Little Chef - Little Chef

I have to admit to having a slight weakness for the Little Chef, mainly because when I am driving my little Mini on long road trips and having to fill her up every 3 hours or so due to her little fuel tank I invariably stop at a petrol chef with an adjoining Little Chef for a bacon bap and cup of coffee to keep me awake!

As a child on long journeys we would often pop into a Little Chef (or a Happy Eater, remember those?!) and I would have a kids meal and one of those sickly lolly pops to take away with me. In the late 1980's/early 1990's the restaurants seemed to have a certain glamour despite most of the customers being large noisy families or OAP's, I believe the correct term is 'older person' these days but never mind. The waitresses fascinated me, I think it's because they wore long shiny satin type dresses with patterns on like an Air 2000 air stewardess who wore similar dresses with a watch pattern on! As a small girl obsessed with all things air hostessy (I was determined to join the glamorous rank of airline cabin crew and did indeed end up flying for 3 airlines when I was grown up, I also had a nurse phase and I am now doing a nursing degree but never mind) these kind ladies had to put put up with me staring at them. I remember one lady who I remember thinking even then was wasted working in a Little Chef wearing a polyester calf length dress. I couldn't pronounce 'chocolate milkshake' due a stammer but she very sweetly said 'oooo those are my favourite too!'

Anyway, I digress. Little Chef has been in the news recently as they are closing 67 of the 161 branches due to their financial situation. The brand was formed back in 1958 and apparently served or serves 20 million people per year. They are mainly in motorway service stations and at the side of numerous A roads in the middle of nowhere. You may remember the Channel 4 documentary in which Heston Blumenthal tried to improve Little Chef with varying results.

My most recent experience with the chain is dining at the branch in Bicester off the A41. Long story but we had planned to meet some relations at Bicester Outlet Village on a bank holiday weekend to hand my grand-mama over to them. Unfortunately the place was packed so we ended up at the glamorous Little Chef instead. Like most of the others the building is a less than charming 1980's style red brick, one story block. Car parking was however plentiful with a couple of dodgy drug dealing types sat in battered old cars eating Burger King meals. Yes, there is a Burger King in this building too!

We were seated quickly by a sad looking young waitress in a stained t-shirt and leggings. No more bouffant hair, blue glittery eye shadow and orange foundation as the waitresses in the 1980's had sported. One table held a very large family of noisy chav types who left an utter mess in their wake and an older couple sat silently eating an Olympic breakfast each. The place was clean enough but just looked rather faded and tired. The Burger King on the other hand was really busy and we were separated from them by a few wooden screens.

The food isn't gourmet but there is a large choice and it is served quickly. The tea pots did have a slight dishwasher smell to them but never mind. Whilst we drank the slight lemon dishwasher tablet flavoured tea we (there were 5 of us) pondered the extensive menu. The breakfast menu is really good and is served all day. I ordered a bacon butty but at nearly £5 this is very expensive! They have attempted to poshen up the light snacks section of the menu and one can have Pork Liver Pate and Toast now as well as the usual jacket potatoes and toasted sandwiches. The main courses are nearly all different types of burgers now, including a veggie burger and are priced at around the £7 mark. There is also an omelette, fish and chips and lasagne on the main menu. The puddings generally consist of pancakes and ice-cream. There is of course a menu for the little people and they also do take-away food now.

The Olympic Breakfast is still on the menu which is described as 'famous.' For under £7.50 you can have bacon, a pork sausage,2 free range eggs, a mushroom, sauté potatoes (not hash browns :-( but they, and other extras, can be added for 99p!) a tomato and Heinz baked beans with your choice of toast or fried bread. It actually looked pretty yummy but contains a zillion calories no doubt.

Drinks are as you would expect-I recommend the hot chocolate deluxe made with Cadburys chocolate and a flake and whipped cream which will set you back £2.99. They even serve wine for £9.99 a bottle but I have never seen customers drinking wine here!

Our food was served quickly and everyone seemed to enjoy what they had-well the plates were left empty anyway. The staff were nice enough but a bit scruffy in their uniforms and seemed tired . The loos were ok but not great-they had enough loo roll but the cracked, scuffed mirrors and the stinky air freshener was rather pungent and didn't really make going in there a pleasant experience.

All in all I would go there again as the bacon butty was really good as was my hot chocolate. The Little Chef chain is not somewhere I would make a special point of going to, nor would I go there for a special occasion! But you know you will be fed something reasonably hot and filling, the staff will chat to you and you can do a wee. The main downside is that the other customers have really annoying screaming brats and it's expensive to eat there.