A disappointment of stellar proportions

[elvum]

So, it seems that the Star has gone downhill again. The beer is still fine, but there's no way that Fullers would risk the reputation of a pub that's been in every edition of the Good Beer Guide, so that's no surprise. The disappointment is the food. The steaks have gone up in price again, to £14. I don't mind paying £14 for a steak. But I do mind paying £14 for four measly ounces of overcooked ribeye. It could just be that the kitchen was busy, or that they were trying to eke out a dwindling supply of meat (neither of which would be acceptable, but would at least suggest that standards hadn't plummeted), but the continental meat platter we had as a starter was pretty mediocre, too. It's under new management again.

My disappointment was so bitter (and the portions now so meagre) that I bought a fillet steak from M&S at Victoria, and cooked it rare and ate it just with wholegrain mustard when I got home.

Avoid for another year, I suggest.

Comments

[taigrrr.livejournal.com]

That is a lot of money for not a lot of steak.

Maybe if we firebombed the place, they might buck their ideas up?

[billyabbott.livejournal.com]

But that would hurt the beer...

[taigrrr.livejournal.com]

What if you just firebombed the upstairs?

Oh, your company wouldn't offer me a Year in Industry placement. They're mean...

[billyabbott.livejournal.com]

They don't offer anyone placements, so they are at least mean to everyone.

[taigrrr.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know. It still makes me sad, though -.-

[elvum.livejournal.com]

...and overcook the steak.

[taigrrr.livejournal.com]

An excellent point.

What if we burst in at gunpoint, drank all the beer, ate all the steak raw, and the....

Actually, let's just do that.

[aca.livejournal.com]

Given our patronage over the last decade I don't think a letter to Fullers is too outrageous a response, eh?

[rplackett.livejournal.com]

I did complain to them at the time actually, but i think a letter would certainly not be out of place.

[non-trivial.livejournal.com]

Yeah I mentioned it to the bar staff as I left and asked them to pass it on to the landlord... we'll see.

[taigrrr.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm sure they'll pass your complaint right along. I'm pretty sure that's how it works...

[overconvergent.livejournal.com]

Wow, £14 for a steak is robbery unless it's a *very big*, *very good* steak!

[aca.livejournal.com]

There's some formula for cost, quality and size which must be met. I mean, 14 quid for a nice but small fillet is fine. :)

[taigrrr.livejournal.com]

Personally, I wouldn't agree... I feel that as long as you're paying at least three quid for a meal, there should be enough there to eat. I'm not saying that they'd be ripping you off, it's just not something I would be interested in. Buuuut, I guess I am a student, and therefore want to see some calories for my money :p

[aca.livejournal.com]

Everyone has their own view on value. Mine is somewhat more flexible then that. But I guess I've not been a student for 7 years so my view may have been somewhat different back then. :)

[shuripentu.livejournal.com]

Well, I would certainly be a bit peeved if I paid £14 (or really anything more than £5) for a plate of food and still felt hungry after I'd ate it. :)

[elvum.livejournal.com]

Also citing conversations on #flat, I would argue that there are reasons for buying, making and eating food other than satiety, but that one's opinion on the importance of (some of) them depends considerably on disposable income...

I would not mind paying £14 for one of several courses in a restaurant where the quality was sufficient for me to think that it was good value, even if that course alone didn't fill me up. But I couldn't afford to go to that kind of restaurant more than once or twice a year. :-)