Pub food still can't cut mustard', says Which?

by The PMA Team The quality of pub food is "improving in leaps and bounds" but tens of thousands of pubs still "can't cut the mustard", according to The Which? Pub Guide 2004 editor Andrew Turvil. The new edition of the guide, which has been expanded to include city as well as country pubs, has found 157 pubs worth giving a food award to ­ an increase of 50 on the year before. Turvil finds 36 pubs in London that serve good quality food, but his guide does not have a single listing for Birmingham, Leeds, Cardiff, Sheffield, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Cardiff, Swansea or Brighton. He said: "There are tens of thousands of pubs that can't cut the mustard when it comes to providing fresh food. "Those serving good beer were relatively easy to find, it was often the case that the atmosphere it was served in involved a mostly young clientele enjoying a thumping soundtrack." Turvil believes some gastro-pubs have lost the relaxed attitude of a pub and have become restaurants. "You know you are in trouble when you walk in and they ask: Have you booked?'. Many places that are labelled gastro-pubs are really restaurants in attitude and operation," he said. "Real gastro-pubs not only offer excellent food, but also welcome drinkers and still offer a relaxed and informal environment. "Converting a pub to a restaurant can be a logical step that makes sound business sense, particularly in an area overloaded with good drinking pubs. "There may be a gap in the market for a sightly more formal dining experience. In our view, they are no longer pubs and should not promote themselves as such." Turvil also argued that many city pubs "should not bother" doing food. "There is no need for a successful town or city pub to turn to food if it can thrive without it. We just don't need all these identikit menus from catering packs offering frozen Thai curry. "Why not stick to what they do best ­ an inviting ambience, fascinating decor, unique setting or great beer ­ than try to compete in the culinary stakes by offering sub-standard food?" Turvil speaks On the "disappointing" range of real ale in pubs: "Many places ­ and even some in the Guide ­ offer a predictable assortment from major producers. There is no excuse for offering a dull array of brand leaders and ignoring the exciting local or regional brewers. Many of the otherwise very good pubs included in the Guide could go much further when it comes to supporting small breweries." On low retail standards: "The British pub is unique but so many are being allowed to stagnate, their grubby patterned carpets and indifferent service testament to a bygone age." On not using good quality local produce on menus: "We have such riches in this country, but they tend to get lost among the pre-packaged, pre-frozen food that dominates." On branded operations: "There is usually a tendency to submerge the individual units' in conformity, make them all the same ­ same beers, same look and a series of managers that pass through. Such practice makes sound business sense, but it doesn't make for a very interesting product." On the "exceptions": "We list a number of tied houses attached to the good independent breweries ­ such as Harveys of East Sussex and Greene King in Suffolk ­ which successfully enable their tenants to offer good quality food and service and their range of beers. On his personal favourites: "Havelock Tavern, Battersea; Griffin Inn, Fletching, East Sussex; and the Star Inn, Harome, Yorkshire ­ an absolute classic.