I realise that pubs are having a hard-time what with cheap supermarket booze, the smoking ban and greedy
pubcos constantly hiking rents. But do we really need 'gastropubs' ? Am I alone in thinking that pub food should be limited to a combination of fried egg, chips, pies, ham, sausages, cod (battered) and peas ? Easy to store, cheap to buy and quick to cook - everyone's happy. Except that apparently they are not. Today's metrosexual want olives on the bar, a choice of wine and something oven-baked or pan-fried - not that they realise that there is no other way to bake or fry something the pillocks.
Pubs are primarily for drinking, restaurants and cafes primarily for eating - got it ?
And while we're at it why can't we have government support for local boozers. When I grew up these places offered a social service, essentially fostering sensible drinking with the older generation of fathers, uncles, neighbours etc.. keeping tabs on the exuberant youth. Now we seem to have the unfettered youth herded into 'theme bars' under the watchful eye of 100s of police on overtime just a few years older acting as temporary guardians. Blair et al wanted to bring in a continental style 'cafe society', sadly the witless buffoon failed to realise that we already had something better in place 30 years ago.
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