Comments on: The Good Food Guide Awards 2008 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/the-good-food-guide-awards-2008 Cooking - Photography & More Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:34:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: Elsie Nean http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/the-good-food-guide-awards-2008#comment-311 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 15:19:23 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/the-good-food-guide-awards-2008#comment-311 Miles, I understand that Angela Hartnett is closed for refurbishment and after that - watch this space .... Miles,
I understand that Angela Hartnett is closed for refurbishment and after that - watch this space ….

]]> by: miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/the-good-food-guide-awards-2008#comment-303 Mon, 17 Sep 2007 18:56:16 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/the-good-food-guide-awards-2008#comment-303 Christine, Quite right! All too often one comes across a 'local hero' who just wants to cook/serve good quality food with the minimum of fuss. They deserve all of our support because the job is hard enough. As for Gordon finding staff, well there are only so many chefs out there, or not as the case may be. Only a percentage of those will be willing to work in a pub, Ramsay's or not. Miles Christine,
Quite right! All too often one comes across a ‘local hero’ who just wants to cook/serve good quality food with the minimum of fuss. They deserve all of our support because the job is hard enough.
As for Gordon finding staff, well there are only so many chefs out there, or not as the case may be. Only a percentage of those will be willing to work in a pub, Ramsay’s or not.
Miles

]]> by: miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/the-good-food-guide-awards-2008#comment-302 Mon, 17 Sep 2007 18:52:46 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/the-good-food-guide-awards-2008#comment-302 Derfel, Many chefs are blinded by expensive ingredients, they assume it's a sure fire way of success but you have to use them properly in the first place. As you seem to indicate the real test is in using cheaper ingredients in a tighter confine and still achieve results. That's the mark of a chef. Miles Derfel,
Many chefs are blinded by expensive ingredients, they assume it’s a sure fire way of success but you have to use them properly in the first place. As you seem to indicate the real test is in using cheaper ingredients in a tighter confine and still achieve results.
That’s the mark of a chef.
Miles

]]> by: Christine http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/the-good-food-guide-awards-2008#comment-301 Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:44:34 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/the-good-food-guide-awards-2008#comment-301 Miles, I would agree with Derfel, there are some really good small, independant restaurants/pubs out there producing quality food but rarely seem to get the credit for it. Where's Gordon going to get all of his new staff from by the way? Christine Miles,
I would agree with Derfel, there are some really good small, independant restaurants/pubs out there producing quality food but rarely seem to get the credit for it. Where’s Gordon going to get all of his new staff from by the way?
Christine

]]> by: Derfel Cadarn http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/the-good-food-guide-awards-2008#comment-300 Mon, 17 Sep 2007 12:59:10 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/the-good-food-guide-awards-2008#comment-300 Miles I would say that running gastro pubs or the like was a greater challenge in many ways. Feeding more people on a tighter budget and still keeping the quality up must be difficult. If you can spend whatever you want on the finest ingredients then price your dishes accordingly, have plenty of skilled chefs then turning out high quality food should not be that difficult. Keeping discerning foodies happy who live outside London and have more limited budgets for eating out presents a lot of challenges I would imagine. Whatever happens the Ramsay bubble has burst I think. The idea that he is 'the best chef' has gone - he is, despite his hypocritical attacks on others, the countries leading 'celebrity chef' so is probably wise to head down this new route. Sticking his name over the door of a gastro pub will probably stick £5 over the odds on a dish ... that plus the natural GPM should ensure financial success - probably more so than selling 3 Michelin star grub ! Miles
I would say that running gastro pubs or the like was a greater challenge in many ways.
Feeding more people on a tighter budget and still keeping the quality up must be difficult.

If you can spend whatever you want on the finest ingredients then price your dishes accordingly, have plenty of skilled chefs then turning out high quality food should not be that difficult.

Keeping discerning foodies happy who live outside London and have more limited budgets for eating out presents a lot of challenges I would imagine.

Whatever happens the Ramsay bubble has burst I think. The idea that he is ‘the best chef’ has gone - he is, despite his hypocritical attacks on others, the countries leading ‘celebrity chef’ so is probably wise to head down this new route.

Sticking his name over the door of a gastro pub will probably stick £5 over the odds on a dish … that plus the natural GPM should ensure financial success - probably more so than selling 3 Michelin star grub !

]]> by: miles http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/the-good-food-guide-awards-2008#comment-299 Sun, 16 Sep 2007 22:09:45 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/the-good-food-guide-awards-2008#comment-299 Christine, How many good food guides are there? Not sure! The ones that really count in my opinion are: Michelin, AA, Good Food Guide, Hardens and now Egon Ronay. For chefs it will always be Michelin and AA. If three star Michelin is beyond your budget then look out for the winners of the Bib Gourmand award which is given for restaurants serving good food at reasonable prices-well worth a look. It is important to note that only the top restaurants are inspected regularly and by more than one inspector. Every other restaurant may or may not get inspected that year and the review is based on one single meal over the entire year. So if you're the 'whatever' from 'wherever' you've only got one shot at gaining or keeping hold of your award, if you're GR at Claridge's for example you'll get aother shot. That's celebrity status for you! Miles Christine,
How many good food guides are there?
Not sure! The ones that really count in my opinion are: Michelin, AA, Good Food Guide, Hardens and now Egon Ronay.
For chefs it will always be Michelin and AA. If three star Michelin is beyond your budget then look out for the winners of the Bib Gourmand award which is given for restaurants serving good food at reasonable prices-well worth a look.
It is important to note that only the top restaurants are inspected regularly and by more than one inspector. Every other restaurant may or may not get inspected that year and the review is based on one single meal over the entire year. So if you’re the ‘whatever’ from ‘wherever’ you’ve only got one shot at gaining or keeping hold of your award, if you’re GR at Claridge’s for example you’ll get aother shot.
That’s celebrity status for you!
Miles

]]> by: Christine http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/the-good-food-guide-awards-2008#comment-297 Sun, 16 Sep 2007 21:19:39 +0000 http://www.milescollins.com/wordpress/the-good-food-guide-awards-2008#comment-297 Miles, How many Good Food Guides are there? Is one more important than the other? Which one should we buy? Poor Gordon, I hope he has more luck in the other ones! Christine Miles,
How many Good Food Guides are there? Is one more important than the other? Which one should we buy?
Poor Gordon, I hope he has more luck in the other ones!

Christine

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