Big Chef, little Chef

[tarannau]

To be fair, if people didn't realise that already they've got chaffinches for tastebuds.

The boss is comedy gold. I loved his line yesterday about how he'd worked a lot with big celebrities, going into an anecdote about the one who made the most impression on him... only to forget her name.

 

[weltweit]

The boss is a tosser!

But so in their own ways are everybody else in this sad programme.

I know what to expect from LC ..

I often pop in to get an Early Farter from the Little Theif

And its fine .

 

[Crispy]

That's nice, Crispy.

Sigh


Big Chef
Little Chef
Cardboard Box

 

[editor]

Sigh


Big Chef
Little Chef
Cardboard Box

A valiant effort, but...

 

[Crispy]

I Know I was hoping for at least a rolleyes from someone though. you guys

 

[mrsfran]

 

[tarannau]

I Know I was hoping for at least a rolleyes from someone though. you guys

happy now?

 

[Crispy]

no, and I never will be

 

[bouncer_the_dog]

The Times link has comments at the end of the article indicating the Poham little Chef is advertising for a Manager and Assistant Manager puts a somewhat different twist on it.

"heston can I have a new shirt?"
"can I have a new Kitcen?"
"can I have new curtains?"

"yes of course"

...

and you can be fired too...

 

[SwizzleStiX]

snail porridge yuck,

and btw 'whats in the mashed potato.. errr potato

 

[Melinda]

I think the LC manager is to be commended for the level of support he has shown his team. Quite nuturing.

 

[bouncer_the_dog]

Certainly this episodes edit has shown his better qualities!

 

[insomnia]

It's it's it's WIMPY ffs, bet Heston nearly had a heart attack

 

[Azrael]

... I didn't fancy waiting 30 minutes in Formica Hell for lukewarm carpet lining.

"The formica is peeling." Actual quote, from tonight's episode. Oh dear Lord.

Wasn't a bad finale: 70 guests "accidentally" turning up was as dubious as Mr Pegler's margins, but I liked the new design, and the menu wasn't too bad. Although I give the conversational bogs a day before some much-deserved vandalism. And blue sky!

Speaking of Mr Pegler, either his board gave him a rocket up the trumpet, or the David Brent gig was a later contender for the Academy, 'cause he was rather sensible tonight.

Big ol' gimmick, but an entertaining one. Be interested to see how it pans out over the next three months.

 

[Orangesanlemons]

I noticed that the "inspiring" music played after the successful opening of the Little Chef (Elbow) was exactly the same "inspiring" music that Charlie Brooker chose to soundtrack the closing triumph of his "Big British Wee with Connie Huq" show.

Marvellous.

 

[Epona]

I thought it ended OK (more or less), I used to love Little Chef as a kid and used to nag my parents relentlessly to stop off there whenever we were driving anywhere! The new menu looked OK and not too over the top, both the steak & ale pie and the fish & chips looked lush, and that's the sort of food most people want at a service station, they're refuelling and moving on, it's never going to be a 'destination restaurant'. The main problem with Little Chef before was that the stuff just wasn't good quality and wasn't cooked well - sort that out and spread the word, job's a good 'un.

JI want to see him try to make the perfect baked alaska using quantum theory, not teach unskilled catering drones how to make scrambled eggs ffs.

That had me in stitches, quite right!

 

[Pie 1]

70 guests "accidentally" turning up was as dubious as Mr Pegler's margins

They were invited for the opening night (restaurant critics, s'lebs, etc). Nothing 'accidental' was alluded to.
Or are we talking about something different?

 

[danny la rouge]

Yes, they were invited. The 'cock up' was that they all arrived at once expecting to be served, instead of having been given staggered times to arrive. (I'll take that at face value. Seems a strange thing to fake).

 

[Upchuck]

I will be watching this on 4OD in the next couple of days. Motorway restaurants are fascinating places. I had a job once at a motorway restaurant in another country. A chain of garages (Texaco) had their own restaurants on the same site as the petrol station and had a 'Texaco restaurant'. They were really like islands, much like working on a toll booth, in that no-one could walk to work, and the only 'repeat customers' were fat truckies. All the burgers etc were microwaved and a few of the people in the kitchen frying up chips etc had done prison time They had hearty food however, though the origins are under a cloud. They did meals like rissoles wrapped in bacon with veggies (carrot, peas, cauliflower in white sauce) and the rissoles were a good size but prices were expensive, probably £7 for 2 rissoles, chips and veggies. They also did stew, curried prawns, lasagne. I kind of enjoyed working there. There was definately a type of person who enjoyed eating the stodge that was served up. The real results of the food were seen in the truckies however: they were all very overweight, sweaty and red faced and months of heart attacks. TBF I would work in one again if it payed well and I enjoyed it. People did have pride in working at the place and as much as many despised the management, they would have been hurt and defensive if anyone criticised the food

 

[mrsfran]

I noticed that the "inspiring" music played after the successful opening of the Little Chef (Elbow) was exactly the same "inspiring" music that Charlie Brooker chose to soundtrack the closing triumph of his "Big British Wee with Connie Huq" show.

Marvellous.

Excellent spot

It really did conform 100% to the established format for this type of show.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

70 guests "accidentally" turning up was as dubious as Mr Pegler's margins.

The guests were all invited. The problem was Heston had asked for the guests to be staggered so that they did not overwhelm the kitchen and have to wait too long to be served.

There was no mention of anything "accidental" at all.

 

[Azrael]

The problem was Heston had asked for the guests to be staggered so that they did not overwhelm the kitchen and have to wait too long to be served.

Yes, that's what I was referring to. Apologies for any confusion caused.

Perhaps it was genuine, and I've just been turned into a gnarled old cynic of reality shows; Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares usually has a "crisis" that the staff pull together to magically overcome. Since I'm a gnarled old cynic anyhow, that's not a good combination.

 

[Fruitloop]

I noticed that the "inspiring" music played after the successful opening of the Little Chef (Elbow) was exactly the same "inspiring" music that Charlie Brooker chose to soundtrack the closing triumph of his "Big British Wee with Connie Huq" show.

Marvellous.

That show was utter genius.

 

[Rosco]

Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares usually has a "crisis" that the staff pull together to magically overcome. Since I'm a gnarled old cynic anyhow, that's not a good combination.

Yea strange that, different restaurants and people every week but exactly the same goings on and experiences.

 

[richardthethird]

It was nice to see that one thing that was not faked was our hero saviour of the greasy Little Thief was not above some even more heroic brown-nosing of the critics.

 

[beeboo]

I missed last night's episode - can anyone précis how they got from the impass over knob CEO refusing to commit to a roll out, to agreeing the new menu and make over at popham. Have they committed to rolling out elsewhere?

 

[mrsfran]

Yea strange that, different restaurants and people every week but exactly the same goings on and experiences.

On the American version, it actually says (in words on the screen, very quickly at the beginning or end) "Some scenes created for entertainment value" or similar.

 

[danny la rouge]

I missed last night's episode - can anyone précis how they got from the impass over knob CEO refusing to commit to a roll out, to agreeing the new menu and make over at popham. Have they committed to rolling out elsewhere?

Heston in car: "I'm really worried, going in here, that they'll want to compromise quality to increase margins".
"Hi Heston."
"Hi. Are you going to compromise quality to increase margins?"
"No. We got you in because you're a top chef. We'll take your advice".
"Will you roll it out across the chain?"
"If the pilot makes a profit".
"Really?"
"Yes"
"Oh, good. Bye".

 

[gosub]

Caught some of the program, and I wish them well. Have since the launch intended to stop at Popham next time Im driving down to the south west. But the key word there is is curiosity - I'm not convinced on the model, the refits are an obvious necessity, but the menu. While there is a need for roadside full meal, and you will beat Brake Bros pubs by upping the quality, not addressing the quick and convenient is I think suicidal.
Britain has, within its culinary arsenal, fast foods to take on the ubiquitous burger joint. And little chef is about the the only chain we have left to counter global homogenization (sorry also watched Dave Gorman last night) - what I think they need is a bar stoolly area for quick consumption of bacon sarnies, sausage sarnies, and toasted sandwiches.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Yes, that's what I was referring to. Apologies for any confusion caused.

Perhaps it was genuine, and I've just been turned into a gnarled old cynic of reality shows; Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares usually has a "crisis" that the staff pull together to magically overcome. Since I'm a gnarled old cynic anyhow, that's not a good combination.

As a TV guy I know what you mean. I think it was simply a problem easily resolved that the edit tried to make a bigger deal out of.
If there is a lot of VO saying "but there was a problem and everyone was unhappy etc" They tend to be feeding you some information to pad out what's not really there in any substantial form.

I always try and make programmes without any VO at all as I like the way they can flow and feel very natural. Sadly there is nearly always a need for it at some point or and executive will come in and demand it to ram a point home.