Ping pies

[lovejoy]

Just wondered if anyone was able to increase there food sales/profit thanks to the wonderful pies.
I can't over six figure drop in profits since starting?
you would have thought the penny would have dropped!!
But sadly no, just more good people added to the ever growing list of unemployed in this country?

[DarkieBoy]

Having a restricted diet myself I find that ping food excludes me from eating most things in pubs.  Proper home-cooked food allows the chef to make something special for me...speaking to chefs, they actually like preparing food beyond the norm as it is a challenge for them and what they are trained to do.  I often find that my meal is better than the rest because the chef has put in more thought and effort to prepare it for me.

DB.

[larry]

Have to agree with you there DB.
We used to go to one particular SS pub where the chef was a friend of ours. As you say, he used to enjoy preparing something 'not from the board'. Made a pleasant change for him. The waitresses used to rush into the kitchen to see what we were having, so they could dip their chips in the excellent sauces he had prepared for us.

AAhhhh - those were the days my friend!!

[ian]

As some will know, I'm trying to visit as many SS pubs as possible.  In the last four weeks I've been in about 40 SS pubs across dinner time  12 till 3pm. The only pub I've seen anybody eating in is the Hanson Cab in York.

That alone should tell the people at the top of SS, that there are going down the wrong road. If the food issues continue I can see SS pulling out of food all together. Or with a bit of luck, going back to how it was.

ian

[DarkieBoy]

Ian, not sure if you've been to any of the 36 SS pubs in London, but many seem to do a roaring ping food trade, especially Chandos (just off Trafalgar Square) and The Fitzroy.

I'm trying to visit all of the London SS pubs and I've got reviews to post, when I get the time!

DB.

[ian]

Darkieboy I'm in London in 3 weeks for a 4 night stay. I plan to visit a few, maybe 20 or so.  But I will have my wife with me and I can't see her being happy with a 4 day pub crawl. Now that would be heaven.  Maybe I can leave her at home.

ian.

[lovejoy]

Reviews of pubs!
Remember that the poor managers at this time of year will be working flat out just to serve customers, so no coments on cleanliness as there is only so much people can do.

[DarkieBoy]

Ian, would you like some recommendations of which London ones to visit?

DB.

[ian]

hi darkieboy.

I going pick out a area each day and visit as many as I can. Or until my wife puts her foot down .

ian.

[DarkieBoy]

I think the foot will be put down pretty quickly!

Someone on here posted a couple of routes to take in order to visit as many SS pubs in the shortest period of time...can't remember where though.

My recommendations/must visits are:

Princess Louise
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
Cittie of Yorke
Fitzroy

Plus Captain Kidd (a new build)
Ye Olde Swiss Cottage (a new purchase and in need of some TLC).

DB.

[ian]

Reviews of pubs!
Remember that the poor managers at this time of year will be working flat out just to serve customers, so no coments on cleanliness as there is only so much people can do.

Yes that is a good point. 

On all but one (the Duncan Leeds) I don't think I've said anything negative about the pubs, and never anything negative about any of the managers.

ian.

[ian]

Our hotel is nearby to the Ye Olde Swiss  Cottage and the Ordnance Arms.  I can see myself popping into them while my wife unpacks the bags.

ian

[DarkieBoy]

Reviews of pubs!
Remember that the poor managers at this time of year will be working flat out just to serve customers, so no coments on cleanliness as there is only so much people can do.

Yes that is a good point. 

On all but one (the Duncan Leeds) I don't think I've said anything negative about the pubs, and never anything negative about any of the managers.

ian.

To me, as a barman, an unclean pub is either a sign of bad management or inadequate staffing levels....or both.  On the contrary, I don't think it is necessarily unfair to mention that a pub is not clean, in fact I think it is rather important.  However, it should also be noted whether the pub was busy, the number of members of staff working, unforeseen events, etc...that is, a measured response without aportioning any blame.

DB.

[DarkieBoy]

Our hotel is nearby to the Ye Olde Swiss  Cottage and the Ordnance Arms.  I can see myself popping into them while my wife unpacks the bags.

ian

I can't comment about the Ordance, as I have never been.  This is the Google Street View of it: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Swiss+Cottage+tube+station,+Camden+Town&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=12.583143,28.256836&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Swiss+Cottage+tube+station&ll=51.535618,-0.170374&spn=0.002923,0.021973&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=51.535866,-0.171291&panoid=5j0TJhCL_pmMFXBvr_XHHg&cbp=12,252.57,,0,-6.78

Swiss Cottage is a bit basic inside, but unusually it does have a private club on the premises for playing snooker, I beliew.  There appears to be a segregated area for this that you can see across the bar.  The pub is in need of a couple of million quid chucking at it to get it up to standard.  Still worth a visit though, especially if you are near by!

DB.

[centurion]

Our hotel is nearby to the Ye Olde Swiss  Cottage and the Ordnance Arms.  I can see myself popping into them while my wife unpacks the bags.

ian

Try these
Suggested NORTH LONDON Route



   ? Day Visit
   Swiss Cottage,
   Walk to Ordnance pub (NW8 6PS) 29. Ordnance Hill St Johns Wood.
   Walk  or mini cab to Robert Browning (W9 1SY) 15 Clifton Road Maida Vale.
   Take LU (Maida Vale US).  Bakerloo/Jubilee to Angel in the Fields (W1U 2QU),
             37 Thayer Street. (Bond Street US)
   From Bond Street US take jubilee line to Westminster US, take district line to St James?s    parks US walk to The Cardinal.(SW1P 1DN) 23 Francis Street.
   From St James?s Park US take district line to Tower Hill US, walk to
    Captain Kidd. (E1W 2NE) 108 Wapping High Streets. Easier by black cab cost ?4


   Full day
   Ye Old Cheshire Cheese (EC4A 2BU) 145 Fleet Street. (20min)
   Walk to Cittie of Yorke (WC1V 6BS) 22 High Holborn Nr Chancery Lane. (11min)
   Walk to Princess Louise (WC1V 7BW) 208-209 High Holborn. (10min).
   Walk to The Crown (WC1A 1BL) 51 New Oxford Street. (5mins)..
   Walk to Bricklayers Arms (W1T 1QS) 31 Gresse Street Fitzrovia (9mins).
   Walk to Fitzroy Tavern (W1T 2NA) 16 Charlotte Street Fitzrovia (3mins)
   Walk to The Champion W1T 3PA) 12 Wells Street Fitzrovia. (5mins)
   Walk to Yorkshire Gray (W1W 7AX) 46 Langham Street. (6mins)
   Walk to Horse and Groom (W1W 6XX) 128. Great Portland Street (2mins)
   Walk to Dover Castle (W1G 7 EH) 43.Weymouth Mews Marylebone (5mins)
   Walk to The Cock (W1W 8QG) 27 Great Portland Street nr Oxford Circus (8mins)..   Walk to The Red Lion (W1B 5PP) 14 Kingsley Street Soho (9mins)
   Walk to John Snow (W1F 9QP) 39 Broadwick Street Soho. (3mins) next to Carnaby    Street.
   Walk to Glass house Stores (W1F 9UN) 55 Brewer Street Soho. (4mins)
   Walk to The White Horse (W1D 7PJ) Corner of Archer St/Rupert St Soho (2mins).
   Walk to The Chandos (WC2N 4ER) 29 St Martins Lane nr Trafalgar Square (10m   Walk to Lyceum Tavern (WC2R 0HS) 354 The Strand (8mins)
   Walk and bus to Rising Sun (EC1A 7JQ) 38 Cloth Fair nr Smithfield?s Market (17mins).