Prices of eating out

[John Wright]

14 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

That's all sort of what I expected (though it only seems to be three days a week max), but it would be better to make it clear.  You do wonder however just how useful it is as a training restaurant without the randomness of walk-ins.  There's probably a good 'nursery slope' argument for starting people off in a less stressed environment and the more important use may be for kitchen-related stuff.  But it does look rather like an effectively-subsidised facility for those "in the know" rather than realistic work experience for the students.  But I suppose they can get that in the actual marketplace, evenings and weekends.

Roger, I agree. It’s used, mainly, by those in the know. I first went, to a previous incarnation, in 1981.

Ive visited other restaurants in catering colleges in Stoke and Hull, when I was in university.

That takes me back to the mid 70’s.

My birth mother’s husband was head of the Blackpool catering college. I’ve eaten there.

Theyve all been run the same in the 50 years I’ve eaten in them. 

It’s training for the kitchen, cooking, food standards, cleanliness, safety, and for waiting on, especially silver service and English service, Russian service, etc.

It’s to give basic and advanced skills. Most of the students will be working, weekends and seasonally in commercial places.

Yes, you only pay the cost of the food. Nothing towards rent, wages, heat light power or profit.

Ive practical experience of the lack of practical thinking by the staff, however. 35 years ago the definition of a substantial meal was increased from 25p to £1.25 ( under the Licensing Act ). The department head had to go to licensing court. I was representing the Board of Education. I coached him, went through the fact that the 75p they were then charging was raw materials only. Asked him what the text books say about the relative costs of raw material, rent, wages, utilities, and profit. We agreed that in a commercial restaurant the meal would be on the menu at £3.50 or so.

Got him in the box, sworn, asked raw material costs, established that it included none of the other costs or profit, asked him what those elements might be, no answer, rabbit in headlights stuff. Then asked what he thought a meal in a commercial restaurant of the same standard would cost. He didn’t know, wasn’t willing to speculate. I tried every tack. No meaningful answer to get us over the £1.25.

Henry Callow, Chair of the Licensing Bench, looked at Esther Richmond, court reporting and asked “Mrs Richmond, you and I eat at the training restaurant regularly, do you think the cost of a commercial meal of similar quality would cost more than £1.25?”. Esther nodded. License renewed.

Henry, Esther, and Mick Moyle ate there weekly, when not at the Auto Club.
 

 

[Gladys]

19 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

You do realise that that very link was in my original post in the subject?  So obviously I had read it.  It doesn't say what the opening times are (it does give the dates in the linked leaflet).  Obviously if it's booking-only that matters less, but it doesn't make clear it's booking-only either.

This isn't really just about UCM putting a lot of work and thought into a project (the schedule of meals offered seems designed to develop skills in a particular way through the year) and then failing to explain what they are doing.  That sort of lack of information is all too common on the Island and reacting by saying "Well I know all about it" just proves my point.  Most businesses need to be constantly attracting new customers to thrive and should make it easy to do so.

Get your point, but this is not a business.  It is practical training for catering students, and has been there since the 70s, at least. 

More annoying is new businesses who post online without saying where they are, so you have to click through to their website and then that is often not too clear.  

Perhaps, UCM should make website and menu creation part of their catering curriculum? 

Edited November 11, 2023 by Gladys
Sp

[Happier diner]

15 hours ago, Roger Mexico said:

Oh I get that, but if you're trying to sell yourself to people, you need everything upfront and explained as simply and in as un-offputting a way as possible: where you are and how to get there; when you open and how you operate from the customer's point of view.  People don't want to get to an unfamiliar venue and be embarrassed or confused - or even find it shut.

It's very common on the Island of course: "But everyone knows where we are" syndrome.  But UCM should know better, if only to act as an example to students who will hope of operating their own businesses.  It's not difficult to do, especially when you consider all the care and thought that is clearly going into menu creation, setting up themes and so on.  But the first rule of customer service is to put yourself into their mindset without any assumptions and work out what you can do to give them a good experience.

Is it byo?

[Kopek]

I don't think it's Welsh!

It's valuable hands on experience rather than class room based.

It can also give the students the opportunity to decide if they want 2hrs of hectic lunch and 4 hrs in the evening~~?~? Or should they apply for an office job!!! 😀

Edited November 11, 2023 by Kopek

[Happier diner]

4 hours ago, Happier diner said:

Is it byo?

Surely someone on here must know.

[Kopek]

Pretty certain they have a licence, see JW above.

 

[Happier diner]

26 minutes ago, Kopek said:

Pretty certain they have a licence, see JW above.

 

That was 1970. You might be right that they still have it bit I'd like a more up to date report😄

[John Wright]

6 minutes ago, Happier diner said:

1970

I didn’t qualify until 1982. It was about 1990 that licensing act change took place. But yes, long time ago.

We had the same difficulty with Chinese restaurant renewals that year. 75p business men’s lunches. Lots of the licensees didn’t have a good grasp of English. Again we had gone through the questions and the acceptable answers. So it was yes, yes, no, yes, no, no, yes, yes, yes. And then Henry interjected with a question of his own. He knew what was going on.

[Kopek]

54 minutes ago, Happier diner said:

I'd like a more up to date report😄

Chrissake, it's a cheap subsidised lunch!!! Do you have to have a drink???

..or are you promising the Missus a big trip out?? 😉

Edited November 11, 2023 by Kopek

[thommo2010]

Went to a local chippy tonight as I thought I'd take a night off from cooking.

1 small chips

2 sausages

Beans

Can of pop

 

£9.50

 

Chippy used to be the cheap go to for family takeaway, no more

Edited November 11, 2023 by thommo2010

[finlo]

1 minute ago, thommo2010 said:

Went to a local chippy tonight as I thought I'd take a night off from cooking.

1 small chips

2 sausages

Beans

Can of pop

 

£9.50

 

Crazy

Don't go asking for fish and chips then somewhere around £12.50 a pop now!

[The Voice of Reason]

Just now, thommo2010 said:

Went to a local chippy tonight as I thought I'd take a night off from cooking.

1 small chips

2 sausages

Beans

Can of pop

 

£9.50

 

Crazy

Couldn’t you have got by with one sausage?

That should be plenty with the rest.

I went to the Broadway cinema the other day and bought a bottle of water from the vending machine. £1.90 if you please. Just less than 20 %  of your bill. 

[Manxman1234]

3 minutes ago, thommo2010 said:

Went to a local chippy tonight as I thought I'd take a night off from cooking.

1 small chips

2 sausages

Beans

Can of pop

 

£9.50

 

Chippy used to be the cheap go to for family takeaway, no more

Food and drink cost will have been about £1.30

add in utilities and wages, still leaves nice profit. Some places have got greedy with price increases

 

[CrazyDave]

6 minutes ago, thommo2010 said:

Went to a local chippy tonight as I thought I'd take a night off from cooking.

1 small chips

2 sausages

Beans

Can of pop

 

£9.50

 

Chippy used to be the cheap go to for family takeaway, no more

Still is.

Which is cheaper?

[The Voice of Reason]

1 minute ago, The Voice of Reason said:

Couldn’t you have got by with one sausage?

That should be plenty with the rest.

I went to the Broadway cinema the other day and bought a bottle of water from the vending machine. £1.90 if you please. Just less than 20 %  of your bill. 

It’s the old , and quite correct, argument that most of the cost for a cafe, restaurant is not the cost of the food  but wages , rent, rates insurance etc