when the tea didn’t appear. When I asked where it was, a disinterested assistant pointed over to a counter the other side and said, “over there!” My eyes followed the direction of the pointing finger where I spotted the pots and tea and cups plonked on a higher surface, from which I was supposed to load the tray.

On paying for our order, my husband asked if we were to be given a number (as in many Sainsburys Restaurants) for our food to be brought to our table. The (different) disinterested assistant informed us that we did not get a number, we were just to wander back to the hot food counter to see if and when the food was ready. This was when I snapped!

I stated that I felt it was extremely poor service and then did something I would never normally do. I gave the assistants a frosty glare and said, “I write about this kind of thing, and this will go down as the poorest service I’ve ever had!” (As you can see, I keep my word, rather than make empty promises.)

Give them their due, at this point both assistants underwent a complete expression change, and the next thing we knew our food was being taken to our chosen table, with reasonably good grace. Thank you for that, but what about all the other poor customers who are not given this treatment?

So to the food. The chicken was good, the mash acceptable, the eggs cooked the way I like them, the ham of reasonable quality, but sadly the chips were dry. It was lovely to have china pots of tea, as opposed to those leaky, old metal ones in some branches, but the choice of cold drinks was poor. My son had to settle for a fizzy drink as the only ‘still’ alternative was water. Where were all the bottles of Ribena, Oasis etc, available at the sandwich counter in the store downstairs?

Where this branch did gain some extra points was that it supplied bottles of ketchup instead of those irritating little plastic sachets, which deliver a minimal blob of sauce and must play havoc with the environment.

So Sainsburys Stanway, don’t let the side down. Get your house (restaurant) in order and bring your food and service up to the standards we’ve experienced in some of your fellow stores. In the meantime, do feel free to comment by emailing comments@shoppersjoy.co.uk

Soup and Roll Saga Continues

In my 14^th September Blog ‘Manager’s Good and Bad’, I bemoaned the stupidity of Greggs charging extra for butter with their soup and roll.

Although I am currently waiting for a response from Greggs, I am happy to report that I have tracked down a much better soup and roll deal.

During a lunch trip to my local Tesco Extra Restaurant today (I still maintain that I don’t spend all my time lunching out), I discovered that soup and a roll are served for £2.25 (Greggs charges £2.45), inclusive of butter. The soup was hot and creamy, the roll crisp and fresh, the butter plentiful – and all served with a smile! What’s more Clubcard points are awarded on the purchase.

I certainly know which side my bread’s buttered on – or whether my roll is buttered at all!

STOP PRESS! On the subject of Tesco they currently have some great half price offers in store, including Robinson’s squash, Branston Baked Beans, Shreddies and Walker’s crisps.

Managers – Good and Bad

The Bad…

This week I’ve really got the hump with a local branch of Greggs. It started with a roll and a bowl of soup and is yet to reach its conclusion.

Ordering the lunchtime soup and roll, I was told that butter was charged as extra. I pointed out that it had always been included when I had bought it before, but the lady serving me argued the point, whilst serving lukewarm soup with a strong resemblance to dishwater. I decided to complain further and was stunned to be told that the person serving me was in fact the manager!

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I returned the food, got a refund (which the manager seemed to want to give me like a shot rather than remedy the situation) and went home where I composed a letter to Greggs’ regional office.

The ‘Guardian of the Butter” insisted it’s Greggs’ policy to serve scones inclusive of butter, but to charge extra when served with a roll. Ridiculous. It’s as daft as saying milk is included with coffee, but charged as an extra with tea! (Don’t go getting ideas Greggs).

I am awaiting Greggs’ response, so watch this space.

The Good…

Morrisons’ management on the other hand is in my good books this week.

Following a queuing issue in the local Morrison’s restaurant (I don’t really spend all my time lunching out, honestly) I met a manager who actually manages.

For some strange reason, the day I visited, the lady at the hot food order point decided to ban customers who only wanted a cold lunch from bypassing the hot food point, as is usual practice, demanding a single queue was formed. I could easily have nipped in, chosen a sandwich and proceeded to pay before the hot foodies had finished pondering the difficult choice between beans and peas.

The appearance of the so-called ‘restaurant manager’ (looked about 14 and better suited to school uniform) mumbling about policy (my new most-hated word) did nothing to ease the situation.

Luckily a quick call from a lovely girl on customer service resulted in the appearance of an enthusiastic store manager, who assured me that the single queuing system was not Morrisons’ policy and normal service would be resumed. He left me striding away like a man on a mission to restore order.

So Managers Take Note…

Poor people skills by the manager of Greggs = chance of returning to said branch = 0

A manager at Morrisons demonstrating he valued my custom and opinion = I have already returned! What’s more I didn’t have to queue with the hot food devotees.