Letting off Steam - What dish would you like to see banned from pub menus?
Chef's opinions on what dish they would like to see banned from pub menus and why.
Rory Whelan, head chef, Hoste Arms, Burnham Market, Norfolk
"The consensus amongst the kitchen is prawn cocktail and trio of melons because they are such unimaginative dishes. My pet hate is also when pubs and restaurants copy one another. An example is red onion and goat's cheese tart. A chef creates a dish and then everyone else jumps on the bandwagon and then it's no longer innovative."
Michael North, chef/proprietor, the Goose, Britwell Salome, Oxfordshire
"There's not a particular dish that I would like to ban but more a style of cooking - the use of strong flavourings to mask inferior ingredients. A particular example is Thai-style cooking, which is quite trendy at the moment. Many restaurants serve good, authentic Thai food but in a lot of cases it is done badly and is not like the real thing: Thai fishcakes or a hot and sour soup where the spices cover up the poor cooking."
Nigel Ramsbottom, chef/proprietor, the Swan, Monks Eleigh, Suffolk
"It's got to be the sandwich. I can't understand why people get in their cars and drive around on hot days looking for one, when they can probably make a perfectly decent sandwich at home. We have people who walk in and then walk out again because there aren't any sandwiches on the menu. Any bought in, frozen food should be banned, too, because it is so simple to make the real thing from scratch. We make everything here - from bread to ice cream - and it really frustrates me when pubs serve up frozen scampi or ice cream because they can't be bothered. It gives the rest of us a bad name."
Tony Warburton, proprietor/chef, the Crown Inn, Church Enstone, Oxfordshire
"My pet hate is false or inaccurate descriptions on menus. I recently ordered a Caesar salad and was presented with lettuce and bacon served with mayonnaise, croutons and strawberries. That's not what I'd ordered. I also don't like to see Cajun spiced food on menus because I think that particular spice has had its day."
