casual dining

  • Innovating new ways to organise business: looking at pubs on site

    A new pub opening isn’t always a totally new event, if you consider that sometimes an old pub is reopened under new management.

    This is the case in Reading, Berkshire (a place I’ve reported from before), where The Sun Inn is due to reopen as The Rising Sun.

    It’s not just the new management that matters. As part of the Heartwood Collection, it’s also taking on a menu devised by Raymond Blanc, a famed name in the culinary world.

    This isn’t just a new venture here in the town, as it’s also something of a trend in the UK at large, where pubs are being reformed into eating venues as well as the traditional fare of drinking and casual musical entertainment, to make it a bit more of an experience.

    A side shot
    A sign
    Works at a side

    The pictures are only indicative of what it looks like now from outside, and its choice of graphic design points to a more shaped and relaxed appeal that is inviting as well as familiar for return visits.

    The site itself is allegedly an historic place of Reading’s oldest pub, and for a town that has a lot of them, it’s a good claim to fame.

    However, we’ll have to leave it to see if the proof is in the pudding

  • The crimes of street food

    Street food is a burgeoning part of our culture, even though it’s a tough gig fighting against a well-established restaurant scene.

    I say that, because ‘street food’ as a thing doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to those who didn’t like kebabs anyway.

    Kebab vans have long been a staple of some people’s nights out, as street food is now a part and parcel of someone’s afternoon out in the sun.

    This is how we roll, some might say, as they take a light afternoon stroll and pick up a portion of curry or a box of cheesy chips to carry.

    The delights of street food also show no end, as street food festivals and street food corners also pop up as and when, with a willing array of delights, and an equally willing customer base.

    The methods of payment are easy, too.

    Food with a message
    A pizza to-go
    Pork-based meals

    The appeal doesn’t reach everyone, but it’s an improvement on a can of coke and a suspicious looking helping of meat.

    The joy can also be palpable, too, as music is played out, or folks sit around with their new-found meals.

    I’ve walked through a number of these, and each time the choice impresses me.

    However, I’m a stickler for the same, so it’s off to the pub for me, as I leave the rest behind.

  • Casual celebrity dining enjoys a trend in London

    It’s not unfamiliar now to hear of a famous name cooking up a storm on TV.

    In the UK, we’ve enjoyed a wide array of chefs who’ve turned their talents to television and regaled us with their culinary skills. It’s a staple feature of a television schedule to learn about a new style of cuisine we can try ourselves at home, if we want.

    This is not the extent of it, however.

    We’re encouraged to buy their books, but we can also sample their inspired dishes in one of their own branded restaurant outlets, sometimes in our local areas, but also in our capital city, London.

    I’ve walked past more than a few of these and they always inspire for their choice of cuisine, such as Jamie Oliver: Catherine St.

    The front of the restaurant
    An A-board sign outside
    The menu board to look over
    An outdoor seating area

    It’s situated just near Covent Garden, and boasts a good ambience and small outdoor seating area.

    The menu is worth a good look, too, and I saw a few suggestions for typical British fair. It looks nice, a homely selection of meats and salads (and a few other things, like starters) to wet the appetite.

    It goes without saying there are plenty of other places to eat nearby, but this is one option that stood out to me.

    I guess it’s the name recognition, and I like television star Jamie Oliver’s choice of ingredients too. It fits my palate – and my stomach!

    Why not have a look around, and see the variety of ways food is advertised in our time, such as by famous names.

    It’s not just in the look, it’s in the signature style, as well.