Lol I agree with you Adam. I am not sure why some people post in the food and drink forum, except to moan and berate others choices.

I too am a good cook and watch what I eat very closely. I ordered pizza yesterday though as I was hungover and didn't want to make my own.

By the time I have been to the shops and then made the pizza, I'd probably be worse off.

Even the fittest Olympic athletes will eat the odd junk food meal.

I consider most of those places mentioned a treat simply because there are none near me.

There are smaller local chains in my area that do a fantastic job though, one of the pizza chains is generally considered the best pizza place in Ireland.

Have you seen Michael Phelps' diet? Adam Richman has nothing on him!

Yes his diet is insane! I believe Usain Bolt is also very partial to his fried chicken and McDonald's.

i can afford it, but prefer home cooking and also the stuff in most of these places don't appeal to me. i don't eat pizzas and Mcdonalds is in town and I can't really be bothered to go into town just to get a burger.

Nandos, TGI Fridays we have not got, Nandos is suppose to be coming soon and so is Frankie and Benny or what ever it is called, but again, don't appeal to me.

The only take away I bother with is some chips once a month from a chippy down the road.

Just finished planting my potatos today. Seed potatoes cost money and so did the fertiliser I put on them. The osteopath will set me back a bit too as I have hurt my back digging!

I will only have a Domino's if I can find a voucher? Normally we have it about once a month ans it only comes to £15.

I do like Nando's but going out is a rarity these days so if I do go out I prefer to go somewhere a bit more "restauranty"

TGI's I don't rate, food wasn't good on the odd occasion I've been.

Food in general is expensive these days, currently I am on maternity leave so we are down to one income meaning it is a struggle to afford to eat how we like (mainly home cooked, healthy stuff with a few treats and the occasional take away or meal out)

He broke the 100m world record after having some McDonald's nuggets for beakfast.

I'd have said a pizza is one of the few meals that is better when cooked in a proper pizza oven, then when bought at a supermarket and cooked in a microwave at home. Really the competition isn't supermarkets, but take-out/delivery.

Cooking it in a microwave is your problem. You should try using an oven.

Er, how exactly?

Because I could work an hours overtime and have more money. It'd take me over an hour to get to the shops and make the food.

In response to this...

'Think how many hours you spent at work before you earnt that £17 to take home. Was it worth it for a pizza? Just different views, neither is right or wrong.'

I used to work as a food inspector, therefore I never have and never will buy food from a takeaway outlet.

How long ago was that 20 years?

our Mcdonalds have got 4 stars in the food hygiene ratings, so that is not too bad since the top is five.

the stench from the back mind you makes me think other wise.

It's not only that they can't afford them full stop, it's that for something as simple as a pizza, which are as cheap as £3 in some places, the price they want for it is ridiculous.


Do you want a medal? Not everyone can afford to spend money on takeaways if they're on a low income with other things to pay for.

And I don't think it's a case of people "getting over themselves", it's you who needs to do that.

I'm just sick of the hivemind of naysayers that jump on threads that even dare commend the food served at any chain restaurant / takeaway.

"Harvester? GOOD GOD, DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THEY CHARGE FOR A STEAK!!? FOURTEEN POUNDS!!!!!!!!!!!! It tastes completely foul too, I wouldn't even let my dog eat that plastic muck. You can make your own at home for a quarter of the price!!!!"

It's a constant barrage. There's no thread on here that isn't taken over by people who just want to put the OP down because he dared paid for a meal in a popular eating establishment. I'm trying to stick up for the people that do have money, and do enjoy a good feed at Simply Italian .. or a pizza from Papa John's, or a beer and burger in Wetherspoons even!

It isn't about cost for me. It's about sub standard crap that tastes of nothing. Why would I want to subject myself to that. It's called an opinion, which is what this forum is for, and if you don't agree, fine, carry on troughing your face with it, but don't be surprised when people disagree. Also, maybe calm down a little, there's actually no need for the caps lock, we get this is really impacting on your life.

yeah. I like you. . you're happy with your life, enjoy a night out and a munch when you want it. theres nothing wrong with that. I think most complainers are saying that there are people who spend £55 on pizza's for their 7 kids then moan cos theres no money left for food for the rest of the week. so they quite rightly say, "grow your own chips". fukk em. enjoy your dominos.

The reality probably lies somewhere at the midpoint of these two extreme views.

No it doesn't. I've not said anywhere that you have to cook every single thing from scratch all day every day, in fact I eat out a couple of times a week, however I chose to spend jay money on something that will taste half decent, not tasteless shite like Pizza Hut. If Adam and co wish to do that, then great for them, I honestly couldn't give a flying f*ck about that, but this forum is about exchanges opinions.

I was more referring to your comments about these foods being sub standard crap that tastes of nothing.

That is too much of a generalisation for me. Nobody seems to be saying Pizza Hut, Harvester and whoever else have been mentioned here are haute cuisine, but to write every single item they sell off as crap is equally undeserved.

The reality is more likely to be that the food at these places is OK and easily affordable for occasional treats but not something people could afford regularly unless they are rolling in money - in which case they probably wouldn't use casual chain joints anyway.

I can only comment based on my personal experiences of these places having eaten there. For the same cost as harvester, which is over priced for what it is, you could get a much nicer and tastier meal at carluccios or wagamamas, which are both chains, but are actually good at what they do. Nothing wrong with chains at all, it's just that some are really poor and others are not.